Evening star., 1936-12-20
LAUNDRY BRANCH
ROBBED BY BANDIT
Police Keep Close Watch for
Safe Crackers After
Theft of Torches.

An armed bandit held up the Palace
Laundry branch at 926 New York ave-
nue. last night as Christmas thieves
kept police busy checking reports of
minor larcencies.
Throughout the night close watch
was kept by law guardians over all Of
fees containing safes. pursuant to a
warning from Chief of Detectives Ber-
nard w. Thompson that two metal
cutting acetyiene torches recently had
been stolen. A message broadcast to
all precincts expressed fear the torches
may have fallen into the hands of safe
crackers.
Meanwhile. eighth precinct detec-
tives were trying to learn whether the
colored burglar captured yesterday
morning in the home Of Lieut.. Col.
H. H. Allen, U. S. A.. $500 Quebec
street. is implicated in other recent
houSebreakings. No charges have yet
been filed.
Meat Cleaver Hurled.
Col. Allen and his wife emerged
victorious in battle of kitchen uten-
sils with the man. A meat cleaver
was hurled by the burglar during the
melee, but missed its mark. Col. Allen
finally overpowered him and held him
until police arrived.
A slight head injury was suffered by
the officer when struck by one of the
many objects thrown by the intruder,
whose presence was discovered by
watchdog
A taxi driver was robbed of his cab
in the 600 block of Morton street
shortly before midnight by two COL
ored men who beat him on the head
with a heavy weapon. injuring him,
perhaps seriously.
Delbert Robinson. 3O59 NJ street,
reported his assailants hired him at
Fourteenth and w streets and di-
rected him to drive to the place
where he was attacked A police
patrol took him to Garfield Hospital.
where physicians said his skull may
be fractured.
The laundry bandit locked up Mrs.
Efie Hickman, 80. clerk. scooped up
$25 from the till and fed.
Mrs. Hickman, who lives in the
1400 block of Harvard street. escaped
through rear door after the young
robber had locked the door leading
from the rear room into the store.
She made her way to the apartment
above, occupied by Mr.. and Mrs
Aaron James. James rushed to the
laundry, but the hold-up man had
left.
Police say Mrs. Hickman reported
that the hold-up man entered the
laundry after Z pm. while she was
alone. He pointed gun at her and
ordered her to move quietly to the
rear. When he asked where her
purse was she told him in the front
Of the store. He did not find it.
Few Store Thefts.
Comparatively few thefts from stores
were reported, although the rain failed
to deter Christmas shoppers. Mrs.
Rachel K. Sisson, Arlington, Va. told
police her purse was stolen from the
counter of a downtown department
store. Woodward & Lothrop reported
the loss of $135 coat and the Federal
Bake Shop at Gil Fourteenth street
revealed that $3.50 was taken from
three cash registers early yesterday.
Two colored men picked the pockets
Of David r. Glass, Clarendon, Va, and
Charles M. Clark, 232 First street
southeast. late yesterday as they
alighted from street cars. Glass said
his wallet containing S87 was stolen
at Ninth and F streets, and Clark re-
ported his wallet containing SIS was
lifted at New Jersey avenue and H
street. Descriptions of suspects fur
nished by both victims tailed.
A colored deliveryman, taking an
order Of liquor to an address in the
1700 block of Lanier place last night,
was waylaid on the second floor of the
apartment house from which the order
ostensibly came, hit on the head with
an iron pipe and robbed of S18.