Evening star., 1928-12-25
Capital and Tampa Police
Cooperate in Running
Down HoId-Up Clues.
PRATT REVEALS MAN
KNOWN SINCE OCT. 29
Prisoner Known Here as Elmo
Williams, Warren Grisson
and M. F. Grisson.

A trail picked up by the police the
day following the spectacular daylight
hold-up of the Earle Theater on Oc-
tober 80 ended in the arrest of man
in Chicago early this morning whom
the police say they will charge with
the robbery.
The man, who gave his name as
Elmo Williams, is known to the police
also as Warren and M. F. Grisson.
Although details of the arrest and
search for the bandit were not divulged
this morning, Inspector Harry G. Pratt,
in charge of the detective bureau, said
that he had been sure of the mans
identity since the day after the hold-up.
Traced to Pittsburgh.
Detectives H. K. Wilson and Oscar
Mansfield. who were assigned to the
case, traced williams to Pittsburgh
where it was learned that his home
was in Tampa, Fla Policeman James
E. Kenny of No. 10 precinct obtained
the first information which led to the
search.
Tampa police were at once asked to
be on the lookout for him, and last
night M. D. Sinclair, chief of detectives
of Tampa, telegraphed the local police
headquarters here that Williams had
been located in an apartment on North
La Sale street in Chicago.
The Washington authorities tele-
graphed the Chicago police and the
man was taken into custody last night
Inspector Pratt announced that
Headquarters Detective Thomas F..
Sweeney would go to Chicago this after
noon and bring back Williams II he Is
willing to return without extradition.
A warrant charging him with ROBBERY
previously had been sent TO Iampa.
Whether the police will seek TO return
him on a fugitive warrant II ne de-
clined to waive extradition or walt un-
TIL the January grand jury acts on the
case was not made clear.
The police received several tips from
persons lTlLETGSbCO ltl kliiNAhl6 pAAC AUAA0@~'
One of these was that two men had
suddenly disappeared from Washington
on the Cay of the robbery and that
they had Florida and Pennsylvania tags
on a large car which they had been
driving while living temporarily IN TINS
city. They indicated that they might
90 to some place in Pennsylvania and
later to Chicago. Whether 1t was this
tin or another which led to the arrest
of williams Is not known.
Forced to Open Safe.
The robbery of the Earle Theater
was a bold stroke. About 1890 o'clock
on Monday morning, october 20, just
as the theater was about to open,
we'll dressed man strobe calmly into
the office of the manager Harry E.
Lonmeyer. At the point OF pistol
the bandit forced him to attempt to
open the safe. which contained the
receipts from Sundays business at the
theater.
AS Lohmeyer was nervously trying to
open the safe, Wayne Birdsell, assistant
manager, walked into the office. No
ticing the man standing behind Lob
meyer, Birdsell was at first unaware
of what was happening. Then Lob
meyer called to him to come nearer.
II am being held up" said Lohmeyer
Make no false move"
The bandit, who had both hands in
the side pockets of his coat, backed
Birdsell face to the wall beside the safe.
Birdsell explained afterward that
when Lohmeyer seemed unable to get
the safe open, the bandit made Birdsell
open it. The bandit took the money
and stuck it under his topcoat. He then
walked calmly out of the room, as If
nothing out of the ordinary had hap
pened. first telling the two men to give
him five minutes start before calling
the police.
tainted After Robbery.
Three young men who were In the
lobby of the theater saw the bandit
enter and leave, and although they
thought nothing about 1t at the time,
they were able to give the police a
good description of the man. which
Tailed with the description given by
Birdsell
When the police came. Lohmeyer was
unable to tell of the robbery. He had
collapsed while telephoning to John j.
Payette, general manager OF the STAN
ley-Crandall Theater Co, falling and
injuring his head against desk. When
the police arrived they found Birdsdell
giving first aid to Lohmeyer, who was
lying on the Office floor.
The bandit loitered about the lobby
of the theater for few minutes be-
fore entering the Office and also stopped
calmly to look at the posters on his
way out At no time, said witnesses,