The Washington times., 1930-03-19
ONE PUT IN JAIL
AS SUPER|ORS
INVESTIGATE


N. j., who had been visiting the
First Street home, said today that
he was walking down the street
when he heard shots fired and
Immediately ran into the house
Of a resident nearby. He called
police for the purpose of having
q escort downtown, but when
officers arrived he was placed
under arrest and booked on a
charge of investigation at the
Eighth precinct.
Hummel denied any knowledge
/of the alleged attempted extortion
or what actually caused the prob
ably fatal shooting.
CrOtts Denies ExtOrtiOn
Crotts made the following state
ment about the shooting:
"I have given a full statement
to the police, in which I told
them of everything that happened
from the time I met SwartZell
i WdO N1OOeAAO
When asked if he had denied
attempting to extort money from
Miss Foster, Crotts replied in the
affirmative.
Crotts is in considerable pain
and continually asks for water,
which is not permitted him by
physicians, nor is a hypodermic.
He had a hemorrhage shortly
after being brought to the nos
pital, but his wound Is nCw
packed to prevent another.
The wounded man had lived in
o rented room at the K Street
address for only about a month.
and little is known of him there
except that he is a bricklayer
and seems to work regularly
somewhere in Silver Spring"
Mr.. and Mrs. j. M. Crotts, Of
Silver Spring, the parents of the
wounded man, at II o'clock this
morning were just leaving for the
hospital to see their son for the
first time.
Police and leading residents Of
Silver Spring stated to a Times
reporter this morning that young
Crotts had a good reputation in
that section.
According to the statement
made by Gravelly, he and Burke
were watching house in the
1900 block Of First st. N. W.,
when a woman, later identified
as Marie Foster, approached them
and stated that SwartZel and
Crotts had endeavored to black.
mail her for $50. The woman is
alleged to have said that she told
Swartzell that she did not have
the money in the house but would
get it.
Shot At Fleeing Man
AS she was telling her story
Gravelly declared he noticed two
men in coupe about half a
block from where he was stand
ing. Crotts, according to Gravel
ly, started running and reached
for his hip pocket. Fearing the
man may have been armed
Gravelly drew his revolver and
shot five times, one Of them strik-
ing Crotts in the right side.
According to Swartzell he met
Elgin at Thirteenth and K Street
Northwest early in the evening,
and they later picked up CrottS
when the suggestion was made
that they call on some girls.
The three men engaged taxi
cab, the identity Of the driver not
being known, and were taken to
the First Street address.
Swartzell said that on entering
the place an apparent violation of
the law was being made and that
he informed one of the women that
he was going to the Eighth pre-
c1nct station and have the place
raided. He said that while he was
on his way to the station he heard
shots and returning to the house
was stopped by Gravelly and
Burke and placed under arrest.
Captain Stott Puzzled
Captain Stott who is investigat,
ing the case declared that he
could not understand what GRAY.
ely was doing in the Eighth
precinct in view of the fact that
he had not been authorized to
leave the Third precinct. He de-
clared that both Gravelly ard
Burke "wil have a lot of explain.
ing to do to account for +hei-
presence so far from the district
where they are detailed"
Neither Gravelly nor Burke
could be located this morning but
both are expected to put in their
appearance later in the day and
amplify the report they made on
the shooting.
aim AIM -EURA