Evening star., 1937-02-05
BUTLER INDICTED
0NBUGHER JEWEL
THEFT CHARGES
Two Grand Larceny Counts
Returned Against MorciS-
check by Grand Jury.
BOOTS AND SPUR GANG
NAMED IN SIX BILLS
Trio Accused of Holding Up
Young Couple in Auto-0ther
Indictments.

Police investigation here and in New
York of what was suspected to be al
extensive backstairs gem theft plot
eliminated today in two grand larceny
indictments against John MorciSchek,
trusted butler in the home of Mrs.
Henrietta Bugher. 1785 Massachusetts,
avenue, who two weeks ago reported
the theft of $500, 900 in jewels.
Only comparatively small thefts,
however. were alleged in the true bills.
The grand jury charged that the
49-year-old servant stole an Orna-
mental pin valued at $500 from Mrs.
Bugher. and a watch worth $500 from
her son, Frederick M. Bugher, who
shares his mothers apartment.
Within a comparatively short time
after Mrs. Bugher reported her jewels
missing, police located two packages
containing gems in New York City, one
ct a branch post Office and the other
In the possession of young woman.
Working in cooperation with New
York authorities, they arrested two
women. who are being held there.
Says He Found Gems.
Morcischek insists, according to po-
lice. that he found the Bugher jewels
IN the hallway of the exclusive
Massachusetts avenue apartment
house. Mrs. Bugher said, however,
they were stolen from cabinet to
which she recently had moved them
from safe deposit box, so they might
be handy during the social season.
In the collection were heirlooms
once owned by Mrs Mildred Mclean
Dewey, widow of Admiral George
Dewey and aunt of Mrs Bugher's late
husband, Frederick H. Bugher.
For the past 20 years. Morcischek
has worked in wealthy American
homes.
Gang" Members Indicted.
Along with the Morcischek indict-
ments, the jury reported six true bills
against members of the so-called
Boots and Spurs Gang" Three
charged robbery, two HOUSEKEEPING
and larceny and one grand larceny.
The three young defendants, William
NJ Beck, 81; Jack Joseph Kurz, 49,,
and Paul Berger. 19. already have
pleaded guilty to a charge of robbing
Michael Armaly, storekeeper. of 1909
T street. November 20. and are slated
to be sentenced for that crime late
today.
Police say the three youths perpe-
trated series of crimes in quick sue
cession several months ago. including
the abduction of Fort Myer sentry
and the theft of his automatic, am
munition and spurs.
One of the indictments today
charged that Beck, Kurz and Berger
held up young couple sitting in an
automobile on Beach drive in Rock
Creek Park. Police say they also were
identified in two similar cases.
The victims named in the true bill
were Walter T. Holt, jr. 1924 Quincy
street, and Virginia F. Ash, 4616
Fourth street. Holt and Miss Ash said
they were parked alongside the road
about 80 am, when two of the de-
PENDANTS approached them and asked
for some gasoline Suspicious, Holt
attempted to drive away and was con-
fronted with threatening gun. Beck
allegedly then got behind the wheel
and drove to another section of the
park, with another car following.
While still in the park, they stopped
and Holt was robbed, bound and
gagged and left lying on the ground.
Miss Ash was driven into the city and
courteously ushered out of the ma
chine.
Robberies Charged to Trio.
Beck and Berger were charged
with committing two other robberies.
The alleged crimes we're the hold-up
OF an ice cream store at 5439 Conduit
road and the hold-up of William
Posey 2370 Champlain street, while
he was standing on a street corner
waiting for street car.
The grand larceny charge was
placed against Berger He is al
legged to have stolen a camera from
the car Of Wilma d. Dixon, iii v
street southeast, which was parked
near her home.
total of SIS true bills were re-
turned. Others indicted we're:
John Alexander, Henry Riley, War;
dell Miller, Robert P. Carter. Frank
Ford. Clarence Moses, Edgar McCray,
Clarence r. Jones and Frank Foster.
assault with dangerous weapon;
Henry c. Lewis, embezzlement; Walter
Clifton Parker, false pretenses; Will
liam Kennedy. Norman Coles, Allen
Wright. William A. London, Edmund
Dante, David Taylor and Fred Allen.
grand larceny; Sonny Capa, Joseph
Green, Randolph Heflin, Melvin
Greenberg, George Malloy, Harold w.
Mckay, William Jackson, Ralph w.
Green, Willie Davis, Ebert r. Pierce
and Chester H. Pierce, robbery; Ethel
L. Taylor, destroying private property;
Nathaniel Edelin,, receiving stolen
property; George M. Gray, bigamy;
Major Leak, John Fry, Alfred Gordon,
Marshall Irving, Daniel Adams, Theo-
dore Brown, Thomas j. Wright, Harry
E. Thomas and Lawrence Kelly, house
breaking and larceny; Thomas E.
Brown, grand larceny; Irwin Lynn.
Chester r. Wilson, Walter I. Reeves
and Albert H. Rowe, joyriding; Ethel
Nash, forging and uttering a Govern
ment check; Orvid L. Kragtorp, lar
ceny from the United States, and
Merwin Scott, rape.
The following cases were ignored:
Ida M. Phillips, grand larceny: Samuel
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