Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-06
TROOPER GETS HIS
MAN 1S OF THEM
Gives Hunger Marchers
Water and Gas, lows Truck,
Finally Serves as Taxi.

BY STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. December ct
has become traditional with the Vir-
ginia police force during its brief ex-
istence that an order is something to
be carried out strictly to the letter.
regardless of cost or personal discom-
fort.
Members of that unit have Loyalty
upheld the tradition on numerous &C.
caSions, but never have any OF the 95
bluecoatS adhered more closely to a
command than did Trooper R. H.
Lester yesterday.
Lester and Lieut.. w. C. Thompson,
weary from many hours of continuous
duty since the hunger marcher5 entered
Virginia, were sitting quietly in the
field Headquarters hurriedly set up here
Sunday, patiently waiting to be relieved
so they could get a much-needed rest.
Ordered to Convoy Truck.
The stiffness was shattered suddenly
by the feverish ringing of telephone.
A truck loaded with l3 hunger march
ers, the voice at tll2 other end of the
line reported. had just passed through
Fairfax County en- route to the Capt.
tai and was speeding into Alexandria
Lieut.. Thompson, who commands the
Central district of the State force,
ordered Lester to escort the truck and
its occupants to the District line. The
Charlottesville youth, who is per-
manently assigned here, climbed into a
police car and roared away.
Four hours passed without word
from Lester and worried officials asked
members comprising the State police
detail here, so in number. and the local
officers to start a search for the missing
trooper, fearing he might have met
with foul play.
Tells of TribuIations.
The word had hardly gone round,
however, when Lester exhausted
trudged into headquarters and reported
that his assignment had been carried
out-at the same time unfolding a tale
of many trials and tribulations in con-
voying his charges safely to the south
err limits of the Capital.
The hunger marcherS' truck. dilapi-
dated vehicle, which had faithfully
borne its load of 10 occupants here
from the South without faltering, but
now plainly showing signs of the strains
of its labors, ran out of water near the
northern limits of Alexandria and over
heated.
Lester, escorting the van, hurried to
filling station several miles away
procured water for the steaming truck,
and once more got his party underway
The truck had hardly moved, however,
when 1t ran out Of gas, and Lester was
forced to make a second trip to the
! filling station-thiS time purchasing
| gasoline out of his own pocket to safely
carry his charges into Washington.
Tries to Tow Truck.
| The march got under way once more.
and the procession was making steady
progress toward its goal when the truck
| finally quit altogether, and no amount
OF effort on the part of Lester or the
| marchers could persuade it to start UP
! again.
| Still undaunted, Lester attached a
/ tow chain to the truck and started
down the road with the ponderous We
/ hlcle in tow Of his tiny police roadster.
Johns0nS Hill presented a serious OBJ
Stacle, however, and Lester called halt
Tearing an attempt to negotiate the
/ long incline with the truck in tow
would tear the rear out of the police
| car.
The marchers. impatient at the delay
were becoming surly when Lester finally
hit upon plan to finish his task.
Bundling five of the occupants of the
truck into his roadster he set out at
high speed for Highway Bridge, where
/ he deposited his load and hastily re-
/ turned to the truck. Four more trips
and he had safely conveyed the re-
naming marchers out of his jurisdic-
ton and his job was over-four hours
after he had left field headquarters.