Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-07
Men in Car Escape Through
Alley as Lookout Attempts
to Arrest Them.
MAN FORCED TO ENTER
MACHINE OF QUINTET
Companion Allowed to Walk Away
After 1mposters Pretend
They Are Officers.

Five men who posed as policemen and
forced a pedestrian into their machine
last night in an attempt to rob him
escaped amid hail of bullets from the
revolver of Policeman John T. Ensor
of the tenth precinct, when cornered
In an alley at the rear OF the 4500
block Of Kansas avenue, several hours
later.
Police traced the ownership of the
car to resident in the $500 block
Of Kansas avenue after the attempted
robbery and planted" Ensor in the
vicinity to arrest the men when they
put in an appearance. They discover
ed the officer, however, and fed on foot
before he reached them.
One of the quintet took deliberate
aim and fired at the policeman as he
approached. All five fed and outdis-
tanced the officer as three shots from
his pistol went wild of their marks.
One Man Is Held.
Oficers from the tenth precinct ar
rested a man found hiding in the ga
rage early today and placed him under
arrest for investigation into the case.
He denied having any part in the at
tempted robbery or shooting and told
police he was drunk last night and
could remember nothing Of what had
happened to him.
The identity of the occupants of the
hold-up machine is known to police.
Park Policeman H. w. Brown came
upon the men walking in Potomac Park
near their car shortly before midnight
and took their names. Brown, who had
heard nothing OF the robbery at that
time, said the men were acting sus-
piciously and he thought 1t best to
ind out who they were,
faV tkRA ot0 Al klvy
after / o'clock, whon John r. Ford of
225 First street northeast reported that
i've men, riding IN a high-powered ma
chine, accosted him and q companion,
Roy Perry OF che same address, at First
and B streets northeast and made him
get into the car.
Posed as Policemen.
'-You are drunk and we are going to
take you down to the sixth precinct, -
one Of the men said.
They told Ford and Perry they were
policemen and ordered the former into
their car. They also accused Perry OF
being intoxicated and ordered him ito
walk a straight line" Perry turned and
paced OF few steps down the pave
ment to convince the "officers" that
men drove OF with Ford in the rear
seat of the car.
Ford told police the men drove him
around the block, but returned to First
and B streets and pushed him out
when they failed to find any money
on him.
A lookout" was broadcast from the
ninth precinct to every station in the
city after the license number of the
machine was turned over to officers
investigating the case and Ensor was
stationed near the Kansas avenue
garage when the ownership of the car
had been learned.
Car Sped Into Alley.
The automobile soon appeared and
turned into the alley at a rapid rate
of speed. The machine drew to a halt
In front of the garage and the five
men were alighting when Ensor ap-
preached on the run. They broke for
the opposite end of the alley with the
policemen about so yards behind.
Ensor stumbled and had only time
20 get in three quick shots before the
men reached the exit to the street. He
searched the vicinity for some time, but
failed to find any trace of his quarry
and returned to the machine, driving II
to No. 10 precinct station, where 1t will
be held.
number Of whisky bottles, q set OF
tools, commonly regarded as burglar
!. equipment, and 6 feet Of rubber hose
which, police say, had been used TO
siphon gasoline from other machines,
was found in the automobile.