The Washington times., 1922-07-08
7 TRAPPED
At WORK
BY POLICE
Continued from First Page.)

ment made to the police. by Cas-
son. He said that by a pre-ar-
ranged plan. he and Michaud met
ut Thirteenth and F streets last
night and a few minutes later
stole an automobile belonging to
, Benjamin Livingstone, of the
Chastleton apartments, who was
In the Palace Theater. They
drove the machine to an alley in
the rear of 1858 Mt. Pleasant
street. where they abandoned the
car.
Milkman Interrsupts Work.
"After abandoning the car"
said Casson, 1--WE went to the
store and forced the rear door
with a stout jimmy. We found
a hatchet in the store and then
went to work on the safe, break
ing off the knob and combina-
tion. While we were at work a
milk wagon came along and we
stopped for a short time. A few
minutes later we noticed the auto
patrol.
Trembled At Sight OF Cops.
Lets beat itv l suggested to
Michaud, and he pulled his re-
volver from his pocket and we
left the store. We climbed into
the yard adjoining the store. Sud-
denly the two policemen came up
on the run. l feared for my life.
! was trembling from head to
foot. l told Michaud not to fire
his revolver, but he declared they
were not going to take him if he
could help it.
"The officers were almost on
us by this time and l heard
Michaud's revolver click. A mo-
ment later the officers blazed away
at US. l saw Michaud fall and
! feared getting the same dose;
90 l shouted to the officers that
would surrender. They seized
me and rushed me off to the po-
lice station"
Admits Many Thefts.
Further questioned by Tenth Pre-
cinct policemen and Detective Ser.
geants Howard Vermllion and
Charles Bradley, of the Central Of
flee. Casson admitted that he and
Michaud had broken open a num-
machines. He denied that they sold
any of the machines, asserting that
they Just took them to drive to
places they intended to rob.
Il met Michaud about four
Rnnntha continued =vnnn0
Casson. and we decided to steal
automobiles for Joy riding. That
night we went downtown. stole an
automobile, drove 1t about town for
several hours, and then abandoned
II. Later we decided 1t would be
easy to rob stores"
Casson is held by the police on
charges Of house breaking and steal.
ing Mr.. Livingstone's automobile.
Additional charges will be placed
against him as a result Of his con-
fession that he and Michaud had
looted a number Of other stores.
Stolen Safe Recovered.
Shortly before noon. Casson took
Detectives J. l.. Billman and w. s.
Smoot, of the Tenth precinct, to the
Soldiers Home Grounds, and show
he and Michaud stole on June 8
from the Raphael Moving Picture
Theater, 1409 Ninth street.
Casson declared that he and
Michaud broke into the office Of the
moving picture theater, carrying the
safe to an automobile belonging to
Louis Taylor, III Seventeenth street
northwest, which they had stolen a
short time before. They looted the
safe in the Soldiers Home grounds
and then threw 1t into lake.
Using a derrick, the police this
morning went to the lake and lifted
the safe out.
"Why did 1 steal9 1 stole because
I could not get work. My father Is
dead and ! needed money to help my
mother. When I failed to find a
Job, I planned to steal enough to
keep us going"
This statement was made this
morning by Casson when no was
being fingerprinted and having his
photograph taken at the Bureau Of
Identification at Police Headquar-
ters.
Casson formerly worked for the
Sanitary Grocery Company, he said.
He further declared that he knew
company kept money in the safes,
and that he figured 1t would be easy
to break into the stores and rob TIE
safes, which he said oil were Of a
small type, easy to open.
Shields Face from Camera.
'I never went armed when my pal
and went to rob-" he said. mi.
chaud always carried a revolver. He
frequently stated that he never cx-
pected to be taken alive. He surely
did prove his assertion"
When Casson was brought into
Police Headquarters he shielded his
face with his hand to prevent news
paper photographers from snap
ping him.
While walking through the cor
ridor from the office Of Acting
Chief Of Detectives p. L. Plem.
mons to the bureau OF identificG.
tion to be mugged for the rogue's
Gallery, Casson continued to keep
Ms hands before his face.
Whats the idea2" he was asked
by a Times reporter.
To keep you guys from gettlng
my photograph he shot back.
Police say that Casson has nd.
mitted to at least fifty robberies.
Auto Aro.ises SuspSciOn