Evening star., 1938-04-23
EX-JUDGE LOSES
WALLET TO TRIO,
But W0UNDS0NE
labs AssaiIant in Thigh
With Jackknife, but
Is Sandbagged.
TAXI DRIVER BLUFFS
TWO MEN FROM CAB
Eight Hold-up Cases Reported
to Police Overnight as
Crime Wave Rises.

Crime Wave Rises.
A 65-year-old former Mississippi
Judge stabbed one Of his assailants in
the leg before being overpowered and
robbed by three colored bandits In one
of eight hold-up cases reported to
police last night and early today.
Two Of the holdups were frustrated,
one by quick-witted taxicab driver
who "bluffed" two would-be robbers
from his cab and another BY two
policemen who came to the rescue Of
l9-year-old youth and captured his
assailant. Loot taken from other
victims amounted to only slightly more
than 5000.
Inspector Bernard w. Thompson.
chief Of detectives, said he saw no
particular reason for the ususual out
break Of banditry. disagreeing with
some officers who believed disinteera.
ton Of the numbers" racket after
recent passage of a stringent new
lottery law may have caused some Of
the racket's small fry"-without
means to leave the city-to drift into
more violent crime.
Felt Alien Touch.
The most dramatic resistance IN
hold-up men last night was put up by
William A. Shipman, 65. of 1928 Geor.
gia avenue NV, trial examiner for
the National Bituminous Coal Com.
mission who came to Washington last
september from Mississippi, where he
mad served as Circuit Court Judge
and assistant State attorney general.
He was walking toward his home
last night after visiting the office of
Senator Bilbo Of Mississippi, when he
was seized around the neck by three
colored men who had slipped up be-
hind him on Seventh street, near
Mount Vernon place NV.
Il couldn't see the men for a mo-
ment.' the former jurist said. "but it
felt like an alien and hostile touch
ana my first impulse was to defend
myself as best could. As they tried
to force me to the ground, I got nv
Jackknife out Of my pocket and
stabbed one of the men in the left
thigh.
The knife blade was very short and
I'm afraid it did not go in very deep.
ly, but jabbed it into his leg as hard
as could.
Hit on Neck.
Then one Of the men tripped me
and as fell to the ground they must
have hit me on the neck with some
thing like sandbag When I came
to, my wallet with s10.50 some per-
sonal papers and my key ring which
I had carried for 80 years were miss
Ing" :,
Mr.. Shipman said apparently none
OF his assailants were armed. Despite
mighty sore" neck, he went to his
ONCE early today and sat at his desk
lmpatiently until he could obtain q
duplicate key to open it and get to
work.
The largest sum obtained in the
robberies was taken by young COL
ored man who held up Jacob Slavin
as he was closing his jewelry store AZ
1104 Fourteenth street last night,
and forced him at pistol point to hand
over approximately sl4o from the
safe.
When the bandit ordered Mr. Slavin
to gather up nearly $4,000 worth of
jewels from the store window, the
jeweler instead raped frantically on
the pane and called for help. The
hold-up man fled as passersby began
to gather in front Of the window.
Watch Is Recognized.
Mr.. Slavin said police recognized a
watch and pair of spectacles which
the bandit had pawned with him the
day before as those which had been
stolen Wednesday night from DR.. Nell
Bertram, Veterans Administration
physician. when she was beaten and
robbed near her home at 1924 Seven
teenth street NV.
Claud Weaver, 1445 Monroe street
NV, taxicab driver, told Of blufing
away two colored men who attempted
to hold him up at pistol point after
hiring his cab at Thomas Circle early
today. When they demanded he drive
into an alley. he said. he refused and
stepped on the accelerator instead.
Frightened. one Of the men jumped
out and ran away. Then Mr. Weaver
stopped his cab suddenly and the other
bandit fell out the door, firing one shot
at him as he sped away.
Police Foil Hold-up.
Policemen j. P. Zier and H. l..
Berger captured another young COL
ored man they found trying to rob
David L. Eastep, 10, of 939 M street
NV, in an alley of the 700 block of
M street NV. early today.
Other colored bandits robbed Jo-
seph H. johnson, jr., Is, Of l1l3
Morse street NE. Of $40; Weldon B.
Drake, SO U street NV, taxicab
driver, of 50, and Albert Smith. COL
ored, %. presser in dry cleaning
shop at 1885 Seventh street NV,
of $1l. Smith named the men who,
he said, hit him with a stick and
took the money from the cash register.
A white man stepped from an auto
mobile while his companion kept the
motor running and snatched a purse
from Miss Frieda Messenger, 3215
Thirty-fifth street NV, as she waited
for a bus this morning at Thirty
fourth and Macomb streets NV. She
said the purse, which she valued at
SIS, contained 81 in cash and q IS
fountain pen.
Cold Cash Taken.
Housebreakers stole $3.50 In jewelry
from the home Of Elmer j. Payne. 1866
Juniper street NV, and took S246
from a refrigerator In the basement
of his restaurant at l402 Fourteenth
street NV, where the money had been
hidden by James w. Saunders, mana
ger, they told police.
Meanwhile, three young white men