Evening star., 1929-07-01
officer ESCAPES
RAIN OF BULLETS
Charles Curtis Has Street
Battle Mith colored Man
in Alexandria.

Special Dispatch to The star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, July IA run
ming gun battle staged from speeding
automobiles by Patrolman Charles
Curtis and colored man, declared
..snown to police, threw the southeast
section Of this city in,o terror last
night shout 0 O'Clock as bullets poured
like hail from the combatants' revolvers.
The man, who was being chased by
Curtis for passing q red trat1ic signal
1t the intersection of King and Alfred
streets, fired four shots at the machine
Communicated by the policeman and
then abandoned his car on South Fair
tax street and made his escape In the
marshes near tbs old shipyard. All
81 the shots went wild of their mark.
Thinks He Hit Fugitive.
Curtis fired five times as the man ned
and in his report to Police Capt. w. w.
Campbell stated that he believed the
last bullet took effect on the fugitive.
curtis said the man bent double and
grabbed his side as he disappeared into
the dark marshes.
A man hunt composed Of more than
q score of citizens, local and Fairfax
County police, was Immediately insti-
for trace of the man. Three blood
hounds were obtained from the Dis
trfct of Columbia workhouse at Occo-
u,,an and they followed the trail
through the marshes and out again to
Franklin and Pitt streets, where they
Police are Of the opinion that friends
of the hunted man picked him UP IN
n machine at that point and helped
him make his escape from the city.
Al trio Of washington police, Detec-
tive sersts. James Springman, Michael
powd and Pvt. A. ID. Mullen, together
with Detective Sergt. Edgar Sims and
Motor Cycle Policeman Lawrence u.
padgett of this city, shortly before dawn
fnday searched several homes In South
west washington known to be frequent
ed by the suspect, but the man was
not located.
Seen at 10 O'clock.
At one place 1t was learned that he
had been seen In that section OF the
city about 10 O'Clock, one hour after
the shooting occurred. :.
curtis stated today that he noticed
coIored man driving erTaticaliy, as
though drunk, after running past the
red light, and he hopped onto. the run
ming board OF . passing machine and
#&NC Ck1&$Ss =.
after . pursuit Of nearly one mile
the cciored man opened IRE on the po-
1ieeman directly In front Of the lattet's
home. at 311 south Royal street. Sew
eral blocks farther he fired twice more
and fsred once again Just after aban-
doning the machine and entering the
marshes.
The car bore tags issued to Charles
Hollins, q colored youth. who lives at
AUS Wolfe street. Hollins, was ifnme-
diately taken into custody for investi-
cation into the shooting, and he in
formed police that he had leaned his
machine to James Robinson earlier In
the. night.
police are unable to account for the
motive In the shooting, unless the man
was drirk-crazed According 70 Capt.
Canpbell, the fugitive, who Is aaid 70 be
about 2S years old, has no police record.
Esis wife Is q teacher in the Rarker-dray
school for colcred.
the ahOoting was the second attack
ssran local police IN less than two weeks,
poilce Sergt. Charles McClaTy being
fatally shot by o colored man, believed
10 Be kid" Lilly, In the 500 block North
ratxiek street, on June 20.