The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-10-07
IN MYSTERY NOW
I'm ROBBERY OF
THEATRE OFFICE

| mystery lOW cllFClO1o .tiiS
robbery of the office of the
manager of the Carolina
Theatre in this city Monday
night when $50 of the nights
box office receipts were stolen
| by two young thieves who were
so nearly apprehended that the
police were moved to arrest
Kenneth Holloman, II years
old, a yard clerk at the Norfolk
Southern K. r. freight depot.
Manager Carl ID. Buckner of the
Carolina positively identified young
HOllOman as one of the pair who
was discovered in the theatre at or
Immediately after midnight. Mr..
Buckner had left the theatre earlier
in the night. 1t was Il stormy night,
the theatre had Il small audience
the box office receipts amounted to
only $S6 in round figures. Mr..
Buckner tucked the money away in
letter file and went for an auto
mobile ride with Evans Blades,
secretary of the local telephone
company.
Later i'm the evening Messrs.
Ruckner and Blades went to the
Central Cafe for food. They left
the cafe and went to the theatre
about midnight, Mr.. Buckner re-
turning to the theatre to pick up
the money he had left behind.
Approaching the theatre the pair
observed dim flicker of light from
a small window in the managers 5
| office hack stage. Entering the
{urkened theatre with Il flash light
Mr.. Buckner and Mr.. Blades saw
two young men rush across the stage
and take to a ladder reaching into
the fly loft above the stage.
Mr.. Buckner switched on the
lights of the theatre while Mr.
Blades ran for Il pistol. One of the
men in the fly loft cried: "Ill come
down. please don't shoot" and slid
down Il rope to the stage. Mr.
Burkner swearS that in the full
light of the theatre at that instant
he positively recognized the mai
who came down the rope and actu'
aIly siezed him, but he broke away
and escaped from the building be-
fore Mr.. Blades returned with Il
gun.
Buckner didn't know the name OF
tbe boy. but he had seen him oll
several occasions and had actually
carried on conversations with hlm
He knew his associates. He had talk
ed with him Dniy a few night before
in the presence of ]: I. Jackson
JackSdn. aroused; from his. lied il
early morning hours by the police
told Buckner that Holloman wirs the
boy tv KhUhf ne had talked: after
Buckner had recalled the occasion
and the conversation.
The police and Buckner went t'
young H0lloman's home on Nortl
Road st. HOllOman was not home
His mother didn't know where he
was. The police shadowed the
Holloman home for hours. kennetl
HollOman didn't come home al
night.
Tuesday morning young Hollomal
walked into police headquarters
and said lie understood that th'
police were looking for him. Buck
ner was sent for. Buckner Instant!
identified H0lloman as the younl:
man he had sieZed in the theatre "a
midnight. IIOllGman offered TO re
store the amount lost by the theatre
if the matter could be huShed up
, Rut Buckner was positive it wa'
midnight, or after. As a matter o
fact he had not looked at his watcl
or at a clock, but he was sure l
was midnight or later. Mr.. Blade'
did not see the boy come down Tilt
rome. to identify him.
Holloman proved by two compall
ions Tommy Williams and Bll
, WinSlow that he was on the court
house square at or about Il quarte
to twelve and siw night officer Bel
Roughton pass at the time.
Holloman then testified that lit
proceeded by way Of Main ant
. Poindexter St and Oh to the Nor
. folk Southern freight depot. stop
ping at Bill Casey's place ut th'
corner of PoimtleXter and Burgess
, SITS. for a coca cola. Casey walS Jus
closing the place. Casey says IL
closes promptly at midnight AM
corroborated HOllOman.
Holloman says he went >dlrec
from Casey's to the Norfolk South
ern freight depot. meeting the nigh
Waterman as he was Oh his way Il
punch his time clock at the midnlgh
most. The night Waterman W. !.
Cartwright. Il dumb, hesitant youh'
fellow corrobOrated that statement
Hollonan says he went to tn
freight offices. worked for an h0u
and then went to sleep on Il table II
the office, not leaving the office un
| til daybreak.
Holloman is yard clerk work
ing an eight hour day for the rail-
road. Asked to explain why III
worked after midnight on Monda!
night. he said he was behind in III