Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-22
POLICEMAN'S VISIT
PREVENTS ROBBERY
Officer, Off Duty, ChaseS
Suspects When Clerk Is
DeCoyed From Store.

A carefully planned attempt to rob
the Virginia Dare candy store, 1902 II
street. failed last night after the young
woman clerk there had been decoyed
awav by a telephone call. and police
man. concealed by a partition IN tne
establishment, saw. by reflection IN
the mirror. the cash register looted, ana
gave chase to the thief.
The suspect and another who is re-
ported to have joined him as ne Heo
from the store were captured three
blocks away. a trail of bills dropped
BY one of the men marking the progress
of the flight. which ended after they
had gone into the Parkside Hotel, 1886
I street, by a fire escape.
Miss Frances Van Lear OF hume
Springs. Va, the clerk, was in the store
about $50 o'clock.
at the cioar. store next door, the caller
who said he was "NIr Harris" told her
that his wife had left her purse in the
candy store earlier in the day and re-
ouested her to look for it and tele-
nhone him it it was found. He lett
telephone number.
Call From Headquarters"
About IS minutes later, Policeman
william NJ. Sanford, friend Of Miss
Van Lear's. dropped into the store 1or
a chat He was off duty at the time;
The Young woman had been puzzled
bv the telephone message. as she was
sure the pocketbook had not n9en IoSt
in the store. so she told the policeman
of the occurrence. As the two were
sitting in the rear Of the eStaollSh-
ment. a clerk from the cigar store
+nld that
was wanted on the telephone.
This time. Miss Van Lear related
the voice. which she is sure is the same
that spoke over the wire the first time
declared that headquarters" was call
inc and proceeded to crosS-eXamlne
her concerning the supposed lost purse
Affecting not to believe her statement
that if had not been left in the store.
At both times she was told that heF
own telephone was out OF order.
while the Young woman was attend
ing to the second call, man, who later
pave his name to police as Benjamin
Shapiro. "a years old of Philadelphia
came in the door, raped on the counter
end called store. While Sanford, SIT
ting behind the screen. watched MN
In a mirror, he proceeded TO open VIle
cash register. and take a handtul OF
money 1IDIll ~, CAAC pOAAOSAAAN"AA $1,000
Chased Through Streets.
When he turned to leave Sanford
shouted for him to stop and attempted
to prevent his escape, but the man was
able to get outside, where he was joined
bv a Young man who told police he was
Morris Green. "a years old, OF ONO,
THE two ran west on H street with San
ford at their heels. AS the chase
turned north on Fourteenth street san
ford shouted to Policeman Floyd 5.
Hawthorne. who was operating the
sonoaphore, to commander an auto
mobile and assist him. At the ParKslde
Hotel the fugitives ran up the OUTSIDE
steps and up the fire escape, climbing
in window and fleeing down the
stairs end into the lobby. where they
we're momentarily halted by F. 9.
Heiele. the manager, who had been told
of what was happening by the shouts
of the officers. The brief pause in their
fight was enough to enable Sanford
and Hawthorne to reach the spot ana
arrest them.
Both men submitted without putting
I'd any resistance, and each Immediately
protested his innocence. They were
taken to the first precinct station and
booked for investigation.
Precinct Detective J. E. Kane said to-
day that Shapiro has admitted to him
his part in the affair, but Green sticks
to his original story that he was
Knocked down by Shapiro in his dash
from the store and was pursuing hlm TO
seek an explanation.