Evening star., 1933-01-23
PAY ROLL Staying
TRIAL IS SPEEDED
First Degree Murder Indict.
mentS Will Be Asked
Against Four.

Slashing legal red tape, the district
attorneys Office went before the grand
jury today with a request for first
degree murder indictments against four
OF the six men under arrest in the at
tempted $4,000 Browning Painting Co.
pay roll robbery, in which one employe
Of the concern was shot to death and
another seriously wounded.
capt; Bernard w. thompson, assist
ant chief of detectives, spent the
greater part Of the morning rounding
up witnesses against the men, five of
whom are said to have signed state
ments admitting they participated in
the hold-up plot.
Presentation of the case to the
grand jury in advance Of a coroner's S
nquest-an unusual procedure here
was ordered by United States Attorney
Leo A. Rover, in an effort to hasten
trial Of the accused men.
Defendants Held.
The men held are:
Claude Myers, %, colored, 1900 block
OF Fourteenth street, and Fewell Work.
man, %, colored, said to have confessed
the actual shooting. In which Edward
Ecklund, 50-year-old paymaster, was
killed and his assistant, Harry Stumm,
48, was wounded.
Albert E. Cash, 20, of the 45oo block
OF Ninth street. alleged to have admit
ted driving the taxicab in which the
gunner escaped.
Everett Blackwell, %, of the 100 block
of Fourth street southeast, reported to
have acknowledged acting as "tipoff"
man for the attempted robbery.
Clyde E. Templeton, 80, brother-in-
law of Cash. with whom he lives at the
Ninth street address, who is said to
have confessed disposing of one Of the
guns.
Oscar M Cash, 21, brother Of Albert
Cash, and also q resident Of the Ninth
street address, who is alleged to have
disposed Of the other gun. He Is the
only member Of the group who refused
to sign confession, according to Capt.
Thompson.
Many Witnesses.
Because of the large number of wit
nesses, presentation of the case to the
grand jury was expected to require all
Of today and possibly part Of tomorrow.
Mr.. Rover said, however, that If the
grand jury should return indictments
by Wednesday the men would be ar
raigned In District Supreme Court on
Friday. This, he added, would indicate
the case would go to trial by next Tues
day or Wednesday.
The first-degree indictments were
asked against Myers, Workman, Al
bert Cash and Everett Blackwell. The
grand jury was asked to charge Oscar
Cash and Templeton as accessories
after the fact.
Meanwhile, no date has been set for
an inquest, Acting Coroner A. Magruder
preferring to wait until the
police have had ample opportunity to
the mems connection, if any,
with other recent shootings and hold
ups. It Is expected, however, that the
grand jury has completed its investi-
cation Of the case.
viii Face Storekeeper.
Among the shootings concerning
which the prisoners will be questioned
Is that of Arthur A. Berman, seriously
wounded by two bandits who attempted
to hold him up in his delicatessen store
at 1928 Georgia avenue early last Thurs
day. Because the Cash brothers are
said to answer the general description
of the two hold-up men, it was said,
they will be taken to Garfield Hospital
and viewed by Berman either today or
tomorrow, provided permission is OBJ
tanned from the wounded mans physi-
clans. He is said to be in an improved
condition, as is Stumm, who Is confined
to Providence Hospital.
Ecklund and Stumm were shot last
Friday at New Jersey avenue and c
street southeast while on their way
from their rooming house at 800 New
Jersey avenue to the new House ONCE
Building, where the pay roll was to have
been distributed.