Evening star., 1927-11-10
BANDIT ESCAPES
IN PISTOL BATTLE
Policeman Wounded as Thug
Opens Fire-Makes Geta-
way in Taxicab.

A gun battle at close range early
this morning between three policemen
and a negro hold.up man. who had
dropped his mask Of porter and held
up a barber shop customer yesterday
afternoon, resulted In the wounding OF
one policeman and the escape OF the
ba andit, who jumped into taXicab as
the driver fled and drove off.
Policeman 0. l.. Green of the tenth
precinct received bullet through the
left thigh as he attempted to arrest
Alvin stamps. colored. % years o'd'
apartment 81. 2724 Eleventh street,
who shot his way to freedom as the
policemen closed in on him In front
of his apartment just before daybreak.
Police Open Fire.
Policemen c. D. Schamp and l.. c.
Arion fired at the negro as he WOUNDED
their compa Mon. but the bandit reach
ed the drivers seat OF the cab and
drove off through a fusllade OF shots.
the bullets smashing through the glass
and ripping holes in the body OF the
car.
Acting on information that Henry
Hoffman. 1425 Chaplin street, had been
held up at the point of pistol by
negro porter at barber shop at 1925
Pennsylvania avenue and relieved OF
$3.50. the police went to the Eleventh
street address given them as that OF
the barber-shop employe.
Reaching the apartment, they were
met by Mrs Mildred Stamps, colored,
who stated that her husband was not
at home. The three policemen with.
drew to The sidewalk and lay in wait
for him. They waited from midnight
until shortly before 6 o'clock.
A taxicab. driven by Jesse Veitch,
1349 Oak street, who said later that
the negro had engaged him at Four
teenth and u streets and then re-
quest ed him to wait outside the apart.
ment house. drew up and parked
abreast Of another car. The passen.
ger went in the building.
Bandit Pulls Gun.
Policeman Green approached the
driver to ascertain the identity of
his fare. The driver at first thought
he was about to be arrested for park.
ing abreast The other two policemen
remained in the background. AS the
cop and the driver were talking. the
negro reappeared znd as Green ap-
t1Oacfleu MIN. ne OpeHeQ IRE, I1iS TrSt
shot piercing the policeman's thigh.
Then the gun battle began. All three
policeman emptied their revoIvers,
handicapped in their aim by the dark.
ness. Emptyins his automatic. the
bandit ran toward the cab as its
driver jumDed out and sought cover.
and gained the drivers seat.
Policeman Arion stated that he fired
four shots at the fugitive at a distance
of four feet and thought he might
have wounded him. The buliet.torn
cab. with one door twisted off when
it scraped against the car by which it
was parked. was found an hour later
on Twelfth street between F. and S
streets. Policeman Green drove his
own car to Garfield Hospital, where
his wound was dressed
Wife Is Held.
Mrs. Stamps, who said that her
husband had been employed in the
barber shop since early in the sum
mer. was held for Investigation.
The hold up occurred while Hoffman
was being shaved and his barber.
Lewis Delesio. was steaming u towel
in a basin. The porter jamnned gun
i'm the customers ribs and made him
hand over his money while the larber,
at first thinking his hitherto peaceful
employe was joking. stood across the
room, realizing suddenly that move
might mean bullet in his direction.