Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-08
Brother of CoIored Bandit
Slain in q Street Battle
Caught on Street Car.
DENIES FIRING SHOT
THAT HIT POLICEMAN
Confesses to Having Burglarized
Five Washington Homes,
Police Declare.

Discovery Of an automatic pistol,
from which the bullet which critically
wounded Policeman Harry J. Mcdonald
early Saturday morning could have been
fired, strengthened evidence today that
Alfred Aldrich, 20-year-old colored
youth. shot the policeman in the battle
at Seventeenth and O streets, in which
his brother, Albert. was wounded NOR
tally. and then placed the pistol Ill
his brothers room.
Mcdonald, who this morning was how
eripg between life and death at Emer-
gency Hospital where several blood
transfusions have been performed In
an attempt to save his life. was shot
through the chest as he was emerging
from the front seat of his machine
with the two colored suspected burg
lars on the corner of Seventeenth and
@ streets, before calling the patrol
wagon to send the prisoners to the
station house.
Police Claim Confession.
At the lineup at police headquar-
ters this morning the prisoner was
identified in connection with several re-
cent housebreakings in this city. and
from the description and photograph in
possession of police here" as the man
wanted in Baltimore on similar charges.
The dead colored man, according 20
police, worked with his brother in the
burglaries.
Shortly after he was taken to the
third precinct yesterday Aldridge signed
a confession, police said. in which he
admitted being present with his brother
at the scene Of the shooting. but denied
having fired the shot which wounded
the policeman. He accused his brother
of opening fire on Mcdonald. Detec-
tives, however took little stock in the
prisoners assertion, in view of state
ment said to have been made by his
brother just before he died that Alfred
fred the shat which felled Mcdonald.
The prisoner in his alleged confession
admitted f,e HOUSEKEEPING Jobs in
Washington.
Police had in their possession this
morning two guns. which they said
were found in Alfred's room at SOC
Twenty second street. After visit 10
the room formerly occupied by the dead
brother at 2037 L street, four guns were
found. one .36-caliber automatic, with
four empty magazines. There were four
shots fred by the colored men at the
scene Of the shooting. Police said that
when they confronted Alfred with the
gun with the empty magazines at the
admitted having placed the gun in his
brothers room.
Hid in Vacant House.
Alfred told police yesterday that fol-
lowing the shooting he hid in vacant
house on Eighteenth street near @
street. and said that he remained in his
hiding place until nightfall Saturday.
when he ventured onto poorly lighted
side streets. wandering aimlessly and
lurking in doorways. He said he re-
turned to his room in Twenty-second
street yesterday morning.
1t was through the information sup
piled police by colored woman, pro-
prietor of the rooming house in which
Alfred lived, that led to the mans ar
rest. Becoming suspicious of the pris-
oner's actions when he returned home
yesterday morning, the woman had Al
fred followed when he left the house
Yesterday afternoon. The colored man
assigned to shadow" the suspect saw
him board a street car and ran to the
nearest telephone and notified third
precinct police. Lieut.. w. E. Holmes
and Precinct Detective John L. Bill
man rushed to the place of the phone
call. picked up their informer and
trailed Aldridge to Ninth street and
Pennsylvania avenue. where they board
ed the street car and placed him under
arrest.
Aldridge offered no resistance. Pas
sengers on the street car were unaware
of what was taking place. so quietly
was the arrest effected. There was no
oommotion on the car and when the
stop was made at the next corner, Bill
man and Holmes alighted with their
prisoner.