Evening star., 1928-05-05
BANDIT TCONFESSES
) STORE HOLD-UPS
M. C. Bowling, Arrested in
Hospital, Admits Sani-
tary Thefts.

Escaping after he was shot on April
Ia, during a running gun battle with
Headquarters Detective Frank NJ. Ali
good. Milton Charles Bowling. 20 years
old. 4447 Conduit road, was returned
here today from a Pittsburgh hospital
to answer charges of having held up five
Sanitary grocery stores and the theft OF
the automobiles used in the hold-ups.
Police say he has confessed.
While Washington police we're search
ing for Bowling and his two companions,
1t was revealed today. the youth was
lying in the Pittsburgh hospital recoy-
ering from bullet wound in the leg
an another in the hand. In the Penn
sylyania city he was known as the
Mystery Gan,n and was given extensiye
publicity. He was traced here through
a store name In his cap.
Thefts Declared Admitted.
Bowling is said by Alligood to have
admitted during the return trip here
that he and his companions held up
four stores one Of them twice, between
March 23 and April 6.
On April 10. four days after the last
hold-up. the trio is said TO have stolen
green automobile belonging TO G.
Whitson Harvell. 3051 Porter street.
Four nights later Alligood spied the
car at Twelfth and M streets and gave
chase in the old Ford touring car fur
niShed him by police headquarters,
The chase, losing one because OF the
superiority Of the stolen car. went 10
Ninth and NJ streets. up Eleventh street
and back on N street TO Vermont
avenue There the pursued car dis
appeared,
Shots Exchanged in Flight.
Later that night, Alligood. accom-
panied by Harvell. again saw the car.
this time at Pennsylvania avenue and
Twentieth street. Again they gave
chase. and on Twentieth street, between
G. and II streets, q shot was fired from
the bandit car Alligood fired one shot
in return.
The chase then continued on G street,
and between Nineteenth and Twenueth
streets three shots were fired from the
bandit car at the detective. Agam
Alligood fired once. this time at DIS
tance OF approximately so feet botn
shots fired BY the detective were irom
the left hand. as he leaned around the
windshield. Again the bandit car dis
appeared, and was found short time
later abandoned.
Located in Pittsburgh.
Nothing more was heard Of the ban
dts until Pittsburgh police notifled the
local authorities that wounded man
was held under guard III a hoSpi1SA
there and refused TO give any lnIorfna-
ton concerning himself other than tIiat
his name was Charles Brown, Inc
man had a cap bearing the name oi
Washington merchant,
When Alligood arrived at the hoSSital
he found Bowling recovering from
bullet wounds in the right hand and
left leg. The first shot fired by the
detective had passed through his hand
and the second shot through the leg,
grazing the bone, Bowling is still
badly crippled but manages 10 hooale
along.
Bowling is said TO have told Alligood
that his companions, whose names he
has furnished 10 police. placed him IN
an old automobile belonging 10 one OF
them. took him 20 the hospital in
Pittsburgh. and then left him Bowling
enjoyed the publicity untn Alligood
arrived From April II, until the
arrival of the local detective. he was
under the guard OF the police.
List of TheftS.
The crimes 10 which Bowling is said
60 have admitted are the hold~up of the
Sanitary Grocery stores at Sls2
Eleventh, where they took SIS trOm
Henry II, Gin, the manager, two rob
berries OF the store at 1891 Twelfth
street, where they robbed the manager.
Wilson Osborne. or SIS on the first oe~
caSion and SIS ON the second. lsll
Fourth street northeast. where they
took $50 from the cash register and
Continued on page ., Column 81