Evening star., 1922-06-19
BALL0U
TO AID ESCAPE
School Head Drives Car as
Youthful Bandit Holds
Gun on Him.

Pursued by an excited crowd of men
and boys. an unidentified youth about
| twenty years old, who had previously
robbed the box Office of the Elite
Theater at 1902 18th street, leaped
upon the running board of an auto
mobile driven by DIR. Frank W. Bal
lou. superintendent OF schools. at 10Th
and Church streets shortly before 6
O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
Get me away from here and drive
like hell" the robber demanded. DR..
Ballou who, with his wife and three
year-old daughter Betty were on their
way to the home Of Stephen E:
Kramer, assistant superintendent of
schools. at 1925 Kilbourne place,
turned his head at the command and
looked into the barrel of the des-
perado's pistol
Supt. Ballou asked no questions, and
acceleTator. At the same time Mrs.
Ballou jumped from the machine to
search for a policeman.
Bandit Urges Speed.
Sitting in the rear seat of the car.
the robber kept his gun leveled at
the head and back of DR.. Ballou and
directed the superintendent as he
drove over zg-zag course through
Mount Pleasant. Occasionally the
nervous boy would peremptorlly COM
mand the superintendent to speed
up but the machine was not capable
OF going faster through the vehicu-
lar-crowded streets.
Up 18th street to Connecticut ave-
nue. and out street near 23d street
DR.. Ballou drove. Near this corner
the youth ordered the superintendent
to stop. The boy put the gun in his
pocket. jumped from the car and
walked away.
When Mrs. Ballou left the machine
little Betty moved into the front seat.
unconscious of imminent danger to
her father. Frequently she would
ask. Where has mama gomez" AS
often as she inquired, DR.. Ballou
calmed her by saying he was going
back after her.
After the robber left the machine
DR.. Ballou hurried back over the
route he covered with his dangerous
passenger in search of a policeman
and his wife. At 18th street and
Columbia road the superintendent
found an officer and related his story.
Mrs. BaIlou Follows.
Mrs. Ballou said that when she left
the machine. she hailed a passing
band who she feared might be shot
by the robber. The taxicab. however,
was soon lost in the maze of traffic,
and Mrs. Ballou then went to the
home of Mr. Kramer.
Shortly before leaping into DR.. Bal
LOUIS automobile. the youth, with his
cap pulled down over his eyes. ap-
preached the ticket window of the
theater and thrust his gun under the
nose of Manager r. S. Stone and grab
bed all the money in sight. approx
mately $50. Pedestrians cut off his
escape at the front. so the robber
ran through the theater, throwing
the audience into an uproar, and fall
ing over several men who vainly tried
to stop his progress. He escaped
through an alley in the rear, and ran
down Rhode Island avenue toward
10th street. followed by a crowd, many
of whom were yelling, stop thief"'
Nearing Church street. the robber
leaped into Supt. Ballou's machine. in
which he made his escape. Head
quarters Detectives Mullen and Mes
ser. were assigned to the case, but
have not apprehended the robber.
The bandit is described as being
about FIVE feet seven inches tah.
wearing greenish suit and cap.
noticeably bow-legged and neatly
dressed.