Evening star., 1937-05-26
LARCENY SUSPECT
CAUGHT IN TRAP"
$4,000 Worth of Alleged
Loot Recovered After Ar
rest in Arlington.
y . STAN Corresponds OF The Star.

y Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
ARLINGTON, Va, May 26.-Arling-
ION County residents whose homes have
been broken into and ransacked dur
ing the past three months today were
seeking to identify their valuables in
the sherif1's ONCE while Doctor Albert
Powell. %, Of the 1900 block of Thirty
sixth street, Washington, was being
held IN the county Jail on charges Of
larceny and housebreaking.
Powell, caught in what the sheriff
described as trap" in the home Of
Mrs. Margaret V. Payne, 1903 North
Washington boulevard, Monday night,
WAS being investigated by Washington
police today to determine If he is the
Cat" burglar who nine years ago
terrorized residents in the Chevy Chase
and Cleveland Park area.
More than $4,000 worth of alleged
loot was recovered by Detective H. H,
Carper Of the seventh precinct when
he accompanied Arlington County Off
GERS to Powells Thirty-sixth street
room. 1t was estimated that jewelry,
clothing Silverware and other valu-
aides worth $4,000 was stolen in the
rs burglaries In the county during the
past three months. Most of the valu-
ables were sold or pawned in widely
separated cities, 1t was believed by
police, who said they found so pawn
tickets in the band of the suspect S
hat.
TRAP" Described.
The trap" described by the sheriff
consisted Of holding three officers in
readiness at the county Jail for call.
When call was received late Monday
night, the three police went to the
Payne home. Two of the officers,
Raymond Crack and NJ F. Ward, went
into the house while the third, H. E.
Mason. watched the outside. AS the
two officers inside started to search
the house, Powell is said to have
jumped directly into Mason's arms
from the porch roof.
Among the articles spread out on q
table IN the sherif1's Office for inspec-
ton by citizens we're jewels, silverware
clothing, suit cases, pistols, license tags
and practically valueless trinkets.
AS an outgroWth of the capture of
the suspect, Washington police an
nounced that Washington business
man, owner of a secondhand store,
was to be arraigned In Police Court
today on charges of receiving stolen
goods, buying goods and failing to
record in accordance with District law
Reports Withheld.
Powell explained to police that
doctor" is really his baptismal name
and not a nickname or title.
Although hardly night has passed
during the past three months that one
or more homes has not been entered,
robbed and reported to the Office of the
sheriff, no information was forthcom-
ing from the sheriff on the crime
wave" Reporters seeking to learn OF
the robberies were met with the fiat
statement that nothing is doing"
Newspapers were criticized by some
residents, including a member of the
County Board Of Supervisors and a
high county Official, for not publishing
news of the housebreakings as a warn
ing to householders. Several members
Of the Arlington County Civic FEEDER
alton held informal discussions, but nc
action as q body was taken. These
residents took the attitude that where
such a series of crimes were being
perpretated publication of the news
was to the public interest.