Evening star., 1931-06-19
VasiIion and Sala Deny Part
in All Except Five
RobberieS.
INVESTIGATORS FOLLOW
HATLESS TRIo'S TRAIL
Two Men Arrested in Alexandria
After Car Wreck Due for
Additional Quizzing.

Two men who are said TO have con-
feSsea TIE perpetration of fivc hold-upS
here will be questioned today In con-
nection with other recent robberies.
The pair-NicholaS Vasilion. %. and
Peter Sala. %, both OF Newark, N. j.
already have been quiZSed by Capt
Edward j. Kelly, but thus far efforts
to link them with crimes other than
those they have admitted have failed
Revolver Is Found.
Vasilion and Sala, who were turned
over 10 Washington police by Alex
andria authorities, after their auto
mobile overturned on Hunting Greek
road. just south of Hunting Greek
Bridge. will be grilled in connection
with the robberies staged by the hat
less trio" A 32-caliber revolver was
found near the wreck Vasilion ad-
mitted it belonged to him.
The trio, according to police, has
perpetrated a number of hold-ups here
recently. victimizing druggists. grocerS
and proprietorS of various other busi-
ness establishments. According to
Capt. Kelly both Vasilion and Sals
admitted having fed the Capital fol
Richmond Tuesday night, after having
held up Leon Goodwin. owner of q
delicatessen at 1899 Bladensburg road
northeast.
Chased by Policeman.
The storekeeper's wife, who heard
him yell when one of the bandits
jammed a revolver into his ribs, set hel
dog upon the two. The robbers were
chased by a motor cycle policeman but
had little difficulty in eluding him.
They were in the same car in which
they escaped from the officer when tn.
accident which resulted in their capture
occurred. The machine, police reported
is the property of Charles B. Miller, 42l
Cummings lane, Chevy Chase, Md 1t
was stolen from Fifteenth and I streets
a short time before the hold-up.
VaSilion and Sala, police said, were
returning from Richmond at the time
of the miShap. Their automobile rolled
over several times, but they escaped in
jury. They we're arrested by an Alex
andrta policeman, who decided to hold
them for investigation.
Examination of their baggage by
Washington detectives disclosed two
money bags, which, police declared
were associated with the robbery CT a
drug store on Wisconsin avenue less
than two weeks ago. The particular
hold-up. it was added, was staged by
the 'hatless trio" -
DR.. Edwin Cockey, proprietor of the
Wisconsin avenue pharmacy, went tc
headquarters last night and, according
to police, identified VaSilion and Sala
as two of the three robbers who visited
his establishment.
The other hold-upS which the pair
are said to have admitted are: Robbery
of store conducted by Leon Bauman
at 1852 D street northeast, on the night
of May 80; drug store operated by
DR.. James Clark, 3l46 Mount Pleasant
street, June 2, and a pharmacy owned
by DR.. Ray H. Beheler, 1896 Georgia
avenue, June Is.
Deny Taxi HOld-up.
However, they denied having partici-
pated in the hold-up of Jesse F.. Ship
ley, taxicab driver, who was robbed
OF SO by two hatless bandits who sluggeo
him the same night that DR.. Clark's
drug store was held up.
1t was these two robberieS, which oc-
Cured within a few minutes of each
other, that caused police to begin 6
search for the ''hatlesS trio"
Asked what his motive was for stag
ing the hold-ups, VaSilion, who said he
formerly was in the Army and was sta
toned at Walter Reed Hospital about
a year ago, replied, II must have beer
crazy" He added he left the service
March % and went to Newark, return
ing to the Capital a little more thar
two weeks ago to meet Sala.
Vasilion and Sala are said 70 bf
wanted by the chief of police of Newark
for participation in eight hold-ups there
The pair are said to have given police
the name of another man who aided
them in the robberies there. This man
they said, is now in hiding in Virginia