Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-23
Two Owens Men and Former
Government Clerk Indicted
in Homicide Cases.
TWO ACCUSED OF PLOT
TO ROB DISTRICT OFFICE
Ten Others Named in True Bills
Reported to Justice Gordon.
Autoist Is Exonerated.

Three persons were charged with
first degree murder and two others &C
cused of conspiracy to rob the District
disbursing Office of $4,000 in a special
report returned today by the District
grand Jury. A total of Is indictments
was included in the report to Justice
Peyton Gordon, which supplemented
the weekly report Of the grand jurors
filed Tuesday.
Garry owens, 26, and his nephew,
Charles Owens. 20. were charged with
responsibility for the death March IL OF
James H. Lane, rnotorman en- the Ana
costa branch of the Washington Rail
wav g. Electric Co. The indictment
was in four counts, two charging pre-
meditated murder and two alleging
murder while attempting to commit a
felony one count of each series
charged that the pistol was IN the
hands of Garry Owens and the other
put the weapon in the hands OF the
nephew.
Skinner Is Indicted.
The other man indicted on a murder
charge was Sydney Allen Skinner, Tor
rner Government clerk, charged with
the murder Of his wife, Dorothy M.
Skinner. The husband, who had been
i'll. is reported to have become suddenly
demented March II, whereupon he
stabbed his wife a number Of times at
their home, 4007 Twenty-first street
northeast. She died March Is.
Arthur A. Fischer, "a, former clerk
in the Office of the District auditor,
and Philip K. Stumm, 20, OF Syracuse,
N. Y. are the men indicted in connec-
ton with the plot to rife the office OF
the District disbursing officer. The ROB-
berry allegedly was set for May 80, Wnen,
it was supposed, the District pay roll
Of $4,000 would be available.
The indictment was in a single count
with six overt acts alleged to have been
performed in connection with the al
legged conspiracy The alleged agree
ment is dated back to March l and
continues until the recent arrest OF
Fischer and Stumm in a downtown
hotel, where officers in an adjoining
room heard discussion Of the proposed
scheme it is stated. The men are &C
cused of conspiring with one JACK c.
Arnold. :. voluntary investigator, TO
commit robbery and TO take by force
$4,000 from the disbursing ONCE.
Autoist Is Exonerated.
The overt acts specified in the in
dictrnent are that April !, Fisher met
Stumm and talked with him; April 4,
Sturnm met and talked with Jack c.
Arnold. later on the same day Stunn
and Fisher talked with Arnold, and
two days later the trio had meeting
April Is Fisher gave Arnold map
showing arrangements of the disburs-
ing office. and on the same day Fisher
and Stumm are said to have conferred
with Jack C. Arnold and with L. A.
DeWard, an inspector Of the Post Office
Department.
The grand jurors exonerated George
Washington TreYena OF responsibility
for the death of Everett Robey in an
automobile collision April 8 at Seven
tenth and NJ streets.
Others indicted and the charges
against them are: William r. Campbell
assault to kill; Andrew Barnes Cathe-
rine Coleman and Charles Burke, rob-
berry: Chester CrenshaW, joy-riding
James L. PIowden, Albert T. Johnson
William Shaw, Samuel Fountain, Ray
mond Carter, HOUSEKEEPING and lar
ceny: Robert Chase. mayhem: Charles
Waters, Howard Whisaker. Frank w
Dodson, Joseph Baltrush and Charles
o. FARRELL, non-support.