The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-06-08
FOUR IN FATAL.
AMBUSH CITED.
IN C 0 N SP|RACY
Indictment Lists Them
As Crime PIotters

Four alleged gangsters, sur
Vivors Of a gun battle with police
last December 5 in which q fifth
member of the group was slain.
were indicted by the District
Grand Jury today, charged with
conspiring to commit a sequence
of crimes that would end with
Hthe theft of $4,000 from the
home of a reputed numbers
king"
The accused are Benjamin
"Honeyboy" Sewell, colored, and
three white men-James r. Steele,
John w. Tabler and Paul Nelson.
POLICE LIE IN WAIT
A police squad, led by Detective
Sergt. J. j. Shimon, told of plot
to rob Charles Nelson Of $4,000
which he was said to have had in
the safe of his home, 381l Suit
land Rd. N. E., was secreted in
rear of Nelson's home when the
alleged robbers approached.
AS the group failed to halt
when challenged by police, a
pistol battle followed in which
Carlton "Cotty" Williams was
fatally wounded.
The survivors fled but a subse-
quent investigation by police led
to their identity, Police claim to
have found that the Maryland tags
on one of their machines were
dead and that the machine had
been stolen from Isaac Cassel,
1859 U st. N. w.
BROTHER CALLED FINGER"
Concealed in the car was a
quantity of welding and cutting
equipment alleged to have been
stolen from the shop of Clifford
Ford, 1900 block v st. N. w.
Police then arrested Paul Nelson,
a brother of the intended theft
victim, and from him obtained a
statement, they say, in which he
admitted he had fingered" his
brothers. Virginia place some
months before and that he had re
ceived $500 as his share Of the
loot.
Shortly before the attempt to
enter the Suitland road house,
Paul Nelson is quoted by police as
saying he had informed the other
accused that his brother kept his
money there and he was to have
had an equal share of the amount
taken.
PREVIOUSLY INDICTED
The group have already been
indicted for substantive charges
OF HOUSEKEEPING and larceny in
connection with the theft of the
Welding equipment.
Assistant United States Attor-
ney John w. FINELY prepared the
conspiracy indictment which &C.
cuses them of the same offense but
includes joy-riding in connection
with the taking of the Cassel auto
and the attempt to break and en-
ter into the house of Charles
Nelson.
Robbery of a 55-year-old veteran
Is charged in an indictment re-
ported against John Sullivan, 81.
Peter Comes, the victim, patient
at Mt. Alto Hospital, told police
he met Sullivan in a restaurant in
the 100 block of Fourth st. N. w.
on the night of May l. Sullivan
boarded a bus with him. Comes
said. and they alighted together
at Sixth and Pennsylvania North
west.
At that point Sullivan Snatched
from Comes coat pocketbook the
envelope containing $65 and some
valuable papers, the latter COM
planned.
FL TRUE BILLS
Twenty-one true bills were
handed up by the Grand Jury in
its weekly report today. They in
clude the following others:
Richard r. Jones: HOUSEKEEPING.
James Terry, Cornelius Pitts James
Breeder; HOUSEKEEPING and larceny. !
Irwin Jones. Benjamin williams |
George P. Bradley, Robert Hall. Albert
Crutchfield; robbery.
oliver C. Carter william Waugh, |
Joseph R. Shields, Charles Tore; gam
Ing.
Gayle Johnston strome; false pre-
lenses.
Quncie Mozella Lindsey Ruth Harri-
DAY: assault with dangerous weapon,
clinton F. Lindsey; second-degree muir
der
The following cases were ignored:
Ellsworth johnson, Thomas Wilson;
assault with dangerous weapon.
William Ball, Julius Ferry; grand