Evening star., 1935-01-28
THREE ARE GR|LLED
IN DOUBLE MURDER
Youths Held in 18 HoId..Ups
Yield Weapon of Kind in
Car-Barn Killings.

Three colored youths who harrassed
chain grocery stores for more than
two months and one Of whom, police
said, confessed today to "at least 1a"
hold-ups, are being grilled by de-
tectives in connection with the $1,000
robbery and dual murder at the Chevy
Chase Lake car barn last Monday.
The trio, arrested by Washington
detectives In a series Of week end
raids, steadfastly denied any connec-
ton with the brutal Staying Of James
Mitchell and Emory Smith in the
Montgomery County hold-up, but are
being subjected to a thorough ques-
tioning regarding their activities at
the time of the killings
However, a .32-caliber automatic,
the type of gun used in the murder
of the Capital Transit Co. employees,
taken from one of the prisoners. was
tested today by Lieut.. John Fowler,
Washington police ballistics expert,
who reported that bullets fired in the
murders did not match test bullets
fired by him. A .32- .2o-caliber pistol
also was taken from one of the sus-
poets.
Five Arresting Officers.
The automatic, detectives said, was
taken from Emerson Bentley, II years
old, when he was arrested at his home,
1900 G street northeast, early yes
terday by Detective SergtS. ]. j. Tolson,
Elmer Lewis, John c. Dalglish, Louis
M. Wilson and Howard Smith. The
revolver was found when the same
raiding party apprehended Solomon
Burkley. 18. at 1903 Sixteenth street,
where his brother is employed as a
janitor.
Wilbur Henry Dodson, l8. of l18
Seaton place, third Of the trio, was
taken into custody at his home early
today, unarmed.
Bentley, police say has confessed
to stalking at least Is hold-ups, i'm
plicating Dodson in several, and
Burkley in the remainder. Dodson.
however, is said to have admitted ac-
| companying the two other prisoners
on only two of their sorties. Bentley
Is said to have told police. that he and
| his companions have terrorized branch
| stores of the Sanitary and Atlantic &
Pacific Tea Co. since Thanksgiving.
using stolen cars in which to make
| their getaways.
Many Other Hold-ups
From a list found on his person, he
definitely named 18 stores which they
held up, and said that he was in
volved in many others. Records show
that nearly twoscore chain groceries
have been held up during the time the
three colored youths have been oper-
| ating.
Included in the hold-ups said to
have been admitted by Bentley is the
Sanitary Grocery Co.'S store on Brook
vile road, in Chevy Chase, Md, which
was robbed Of s45 two weeks ago to-
day. The store is not far removed
from the Chevy Chase Lake car barn.
Three stores which were robbed of ap-
proximately $3.50 Saturday night, also
are included on the list. Bentley and
Burkley were identified, police say. by
employees Of the store following the
! first two arrests yesterday. r
| Thirty-one customers and clerks in
the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.'S store
at 1400 Twelfth street were held at
bay with pistols while the bandits
scooped up between $50 and $50 in
cash and fled in one of the robberieS
Saturday night. Two women tainted
during the hold-up.
Other Sums Taken.
approximately $40 was taken from
the Sanitary Grocery Co.'S store at
TOO r street, while the bandits
escaped with about $50 in a hold-up
at the latter firms branch at 1923
Eighteenth street.
Detectives said that the trio used
stolen cars in all of their hcld-ups
until the robbery Of the Sanitary store
on r street Saturday night, when the
machine of a relative Of one of the
men was brought into use. 1t was
this change in their tactics that re-
suited in their apprehension.
A colored man whose name police
refuse to reveal obtained the license
number of the getaway car as it sped
from the scene, and the machine was
quickly traced to its owner by police
records. The three arrests followed
shortly, after detectives had queS-
toned the owner of the automobile.
In addition to the grilling regarding
the Chevy Chase Lake robbery and
murders, police planned to take the
trio on a tour of the city today SO
that the bandits may point out other
establishments which they have vic
timized. Grocery store employees and
other hold-up victims are to look them
over tonight in the lineup at police
headquarters in an attempt TO connect
them with similar crimes.
1t as said by detectives that the
1920 caliber pistol siezed at the time
of Burkley's arrest was stolen from
John Sullivan of 1913 North Capitol
street. 1t was traced by its serial
numbers.