The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-24
HERE'S MORE A 30 T
THUG SHOOTS GIRL
STARTS ON PAGE ONE

an. police said, screamed, but COM
piled with the bandits request,
The bandit Is said to have picked
up the young woman's purse,
opened it and then threw it down
on the dock. He then attempted
to force his attentions upon the
terror-stricken waitress.
Police reported the girl beat off
her would-be attacker. When the
lights of an approaching car
flashed on the scene of the attack,
the gunman left the girl standing
in the nude, threw the gun on the
dock, ran to its edge and plunged
into the water
An unidentified person called
police at Ill a. m. to report hear
ing shots and woman screaming
on Old Tacoma dock.
Call Fire Boat
Prowler Car Officers Talbot
Overdahl Mowre and st. Pierre,
as well as Detectives Sgt. Gregg
and Hubbard, were sent to the
scene. The fire boat was also
summoned in an attempt to locate
the gunman in the water.
Detectives said when they ar
rived at the dock, they found the
woman to be suffering from shock
and the painful gun wound in hei
back. On the flesh was founo
powder burns. Miss Sperry was
rushed to Tacoma General hos
pital
Mattingly. 1t was learned later,
was temporarily blinded by the
splintered glass, but managed to
get out of the machine and at
tempted to grapple with the gun
man lust before he leaped into the
bay,
Police took Mattingly to Tacoma
General hospital, where he was
given medical attention and re-
leased.
Revolver Found
Detectives found the IS caliber
revolver on the dock and took 1t TO
headquarters for fingerprinting.
Detectives began a search of the
vicinity immediate to the dock IN
an endeavor to find the suspected
gunman Atkins and two other
youths We're taken into custody,
but the latter two were released
when officers said they were con-
WINGED they were not connected
with the case.
Detective Hubbard said they
found Atkins in bed at his home,
400 feet from the scene of attack,
at 1928 a. m.
Clothing Wet
The detective said they found
his clothing, soaking wet. lying
on the floor. The bed clothing
Hubbard related. was also wet.
In a corner. the officers found a
grey sweater, soaking wet, which
had red and black diamond de-
sign on it.
Officers said Atkins denied he
was the gunman, but admitted he
had fallen in the bay"
Police said Atkins told them he
fell in the bay" at around -four
or five O'Clock" Saturday after
noon.
Police said they rounded up ap-
proximately Is persons who had
seen Atkins In an Old Tacoma tav-
ern shortly before midnight and
that he was wearing the clothing
police found in his bedroom. and
all asserted the clothing was dry
at the time they saw him.
Identifies Sweater
Detectives took the grey sweater
to the hospital. where Miss Sperry
identified il as similar to the one
worn by the gunman.
Mattingly told officers when the
gunmsn first appeared. he COM
manded him 10 throw his wallet on
the dock. which he did Then the
shooting started. Police found
Mattingly's wallet on the dock.
Police said records show that
Atkins was sentenced TO the state
reformatory at Monroe in 1884 to
serve from one 10 three years for
grand larceny Detectives said At
kins had been having trouble with
his father and a brother and that
he assertedly threatened TO shoot
them the Saturday before the hold
up.