Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-20
POLICEMAN HURT
IN BATTLING THUG
Burglar, Caught in Office,
Subdued by Bullets.
Another Nabbed.

Rafting for his life in a hand-to-
hand encounter with colored bandit
last night in the dark office at the
plant of N. ]. Gensberg & Son. char
coal and excelsior dealers, COL South
Capitol street, Policeman Spottswood
r. Gravely of No. 4 precinct subdued
his man after shooting him in the
chest and right leg, and sustained
wrenched trigger finger himself wheT
his opponent tried to gain possessloI
of his revolver.
Within an hour another intruder.
also a colored man, was captured after
IT is alleged he attempted to open a
safe at the sheet metal plant or the
Kober Co. Inc, at Fifth and Is streets,
PLANTED i'm Office.
Aroused by reports that the once
nj the Gensberg establishment ndu
been entered several times before, 70
Hceman Gravely stationed hlmSeh III
the dark room and kept his eye on the
window. He had been there but a lie"
minutes when he heard SOME oiie lul'i
bling at the sash.
Drawing his revolver, he waited in
+he darkness until the bandit had
raised the window and lowered him.
self into the room. Then the police
man ordered him TO hold up his hands
and surrender.
Instead of obeying, the bandit
Iunsed at the policeman, grahplng Tor
his pistol and knocking it to the floor.
The two men grappled, rolling over
and over, each attempting to gam
possession of the weapon. GraVely
managed to regain it and fired three
shots at his opponent, who was sun
fighting desperately, one shot gong
wild and the other two taking erect.
Shots End Battle.
After being wounded, the bandit,
who gave his name as Archie Slmms,
a. years old, It's Fifth street south
east, slumped to the floor and was
taken to Casualty Hospital, where his
captor also received treatment for his
sprained finger. The prisoner was
transferred later to Gallinger Hospital.
under guard and a technical charge
of investigation was lodged against
him.
Two Hyattsville youths, Harry Bost
and Samuel Smith, were responsible
indirectly for the capture of the other
bandit, who was held for investiga-
ton and gave the name of Benjamin
Owens, % years old, 224 Diapers
court southwest.
Waiting for car in front of the
Kober plant they noticed a light in
the office and spied colored man
hacking nonchalantly away with a
hammer and saw at the safe directly
under the glowing bulb. While one
boy watched the other teiephoned the
second precinct.
Captured After Chase.
Capt. Burlingame dispatched the
patrol wagon, bearing Policemen
Charles Stello and r. NJ. Davis, who
crashed into the building and rushed
after the craftsman as he fled from
the Office. He had entered the build
ing by lifting an iron grating from
the sidewalk.
Headquarters detectives and men
from the sixth precinct, in which the
plant is located. joined in the search
and swarmed through the building,
but the man had apparently disap-
peared. Glimpsing a light in the
crack Of a door of a small room off q
basement areaway, Policemen Stello
and Davis forced the door and found
the man crouched in a corner. They
seized him and turned him oyer to Mo-
tor Cycle Policeman William D.
Haislip of the sixth precinct, who had
Joined in the hunt.