Evening star., 1937-12-24
COLORED GUNMEN
ROB FIVE STORES
Police Spread Net After
Gang Escapes Into
MARYLAND.

A colored "gun gang" was the OBJ
ject OF an intense police hunt today
following series Of terrorizing raids
on five District liquor stores shortly
before midnight that netted more
than 500 and sent the pre- Christ
mas crime wave to new heights.
In one Of the stores the bandits
fed before the gunfire of a storekeeper
and in another the life of q dealer
probably was saved when the pistol
Of one OF the gunmen jammed.
Cruising in large gray sedan, the
thugs robbed five liquor stores in diff
ferent sections in little more than an
hour before speeding across the Mary
land line with the lights of their ma
chine extinguished.
Samuel Solomon Robbed.
First visited was the store of Sam
uel Solomon, 300 M street S.W.,
where four of the bandits went inside
while the fifth kept their car ready
for a swift getaway.
Impatient when Mr.. Solomon failed
to respond with alacrity to command
to open the cash register, one Of the
bandits fired point blank at him. The
gun missed fire. From the till the
bandits took $75, and from Stanley
Golden. 529 Fourth street Sc. a
salesman who was in the place at the
time, they took $50.
The next victim was Roger Kelly.
Is, night manager of liquor store at
2l4 Sixth street NV, who was forced
to surrender an undetermined amount
OF cash.
At the store of Benjamin Aurbach.
l2ll North Capitol street NV. the
gang took s38 from the cash register.
s1l from Aurbach's son Manuel and
about $50 from John S. Ball, Lanham,
Md.
Take $1o0 From Bobys' Store.
The bandits next sped to SOL Florida
avenue NV, where they took 500
from Nicholas Bobys, 43o1 Fifteenth
street NV, proprietor of another
liquor store.
Rushing into the street as the gang
left, BobyS fired three shots at the
departing automobile. He told police
ne thought some of the bullets struck
the machine.
Inc last victim was Isaac Lapidas.
whose store at 3ll0 Rhode Island ave-
nue. NE. was robbed of S348 before the
bandits disappeared into MARYLAND
Valnly trying to catch up with the
bandits in their wild dash. police
finally flashed look-outs to MARYLAND
authorities. and all suspicious cars
were halted. AS a result, three colored
men were arrested and are being oues-
toned
The raids apparently had been
planned in advance since Police Stunt.
E. w. Brown only few DAYS ago had
announced he would have officers
stationed in liquor and other stores.
Wherever possible. to discourage hold
ups. None of the places robbed last
night, however. was guarded.
So fast did the gang operate that
none OF the victims was able to obtain
an adequate description of any of
them. The best clue was that one of
the five was tall and slim and wore a
gray pullover sweater.
While the gun gang" was active.
other thugs, including a woman pick
pocket, harassed storekeepers and
private citizens, making off with cash
and loot totaling nearly $500.
The heaviest loser was Miss Sallie
Foster, 1922 Fifteenth street NV,
who reported her purse stolen from an
office in the 1900 block of Connecticut
avenue NV. 1t contained s25, a $500
cigarette case and $50 lighter.
Reginald L. Foster, 730 Seventeenth
street NV, reported his apartment
was "jimmied" and Christmas liquor
and jewelry worth $3.50 taken.
Frank Barnes, 1913 L street NV,
grocer, was robbed of $40, and Aaron
Golubotsky, 433 Ninth street S.W., an
other storekeeper, was victimized of
$40. Both hold-ups were perpetrated
by colored men.
David r. Hochreick, New York City.
stopping at the Mayflower Hotel, re-
ported to police that his pocket was
picked of 5000 by woman who
stopped him on the street.