Evening star., 1938-01-13
BROTHERS SOUGHT
JAS DRUNK BANDITS
IN SEVEN KOLD-UPS
Detective Chief Predicts
Capture of Two Young
Criminals Today.
SERIES OF ROBBERIES
PERPETRATED SWIFTLY
Grocery Stores and Filling Sta.
tions Raided in Spectacular
35 Minutes.

35 Minutes.
Police today sought two 'teen-age
Maryland brothers as the drink
emboldened bandits who held up seven
grocery stores and filling stations
within IS minutes here last night,
shooting wildly at one of their VIC
tins.
Chief Of Detectives Bernard w.
Thompson said he believed the young
desperadoes, who eluded net hastily
thrown around the District last night
by officers of five police forces, would
be captured today.
Eight Washington detectives and six
Prince Georges County officers were
watching points in the county today
where they considered it likely the
youths might appear.
Inspector Thompson personally
offered a $25 reward for capture Of
the bandits in the hope this would
encourage private citizens to assist
police.
Special Orders Issued.
Extra policemen were called to duty
from their homes at the height of the
hunt last night. Special orders to be
alert and not take any chances-vir-
tually tantamount to shoot to kill"
orders-were issued to all officers
hunting the bandits. Police of nearby
Montgomery, Prince Georges and
Arlington Counties helped watch roads
and bridges leading out of the District.
Assisted by the nearby county Off
GERS. Washington detectives covered
scores Of roadhouses and beer estab-
lishments in the Capital area in a
futile effort to trap the drunken youths
OF they should seek more liquor or
food.
The hunt was directed toward the
Maryland brothers, one II and the
other l9 years DID, after one of the
hold-up victims told police he believed
he recognized them. Later, the de-
scriptions given by others were
checked. The two were said to have
been driving 1885 Ford automobile
with Maryland license tags.
The hold-up foray started at TAO
pm. when the bandits appeared at a
filling station at Twenty fourth street
and Benning road NE. It ended at
BIS pm. when the pair shot at Abra-
ham Butts. proprietor Of a grocery
store at 83l Sixth street S.W, and ran
away without taking anything.
Police were amazed at the bandits
daring in holding up two stores in
the same block of D street Sc, one
right after the other. Since at least
one Of the desperadoes was described
by his victims as staggering drunkenly,
police believed they were made reck-
lessly bold by drink.
The youths apparently alternated
in staging the actual hold-ups. One
would stay in their car or stand just
outside the place robbed while the
other was inside.
One Wore Skull Cap.
The younger bandit, pimply-faced,
wore a green skull cap over his curly
blond hair and brown lumberjack.
The other wore light gray suit.
Police believed it might have been
the same youths who held up the
Cashell Service Station in Rockville.
Nd, about l am. today. Their de-
scriptions were about the same, except
that the Rockville bandits were wear
ing different clothes.
James Clark, night manager Of the
Cashell station. was robbed of IS by
the two youths, who held him up at
pistol point and chased him out the
rear OF the station after cutting the
telephone wires.
For all their reckless daring. the
desperadoes got less than $l25 in the
seven District hold-ups.
Dave Frye, manager Of the first
filling station robbed during the foray,
said the youths took 81 from him.
Five minutes later, they held I'D
Millard S. Bickerd, manager Of a
gasoline station at Twenty-sixth street
and Benning road NE, and robbed
him of s25. He recognized them as
the same bandits who had robbed him
only two nights before
How did your boss like the hold-up
the other night?" one asked him.
Bickerd said the bandit was so
drunk he could hardly walk.
The next three robberies came in
such swift succession that all were
listed by police at pm. Grover Dare,
20, clerk in a grocery store at 36 D
street Sc, said one Of the bandits
pointed pistol at him and took SIS
from the cash register, while the other
stood just outside the door.
$45 at One Place.
Stepping across the street, the youths
held up Morris Bassin in a store at
SO D street Sc. and took $25 in cash.
The younger bandit took $45 from an.
other store at 3l9 First street S.W.,
covering Louis Hillman, proprietor.
with his pistol.
The bandits failed to get any loot In
their last two hold-ups. At $40 p.m.,
Mrs. Fannie Litman saw one of them
enter her store at 337 Third street
S.W. with q pistol in his hand. She
was sitting in a back room with her
husband Benjamin and son Robert,
She screamed. Her husband and son
snapped out the lights and hastily
closed and locked the door connecting
with the store. The bandits ran out
cursing.
Mr.. Butts said one Of the bandits.
pistol in hand, was in his store when
he came out Of back room. 81 moved
Just as he yelled Don't move and he
shot at me-" Mr.. Butts said. Tho
groceryman ran out the rear and the
bandit fired wildly twice more as he
escaped.