Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-10-29
STEEL-CLAD Thief
/ ESCAPES AMBUSH
Durkin, Slayer, Wounds His
Betrayer and Shoots
Detective.
BY the Associated Press.


CHICAGO, October 29-Martin J.
Durl<in, steel-vested automobile thief
and slayer. last night met with his
ready pistol an attempt to arrest him
in his sWeetheart'S apartment and
eiuded police trap after proba bly, IA
tally wounding Lloyd Austin, his be,
trayer. and shooting detective.
Sought since he killed Edward
Shana han, Federal agent October II,
and wanted for wounding two police
men i'll Sacramento. Calf several
months ago. Durkin faced the blazing
ShotgunS and pistols of the policemen,
jumped from a Second-Story window
and vanished.
Riot squads secured the neighbour
hood until dawn. but found no trace
OF the slayer. whose protective vest
was believed to have saved him at the
time of the Shanahan shooting.
Shanahan. who attempted to question
Durkin about a stolen automobile
hred at him at short range, witnesses
said, without apparent effect.
Ambush Is Laid
The ambush last night was laid
after information was obtained from
Austin that Durkin and Austin s
niece, Betty Andrews Werner might
come there for clothing in preparation
for flight from the city. Austin was
ordered to greet Durkin and invite
him in on his arrival, when the de-
tectives would close in.
Sergt. Gray, who was wounded, rec
ognized the slayer before Austin could
give the prearranged warning. and he
and Durkin began firing. The woman
attempted to push down Gray's shot
gun, and Austin got into the line of
fire. receiving / wounds in the right
side.
Durkin leaped through an open win
dow as Gray fell, and lodged through
the hands of detectives waiting below
They fired at him twice. Search of
the neighbOrhood failed to show any
blood traces. and the police believe
Durkln'S armored vest again stood
him in good stead.
Mrs. Werner. who had been held
with her 15month old son since the
Shanahan killing and released last
Tuesday when she convinced Federal
authorities she had no knowledge of
Durkin's hideout. was arrested again
and held for questioning. She adj
mitted she had been living in a hotel
with the slayer since her release.
Woman Saved Durkin.
Her interference with Gray's shot
gun probably saved Durkin. the police
say, recounting that her wits enabled
him to escape when arrested for the
Sacramento shooting. After he had
wounded the two policemen who at
tempted to arrest him in connection
with an automobile theft. the woman
distracted the attention of his guards
long enough for him to leap through
window and escape.
Since the Shanahan shooting Dur
kin has been sought in various sec
tons of the country. At one time he
was reported to have eluded "a Chicago
detective squad in Valparaiso, Ind,
and taken train to Altoona. Pa. Yes
terday a report from Los Angeles said
he had been arrested there, but the
suspect later was released when his
real identity was established.
At hospital it was said that Austin
would die. In his room the police
found letters written from Shirley,
Ind. indicating he was shortly to be
married to Marion Merchant.
Seize Alleged Loot
Previous to setting the trap detec-
tives raided the home of DurkinS
mother and seized oriental rugs, fur
niture and radio sets valued at 81 900,
which they said had been stolen in
California by him and sent to relatives
here. His automobile, left standing in
the alley in the rear of Mrs. w erner
fat, also was seized.
Detectives noted for their marks
manShip were recruited for the squads
searching for the slayer. Lieut.. Mi
chael Grady, the reputed killer of the
bureau, said either Durkin or he would
be in the morgue before many hours.