Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-05
PEDESTRIAN KILLED
IN LIQUOR PURSUIT.
Two Wild ChaSeS Also Result
: in Arrest of Four and
Rum Seizures.

A wild rum chase last night brought
death to a pedestrian, run down by
car chased by motor cycle policeman,
and ended in the arrest of two men and
the reported seizure of 116 quarts of
corn liquor, and another this morning
resulted in two arrests and the reported
seizure of 228 quarts by police who con-
tinued their pursuit over streets streWn
with broken glass from jars hurled into
their path from the machine In front.
John F. Luitich, 81 years old, Gov
eminent Printing Office employee, who
formerly was prominent in amateur
base ball here, is the man killed. He
died just before midnight at Freedmen'S
Hospital three hours after he was
knocked down and dragged $50 feet.
The two colored men declared to have
been occupying the car were captured
after several shots had been fired at
them by the officer and a citizen had
taken hand in the affair and seized
one as he sped away on foot after the
machine had finally come to a halt.
Following an inquest held by Coroner
j. Ramsay hewitt at the Morgue today,
The two men were held for the grand
jury.
Luitich died at 11:25 o'clock. He had
a fractured skull and compound frac-
lures OF both legs. The accident oc-
Cured at North Capitol and T streets
as Luitich was crossing. His family ex-
planned that he was partly deaf, and
this is believed to account for his fail
ure to get out of the way of the on
coming machine.
Rum Reported Found.
The men under arrest and being held
at the second precinct gave their names
as Robert Darrall Dixon, % years old, of
the 1400 block of Third street, and Will
liam Alfred Rollins, 20, of the 140O
block of Sixth street. Dixon is charged
with manslaughter, reckless driving,
leaving after colliding with a pedes-
trian and transporting and illegal pos
session of liquor. Rollins is charged
with manslaughter and transporting
and illegal possession of liquor. One
hundred and sixteen quarts of corn
whisky were reported found in the rear
of the automobile.
According to Policeman William A.
Schotter of the Traffic Bureau, who
pursued and arrested the men, they
"NAS AAANAA6 OAt VIC W4OllB 0l0C Vi kIlE
street when their car struck Luitich,
who was taking his regular evening walk
and was returning to his home at 100
street.
Schotter reported to Traffic Bureau
officials that few minutes after 8
o'clock last night, while riding his ma
chine east on q street at Sixth street he
sighted small touring car bearing Dis
trict of Columbia tags ahead of him
and going in the same direction. He
became suspicious, he said, when the
man sitting beside the driver peered
through the window behind him as If
expecting pursuit. The officer followed
the car to New Jersey avenue, where,
failing to halt at stop sign" it speed
ed up and shot down that thoroughfare
When the car reached P street
Schotter pulled up alongside and just
as he did so, he declared, the driver
suddenly turned to the left, apparently
trying to knock him from his motor
cycle. Schotter avoided the collision
and continued the chase east on P
street, where at the west side of North
Capitol street the car struck Luitich.
Obeys Command to Stop.
Without lessening its speed the ma
chine continued along p street with
Schotter just behind until First street
northeast was reached, where the
driver turned south AS they reached
street the policeman drew his gun
and fired several shots at the fugitive
car. Then with a burst of speed he
pulled up even with the automobile
and pointing his gun at the driver
ordered him to draw up to the curb and
stop AS the driver complied. Schotter
leaped from his motor cycle and seized
him. simultaneously Rollins jumped
from the machine and ran. Raymond
Goodman of 610 H street northeast,
who was walking past, gave chase and
a block. He quickly overpowered Rollins
and returned him to the policeman.
Schotter in the meanwhile had called