Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-22
IGRAND Jury CALLS
WITNESSES IN LANE
|ANDPAY ROLL CASES
Seven to Testify in Probe of
Owens, Charged With SIay-
ing Motorman.
SIX WILL GIVE STORY
OF "H0LD-UP PLOT"
Shelby and Other Police Officers
to Tell of Raid and Alleged
Confession.

Witnesses in the cases of Garry and
Charles Owens, charged with the muir
der Of Motorman James H. Lane, and
Arthur A. Fischer and Philip K. Stumm.
accused of planning a machine gun
hold-up involving the District govern
ments $4,000 pay roll were called be-
fore the grand jury today
Thirteen witnesses we're summoned
Tor the two cases-seven in the Staying
and six in the alleged robbery plot.
Ihey were presented to the grand jury
by Assistant United States Attorney
William H. Collins 1t was expected
that their testimony would REQUIRE the
greater part of the day.
Lane. father of four children, was
shot March 18 when he grappled with
one OF two bandits who attempted to
hold up his Congress Heights line car.
The two men fled as Lane staggered
from the car and collapsed. He died
several days later at Casualty Hospital.
Released on AIibi.
Garry Owens, who is 26 and lives at
GieSboro Point, D. c., was arrested q
few days after the shooting, but was
released when he convinced police he
was at the home of a relative when the
crime was committed. However, he was
a
suspects had been questioned.
The second arrest police said at the
time, was the result Of statements made
by the mans nephew, Charles Owens,
20, of Oakley, Md. The younger Owens,
1t was said, previously had told a coll
ored man OF his part in the attempted
hold-up.
Questioned at eleventh precinct, the
nephew admitted having participated in
the attempted robbery and named his
uncle as the trigger man." He sub
sequently signed written confession
to this effect.
Garry Owens has SteadfastIy denied
his nephew's statements, asserting he
knows nothing of the attempted rob-
berry. His wife, Maude, %, was arrested
in connection with the case, but was
released after being held at the House
OF Detention for several days.
Identified by Two.
George Keough and Theodore Van
Sise, both of whom live near the scene
OF the shooting, were among todays
witnesses. Previously they had identi-
flied the two Owenses as the men they
saw standing on the corner a few
minutes before Lanes car arrived.
The other witnesses were Mrs. Lena
Butler, colored, 2341 Pomeroy road
southeast the only passenger on the
car; Deputy Coroner A. Magruder Mac
Donald and Sergts. John Flaherty,
Thomas Sweeney and Carlton Tally
of the homicide squad.
The alleged scheme to rob the Dis
trict disburSing Office was revealed last
Wednesday following the arrest of
Fischer and Stumm at a Fourteenth
street hotel. Fischer, Stumm, Leo A.
De Ward, post Office inspector, and
Jack c. Arnold, described by police as
a volunteer investigator" were "plan-
ming the robbery, police say, when the
room was raided.
Say Stumm Confessed.
According to police, signed confess
sion was obtained from Stumm. whose
home is in Syracuse, N. Y In the con-
feSSion, Stumnl who is only 20. said he
met Fischer, 24-year-old clerk i'll the
District auditors office, about a week
after coming to Washington. Fischer,
according to Stumm. suggested the
hold-up, setting Decoration day as the
time TO pull it off, because he thought
about $4,000 would be in the disburs-
ing Office on that day.
De Ward and Arnold obtained de-
tailed information concerning the plot
by posing as confederates. They ar
ranged the meeting in the hotel room
while police waited in an adjoining
room for their signal to enter
Fischer, son-in-law of the late Repre-
sentative Florian Lampert of Wisconsin,
is separated from his wife and three
children
Besides De Ward and Arnold, the
witnesses against Fischer and Stumm
were Inspector William S. Shelby, chief
of detectives; Lieut.. Charles j. p Weber
and SergtS. Harry Ogle and Chester G.
Stepp.