The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-07
BULLETS ROUT
THUGS IN new
CRIME WAVE
Epidemic of HoIdups ana
BurgIaries Sweeps City;
One Wounded.
LOOT PUT AT $3.50
Policeman Routs ProWIer at
Home; Many Autos
Are Taken.

Five holdups, three burglaries, the
Wounding Of an alleged auto thief
in gun battle with a State police
man, routing Of would-be burglar
by a volley OF revolver shots and
theft of seventeen automobiles,
estimated value $3.50, was the city'S
crime and crime war record for Fri
day night and early today.
Two of the holdupS took place this
morning. a youthful bandit held up
G. c. Cushman III his grocery al
1868 Blaine Ave. with nickel
plated revolver and escaped in the
Ford of a companion with less than
$40.
Lawrence Blocher. 27, Of 1909
Healing Ave, Capitol Dairy driver,
was the other early morning VIC
tim. Two men in a stolen auto held
him up at Harding and Twenty
Second SITS. and took $40.
Bus Driver Robbed
At midnight two young men
boarded a Peoples Motor Coach bus
at Arlington and University AYES.
with the customary revolver and
took $40 from Bernard Daniels, 232
S. Illinois ST., driver.
A Negro late Friday robbed Arthur
Delman, manager Of the Kroger
grocery at Blake and Michigan Sts.,
Of $40. Later Patrolman James
OBrien arrested a suspect held on
vagrancy charges.
Lon Clary, druggist at 2l36 w.
Morris St, had better luck. Disre-
garding the revolver held by one of
two youthful bandits he yelled,
Someone call police" into the tele-
phone when the other bandit had
pulled the receiver.
The bandits ran. They had de-
manded more when Clary offered
them the change in the cash regis
ter.
Enters POliceman'S Home
A burglar who picked the home of
Patrolman Clyde Mitchell, 1903 W.
Twenty-Fifth ST., for his activities
also was routed. Mrs. Mitchell DIS
covered the man on the back porch
and the patrolman leaped from bed
and fired a volley of shots as the
man fled toward the alley.
The alleged auto thief shot, Clar-
ence Benninger, 26, of 1913 N. La
Sale ST., is being held in the city
hospital detention ward on charges
Of vehicle taking drawing and car
rying concealed weapons.
State Policeman Charles Bridges
shot Benninger when Benninger
fled, firing at the policeman, after
Bridges had attempted to arrest him
for theft of the auto Of S. M. Tay-
lor, $40 N. Jefferson Ave, Dec. 8.
Bridges had discovered the ma
chimes in garage at 2450 N. Belle
fontaine st. and waited for Ben
ninger. Benninger fled through al
leys and later was found hiding III
the shadow of a building at 2450
Cornell Ave, by Motor Policeman
Siefert and Heller. Quantities OF
clothing, believed burglary loot, was
found in the recovered auto, Bridges
said.
Brother Also Held
Benninger's brother, Wilbur, IT,
was arrested on vagrancy charge
this morning.
While the spectators were enjoy
ing basketball game at the st.
Paul Lutheran School Community
House, Wright and WeghorSt Sts.,
Friday night, a thief raided the
cloakroom and took overcoats owned
by Erwin Luessen, $50 E. Minnesota
ST.; George Klingensmith, TOO E.
Minnesota ST.; Clarence Wampner,
1910 S. New Jersey ST.; and William
H. Meier, II E. Palmer st. LueSsen
also lost a hat. The loot totaled
$96.25.
Other burglaries reported were at
the o. D. Withers, drug store, 1243
Oliver Ave, knives, flashlights and