Evening star., 1937-10-04
POLICEMAN T0FACE
TRIAL IN LARCENY
AT ST. EL|zABETH'S:
Indictment Charging or.
tense Against Matthews Re-
turned by Grand Jury.
POLICE COURT JUDGE
HAD DISMISSED CASE
Assault With Intent to Kill Laid
to J. NJ. Tabler-Two Ac.
cused Of HOUSEKEEPING.

An indictment charging larceny
ftom the United States was returned
today against Policeman Willie Jim
Matthews Of the first precinct, al
though Police Court Judge Hobart
Newman had dismissed the case
against him last week.
Judge Newman said he did not feel
justified in holding the officer for the
grand jury because there was no evi-
dence against him other than the
alleged statements of two men ac-
cused along with him in the case.
Nevertheless, police presented their
evidence to the grand jury. which
voted to indict all three.
Matthews, Thad Parker Strader and
John Erwin Robey were accused Of
stealing large quantities Of groceries
from st. Elizabeth's Hospital during
the past four months. The latter two
we're employed at the hospital. Strader
as cook and Rohey as an attendant.
Police Quote Pairs Charge.
Strader and Robey are quoted by
police as saying Matthews would drive
them to the hospital two or three
times week and that they would
take food supplies from the store
room. All three were arrested Sep
tember ~.
An alleged attempt to take for
ride" John Hitter, colored. one of the
defendants in large liquor-conspir.
acy case pending, resulted today in
an indictment charging assault with
intent to kill against John M. Tab
Ter, 30.
Hitter told police he drove into his
yard at 942 Rhode Island avenue
shortly after midnight August a and
was met by Tabler. who represented
himself to be Federal man" He
SAID Tabler drew gun but he wresteo
the weapon away. An unidentified
man then came up and seized Hitter.
who was forced to get into an auto
mobile with his two assailants, he
reported.
He said Tabler placed gun over
his heart and pulled the trigger. Just
as the gun fired Hitter knocked II
down, he said, and the bullet entered
his abdomen. Notwithstanding his
wound. Hitter knocked Tabler uncon-
scious and was shot in the wrist by
the other man. he said. Then he
grabbed the wheel of the car, wrenched
1t and sent the machine careeninp
headlong against parked automobile
Tabler was seized by bystanders and
turned over to police.
Accused of Larceny.
Two former employees of L. P. steu-
art, Inc, both colored. we're indicted
on charges of housebreaking and lar
ceny and assault with a dangerous
weapon in connection with series of
thefts from the FIRMS storeroom at
l4l Twelfth street northeast. Thev
are James Ferguson, 35, and Jacob
Feeling. 26.
According to police. the two men
would leave window Unmatched when
they left the Steuart plant at the
close of business and would return at
night entering through the window
and taking large quantities Of acces-
sories from the storeroom. These al
legedly were sold to Richard Simons
81. colored. who was charged with
receiving stolen property.
Ferguson and Feeling were named
in another indictment as responsible
for the shooting recently of Edward G
Brown, night watchman at the plant
when he is said to have surprised them
at the place.
Named in Burglary.
A third indictment named Fergu-
son and Frank w. Petchnik. 20.
former employe, in the burglary at
Steuart's year ago in which s31.2s
was stolen.
Today's report was the last by the
current grand jury. During the three
months of its service, it has heard
1913 cases, an exceptionally large num-
Der. Another grand jury will be
selected within the next two DAYS.
Others indicted we're:
James H. Patton. non-support of
minor children: Horace Edgar Potts
and Earl Winston Tucker. narcotic
law violations; William A. Reed. Earl
Sweeney, Leroy Burkley. Thomas r
johnson and Norman Dabney. house
breaking and larceny; James H. Mil
Ter and Elton W. Burnett. house.
breaking; Burkley, johnson ano
Charles Wooden, robbery; Charles
Winston. Abe Miller, Harold G
SimmS, Bessie v. Banks. Talmadge
Tindal and Samuel w. Keys. receiv.
ing stolen property; William G. Wal.
lace, John H. Smith. William Thomai
Lee, Paul =. Lea and Haywood Pope
robbery; Gene We'll and Garland w
Daniels, forgery and uttering; Harry
A. Thorpe. larceny, larceny after
trust and false pretenses: Lawrence
Hartley. larceny after trust; Anthony
j. Olszewski. Harry J. Ulrich. Free.
man F. Verdery and John Hulin. jr.
grand larceny; Elijah Boyd. Jessie P
Prather, Duncan A. McIver. Mary l.
Thompson, James H. Miller and Ell.
ton w. Burnett. assault with a dan
gerous weapon: jeremiah Ross ano
Robert Harris, gaming law violation,
Homer Morgan, rape: George Rich.
ardson. second degree murder. ana
George D. Carroll, false pretenses.
The following cases were ignored.
James o. Rabbit, Philip Spinclla.
grand larceny and joyridins: Helen
Frederick. grand larceny; Thomas
Onley and Arthur Leggett. assault
with a dangerous weapon; Orville
Ware rape, and Ella Miser. harborins
a fugitive,