The Washington times., 1921-05-23
| SLAIN AS
C0PSCHASE
BANDIT CAR
Early Morning Robbery Of 3 St.
Drug Store Frustrated by
Woman-One Arrest Made.

In a desperate pistol battle early
today one of two desperadoes who
attempted to rob the drug store of
Charles C. Read, 100 B street north
east, was shot in the mouth and
killed.
The dead man. who was we'll
known to the police and who was
dubbed Titanic" was John Walters.
thirty-four years old, Of 1914 Four
teenth street northwest.
Policeman Sirola and Special
Policeman Sheehan were standing
about a block away in a doorway
when they heard screams and re-
ports of a pistol. They ran toward
the drug store and saw an automo-
bile starting from the curb.
SHOT hALTs FLIGHT.
There snssx~~w1men~rn the car
They refused to halt at the police
mems command and the latter opene1
fire. One of the men ir the car tel
forward.
At Eleventh and Fl streets the ma
policemen succeeded in overhauiing
the running board. he saw the body
OF a man lying on the floor at the
operators feet. The mans legs had
become entangled in the gear levers
and the operator was unable to
bring the machine to a stop.
The policeman. although the car
wns gaining speed every minute.
clunG with ono hand to the machine
and with the other dragged the man
-.
to work the levers. The car was
then halted.
The body OF Walters was placed in
the rear seat and Sirols commanded
the operator to drive at top speed
to Casualty Hospital. Upon arrival
DR.. O'Brien pronounced Walters dead.
1t was said the man. besides suffer
ing from a bullet wound. suffered
broken neck.
Arthur Lee Bennett, twenty-four
years old. who lives at 1914 Four
teenth street northwest, operator of
the machine, was arrested and locked |
up at the Ninth precinct. The police
say he will be charged with house
breaking.
WOMAN DISCOVERS BANDIT.
Mrs. John Grove. Of 2O4 Eleventh |
street. who was nursing her sick
brother looked out her window about
$3.50 o'clock this morning and saw
two men "jimmying" the drug store
window. Another man was sitting
of which was kept running. When
the two men entered the place Mrs. |
Grove screamed. Her husband. John |
Grove, who was asleep in another |
part of the house, was aroused by |
the screams and. eeizing pistol, |
rushed toward the window. At once |
he opened fire.
simultaneously, Frank NJ. Wood |
ward. of 200 Eleventh street north
east. was aroused. and he, too, began
to Are from his window.
Frightened by the reports OF the
pistols, the two bandits rushed from |
the store and climbed into the ma
chine 1t was at this juncture thai
they encountered the two policemen,
Two pistols, one a As caliber ard
the other "A caliber, two caps and
two hats were found in the machine. |
The police believe the men planned 20 1
change caps for hats after the rob-
berry. Several license tags were also
discovered d in the car.
CAR WAS STOLEN.
Headquarters Detective Cox was
dispatched to the hospital and he dis
covered that the car that was used |
by the bandits was stolen on March |
IL. 1t was owned by Charles Tur-
ner. OF u Sixth street northwest.
In the capture of the lhousebreakers
the police believe two members of a
gang that has been terrorizing the |
District have been caught
A search Of Benefits apartment |
revealed hfteen quarts of whisky. |
Bennett, the police say. admitted that |
he and walters stole 1ve cases OF |
whisky some time ago, but where or
when he is not sure.