Evening star., 1937-12-08
FUGITIVE WARNED
BYCAP|TAL POLICE
TO GIVE SELF UP
James Steele, Gangster,
Told He Is Heading for
"Morgue Slab.
DESCRIBED AS "BRAINS"
OF SAFEGUARDING TRY
Brother of Suitland Roadhouse
Owner Surrenders as Finger"
Man.

A curt police warning that unless
he gives himself up promptly, he is
heading for "a morgue slab beside his
buddy" today faced the last des-
perado still at large of the three
who escaped police ambush in which
Carlton G. (Cotty) williams was slain
Sunday night.
Police said the hunted man was
James R. Steele, 3l-year-old police
character, whom they describe as the
brains of the gang that was trapped
In an alleged attempt to crack safe
In which $4,000 was stored in the
$500 block of Suitland road S. E. Sum-
day night
Williams was killed when he started
running and shooting, instead of obey
ing commands to halt when he passed
six concealed police officers in walk
ing up to the Suitland road house
from a parked automobile. Three
other men he had left in the car
escaped in hail of police bullets.
One of Fugitives Arrested.
One of the three fugitives, COL
ored man. was arrested early Monday
when police recovered the bullet-rid-
died bandit car Another walked into
police headquarters yesterday and
gave himself up because, he told po-
. lice, he was afraid he would meet the
same fate as Williams.
Paul j. Nelson of Savage. Md.
brother of Charles Nelson, wealthy
owner of the Suitland roadhouse, also
surrendered yesterday and confessed
that he was the finger" man in the
attempted robbery Sunday night, &C
cording to Chief of Detectives Bernard
w. Thompson and Capt. Ira E. Keck.
assistant chief
Capt. Keck said that Paul Nelson
allegedly former bootlegger, also
admitted he fingered" a safe-crack-
ing several months ago in which q
safe in his brothers former home in
Arlington County, Va, was robbed of
more than $l2,500 Inspector Thomp-
son and Capt. Keck planned to obtain
a written statement from Nelson to-
day. He was booked for investigation.
Nelson was not present at the at
tempted robbery Sunday night, Capt.
Keck said.
Don't Want to Get Shot"
The man who surrendered yester-
day gave his name as John M. Tabler,
30, Of Arlington, Va. II don't want
to get shot," he said when he walked
into Capt. Keck's office.
A writ of habeas corpus for release
OF Benjamin (Honey Boy Sewell, the
colored man being held on open
charges, was served on Supt. of Po-
lice Ernest W. Brown yesterday by
Charles E. Ford, local attorney. It
Is returnable next Monday, requiring
the police to either release Sewell or
place formal charges against him by
then
Capt. Keck said friend of Steeles
telephoned him yesterday and sug-
gested arrangement of terms for
Steele's surrender.
Il told him to tell Steele that If
he wanted to give himself up un-
conditionally, o. K.," Capt. Keck said,
but that otherwise he might have
morgue slab beside his buddy. And we
mean business-we are going to get
this bunch Of rats cleaned up, one
way or the other. I expect Steele
will come in today"
All four men listed as participant
Ing in the attempted robbery Sunday
night have long police records and
were at liberty under bond for other
offenses at the time, police said. Will
lian1s was awaiting trial on q house
breaking charge. Capt. Keck said
that Steele is under bond on a
charge of attempting to shoot a po-
liceman more than year ago and
Tabler was free on bond on q charge
Of assault with a dangerous weapon
in connection with the kidnapping
and shooting of witness in another
case. Steele was to have appeared
for trial about two weeks ago, but
his attorneys won a continuance until
next morning.
Arrested 26 Times.
Steele's police record, dating back
to 1914, shows that he has been ar
rested 26 times-the first time for
playing ball in the street. He was
sent to the National Training School
for Boys in 1919 for carrying con-
cealed weapon, and in 1921 and 1925
was sent to the penitentiary for two
and six-year sentences for house.
breaking. During his last term, he
was transferred from Lorton to the
Leavenworth Penitentiary, escaped,
was returned and finished the SEN
tence two years ago.
Police charge the gang has been
responsible for numerous safe
crackings, hold-ups and other rob-
berries, involving loot of nearly $780,
600, during the last year.