Evening star., 1934-04-12
Trap Laid for Auto Thieves
Sprung With Bullet by
PatroIman Cation.
VICTIM AT HOSPITAL
BELIEVED JERRY REID
Justice Department Aids Search
for Companions of Man
Who Carried Package.

A suspected automobile thief was
shot and killed at Adams Mill road
and Ontario place shortly before noon
today by Policeman John A. Cation,
No. 10 precinct, after the mans auto
matte jammed, as did a machine gun
trained on the officer by one of the
suspects two companions.
Shot once near the heart and again
in the back. the suspect was taken to
Emergency Hospital where he died
shortly afterward, while the police
and Department of Justice operatives
combed the neighborhood for the two
fugitives.
At the hospital the dead man was
tentatively identified as Jerry Reid
through drivers permit.
Police and Department of Justice
agents had been watching for a sup
posed gang of automobile thieves re-
ported in the neighborhood. Policeman
Cation relieved Policeman j. H. McHale
while the latter went to lunch. Cation
took seat in an automobile parked
near machine supposed to be stolen.
The latter car was parked ON the west
side Of Ontario place just north of
the Adams Mill road intersection.
Two Approach Auto.
While Cation watched three men
came around the corner and stood for
moment at Ontario place and Adams
Mill road. One man walked toward
the officer and disappeared east on
Adams Mill road The policeman
watched while the other two men
walked toward the hot" machine.
The taller of the two men, Cation
said, was carrying large package
under his coat, next to his heart.
Cation suspected it was q machine
gun. The smaller man was behind
the wheel Of the supposed stolen au-
tomobile, and the other was at the
door when Cation emerged from his
| automobile and advanced toward
| them.
Bullet Stops Draw.
Cation said the smaller man jumped
| from behind the wheel and reached
for his automatic, which jammed in
his hip pocket as he tried to wrest it
out.
Cation pulled his own service re-
volver and shot the man, the bullet
apparently taking effect near the
heart. The wounded suspect dropped
to the street and lurched behind his
automobile, still trying to bring bis
gun into play.
Meanwhile, Cation said, the second
man had run to the side of a build
ing on Ontario place and tried to
bring his machine gun into action.
Cation said the gun either jammed
or the man was slow in working the
cartridges into. the chamber. As Cation
swung toward this man he ran into a
nearby alley.
Cation went around behind the au-
tomobile and took the .45-caliber au-
tomato from the hands of the strug-
Cling man there.
The second man, with the machine
gun, meanwhile had escaped. Depart
ment Of Justice agents also were
armed with a small machine gun as
they combed the neighborhood for the
two fugitives.
$4,000 Hold-up Suspects.
Police said the three men were sus-
poets in a recent $4,000 hold-up in
Greensboro, N. c., in which q truck
loaded with tobacco was stolen and
its two attendants tied to q tree.
Lookouts were broadcast for the two
fugitives to all precincts and neigh
boring cities. They were believed
seen walking shortly after the shoot
ing occurred near Summit place and
| Eighteenth street. after presumably
| meeting at some prearranged place.
Investigators were unable to learn
which building in the vicinity the
three men came from Just before the
shooting. although they presumably
spent the night in the neighborhood.
Auto Owner Located.
The automobile in which the two
men were surprised was later identi-
| fed through the motor numbers as
having been stolen from Leo p. Darr
| of 1910 Kansas avenue while parked
in the 1900 block of Monroe street
March 13.
At the hospital the dead man was
found to have S475 in his pockets.
His drivers permit listed the name
of Jerry Reid, Crescent Park,
Severna, Md" Papers in his pockets
included a receipt for Chevrolet
automobile purchased recently from a
motor company in the 600 block Of H
street northeast
Laundry marks of ~. R." on the
mans clothing were broadcast to the
precincts in an effort to complete
the identification. A bullet-punc-
tured, bloody registration card was
found bearing the name of Rev.
Samuel Carroll Coale, pastor of the
Brentwood Park Methodist Church,
whose automobile was stolen last
Tuesday.
| Automatic Tightly Jammed.
Detective Sergts. Frank M. ALI
good and j. E. Kenney Of the auto.
mobile squad, who were cruising near
| the scene in a radio scout car, picked
up the alarm and arrived o few
minutes after the shooting. They
said the automatic taken from the
fatally wounded man was janmed so
securely 1t took i've minutes to free
the cartridge.
Arranging the plant" early today
with Department of Justice agents,
| police removed the distributor from
the 'hot" machine. The driver was
trying to start the motor when Can
ton appeared.
| The machine gunner was described