Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-29
ONE GUNMAN HELD;
SECOND IS HUNTED
Taxi Driver Escapes as Fare
Empties Gun-PoIice-
man Fired On.

One colored man was lodged in a
cell at the second precinct station
house today on an investigation charge
while police began search for a second
as the principals in two shooting af-
trays in which the lives Of four police
men and nearly half dozen pedeS-
TRANS were endangered yesterday The
arrested man is John Hooks, IS, who
nlent of an apartment house at $500
Connecticut avenue, where he is en-
ployed as janitor.
Hook pleaded not guilty when ar
raigned in Police Court this morning
and was released on $1,000 bond after
demanding jury trial.
Hooks is said by police to have fired
at a colored taxicab driver whom he
had hired at Ninth and M streets, and
after he is alleged to have. drawn a
gun when the cab reached Scott Circle
and Hooks questioned the cab driver
about the fare. The driver, William A.
Robinson, told police of the second pre-
cinct that Hooks had ordered him to
drive to an address in the 900 block
Of L street, and after calling there told
him to go to $500 Connecticut avenue.
When the cab reached Scott Circle and
N street, Robinson said, Hooks, after
questioning him about the fare, pulled
a gun.
Taxi Driver Escapes Bullets.
Robinson said he pulled on his emer-
gency brake and leaped from the cab.
AS he fed down N street Hooks fired
at him several times from the cab win
dow None of the shots took effect.
Hooks left the cab and disappeared. He
was later taken into custody by Head
quarters Detective Frank Varney and
police of the second precinct in the
basement Of the Connecticut avenue adj
dress
Earlier in the day man whom police
said they know and who lives in Tenn
perance alley fired at Policeman Claude
Evans of the second precinct when the
latter stumbled and fell In the alley,
where he had gone to arrest the man
for firing pistol in his home during
card game. The policeman said he
emptled his service revolver at the fee
ing man as he lay on the ground, but
failed to hit him.
Evans and Officer D. E. Baltimore of
the same precinct, who was following
closely on Evans heels, chased the fee
ing man to Eleventh and u streets,
where they recovered .45-caliber auto
matte pistol the man had thrown away.
At this point the policemen lost trace of
their quarry.
Bullet Strikes Auto.
During the chase and exchange of
pistol shots Mr.. and Mrs. Hugh Hall
Of Ithaca, N. Y, narrowly escaped
when a bullet crashed through the
windshield of their parked automobile
and lodged in cushion in the front
/ seat.
Aroused by the gun battles and by
other instances of unwarranted use OF
weapons, the public order committee OF
the Washington Board of Trade will
renew a vigorous campaign for enact
ment of rigid law regulating the sale
possession and transportation of fire.
arms, it was announced today.
| Odell S. Smith, chairman of the COM
mittee, this morning called meeting
| of a special committee to consider The
question with view to obtaining pas
sage of the proposed firearms law at ar
early date.
During the last year the Board Of
Trade aided in the drafting and urgec
| enactment of a firearms law which
would require the registration of ap.
plicants for the purchase of weapons
recording of sales and giving the po-
lice an opportunity to investigate each
application for such purchase befor,
sales are consummated.
Vagrancy Law Revision Urged.
The committee, it was stated, also viii
renew its campaign for passage Ct {
modified form of the Baumes law fol
Washington, under which persons con
victed of felonies for the fourth tim,
would be given life Imprisonment. TIL,
proposed modified Baumes law, how
ever, would not include in its provision
life penalties for those convicted o
drinking in public, carrying small guam
titles of liquor, etc, restricting the op
Grafton of the law to serious felonies.
The public order committee also vii
insist upon the early enactment of
more rigid vagrancy law for Washing
ton, one with teeth" in it sufficient t
have the effect of driving out of tn
District dangerous characters with 20
lice records and having no visible mean
of support, although they may posses
small funds of money by which the
now may escape the operation of tn
present vagrancy law.
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