Evening star., 1933-08-20
YOUTHS IDENTIFIED
|ASPURSE GRADERS
Hunt for Two Who Escaped
in Chases Identified.
Suspect Gri|Ied.

Two youths were tentatively 1dentlned
last night by four victims of recent
purse-sratchings as headquarters de-
tectives intensified their efforts to end
the wave Of pocketbook robberies which
has kept police of all precincts on the
jump for a week or more.
The young men-Hubert H. Council
l8. Of the 1900 block Of Tenth street
and Norman c. Rogers, 20, Of the 5000
block Of Eighth street-Were picked out
Of lineup at police headquarters while
detectives were preparing to grill an
other alleged purse thief captured after
a struggle with woman on the stair
way of a downtown Office building.
At the same time. police Of all pre-
cincts, as well as authorities in nearby
Maryland and Virginia, were working
together in a search for two other
reputed pocketbook thieves, who eluded
officers in spectacular chases-in one
of which two shots were. fired at their
speeding utomobi,e-yesterday after
noon.
Nine pocketbook thefts were reported
during the day, and Inspector Frank
S. w. Burke. chief Of detectives. as
signed four members OF his staff to
concentrate on such robberies.
Cruise Precinct.
Armed with descriptions Of the per-
petrators Of virtually all these thefts
, Of the last week or more, two detectives
spent the afternoon cruising through
the eighth precinct. where many Of
the robberies have occurred.
In addition. Inspector Burke kept
! two detectives on duty in his Office
throughout the night. ready to go into
action on a moments notice.
The first of the two chases began
near Chevy Chase Circle. where Police
/ man r. L. Phillips of Montgomery
County sighted an automobile bearing
a rear license plate numbered K-8151.
Having heard a radio lookout for the
car a short time before he took out
after it.
The chase led through Kensington
ard Wheaton. then down the Seventh
Street pike. toward the District line,
where Phillips lost it.
The machine was sighted again by
Motor Cycle Policeman Robert N
Finch. who pursued 1t from Soldiers
Home grounds to Rhode Island avenue
and Lincoln road northeast There the
officer gave up the chase after firing
two shots at the speeding automobile
Later, he reported having lost his
traffic ticket book and several war
rants during the pursuit
The tag was reported stolen week
ago by Mrs. Gertrude H. Storkes, 2719
Georgia avenue. Since then. police
said. it has been used In several
pocketbook thefts.
CantureS SuSnecf
Shortly after the first chase started
Mrs May H. Dubois 1873 Newton street.
caused the arrest of Marion L. White,
30. colored. first block of G street. after
fight down the steps of the Invest
ment Building.
Mrs. Dubois who works in the build
ing grabbed the man and attempted
to hold him after she had discovered
her purse. containing $40, had been
stolen from her desk The man threw
her down and fed down the stairway,
but she ran to an elevator and reached
the lobby as he was about to leave the
building. A messenger boy and two
elevator boys pursued him as far as Nc
PherSon Square, where he was captured
and turned over to third precinct police.
Eight other pocketbook thefts were
reported during the day. but only three
of the victims gave their names. They
were:
Mrs Selma Latham 1901 Cathedral
avenue, who said her purse. containing
$40, was stolen near the Connecticut
avenue entrance to the Zoo; Julia Dar-
by. who was robbed of a pocketbook
containing an equal amount, at Con-
necticut avenue and Woodley road. and
Isadora Fields, 2217 Hall place. whose
purse, containing cards. papers and Is
cents in cash. was snatched in the
23OO block of Wisconsin avenue.
All three women said the men es-
capped in an automobile bearing the
marker reported stolen by Mrs. Storkes.