Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-31
COUNTY POLICEMAN
IS BADLY KNITTED
Joseph T. NoIte in Montgom.
cry Hospital With Many
Wounds.
By a staff Correspondent Of The Star.

BY STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.
SILVER SPRING, Md. March 81
A victim of a murderous attack early
yesterday morning by a prisoner who
was in the rear seat of a police auto
mobile, Montgomery County Patrolman
Joseph T. Nolte. attached to the north
ern district station here, is in q serious
condition at the Montgomery County
General Hospital, at Sandy Spring with
two deep gashes in the back OF his
neck and along the left side of his
face. which required Is stitches to
close.
Although the patrolman lost consid-
cradle blood while being taken to the
hospital. and his condition is said to be
serious, 1t is not believed that the wounds
will prove fatal.
AssaiIant In jail.
Charles Cooke, colored, of Ashton.
Nd, is being held In the Rockville Jail
on an open charge to await the out
come OF the injuries to Nolte.
Several murderOus lunges were made
not only at Nolte. but at Sergt. Guy
Jones, in charge of the northern dis
tfict station, even after the colored
man had cut the former and all were
EN- route to the hospital. In order to
get the officer safely to the hospital
Jones, according to police, was COM
PEELED to knock the prisoner I'M
conscious and leave him by the road
side. Upon arrival at the hospital the
surgeons informed the police sergeant
that If he had had 10 more miles to
drive the off1cer would have died from
loss OF blood
Notes heavy oVercoat and other parts
OF his uniform were slaShed with the
knife and were saturated with blood.
Sergt. Jones and NOlte left the pre-
cinct station shortly after midnight to
go to Ashton TO serve warrant which
they held for colored man, according
to the police report. When they reached
Browns Corner, on Colesville road, they
saw Cooke staggering in the highway.
They stopped and placed him in the
automobile and. they said, intended to
charge him with being drunk and dis
orderly.
After reaching Ashton they decided
TO go over to SHELLS bridge to make an
investigation following reports that
some one was firing at automobiles using
that road. During the week Just closed
several people had come into the sta
ton and reported that their cars were
nred upon at night while using this
road from Ellicott City. Several dis
played bullet holes In their vehicles The
poice believe that the shots were fired
by hi-jackerS as the highway is used
considerably by rum-running automo-
biles.
In Pursuit OF Car.
Upon reaching the bridge, Jones pick
ed up and started In pursuit OF a car be-
lieYed to contain liquor. While chasing
the suspected vehicle. Cooke, who had
been lying quietly on the back seat, sud-
denly jumped up and threw his arms
around Sergt. Jones, who was at the
steering wheel, nearly causing a wreck
OF the speeding police automobile. Nolte
promptly disengaged the man and
forced him back into the seat. Imme-
dlately. In the darkened automobile. the
prisoner slashed at the officer. cutting
a deep wound at the first sWipe of the
knife. Jones halted the car and sub
dued the negro, giving up the liquor
car chase.
Observing Notes condition. the police
sergeant started Immediately for the
hospital. After passing Ashton the
prisoner resumed consciousness and
again started TO fight. Jones then
pulled him out OF the car and knocked
him unconscious. leaving him on the
roadside in the belief that he would be
there upon his return from the hospital.
nc tHtH prOceeQeo 10 the institution,
and. as the doctors reported, Just in
time TO save the officers life.
Upon reaching the hospital he sent a
call in for all officers on duty and on
and this was answered by Corpl. ID. l..
Snyder and Charles Bond of the nor
thern district station and Robert Howes
and Windsor Poole of the Rockville
headquarters station. A police dragnet
was spread. Upon returning to the spot
where the man had been left it was
found that he had disappeared.
The search was continued and four
hours later the fugitive was found at
the home Of his brother, Garfield Cooke,
who, when the police arrived, was max
ing plans to take him TO the hospital.
When Cooke was first picked up he
was searched by Nolte to ascertain
whether he had any weapons. The po-
lice reported that he had half pint of
alleged liquor, but that the knife-one
Of the Boy Scout type-was overlooked.