Evening star., 1940-03-01

VICTIMS are NoWeo;
Records Show Big
Increase in Bonditry
Fourteen suspected criminals were
Jailed today after another all-night
roundup by pickup squad detec-
tives in the police drive to curb the
robbery wave in the District.
Attention of the robbery squad,
meanwhile, was focused on two
armed robberies last night in which
bandits got more than $170 after
threatening to kill the victims.
The holdups occurred while %
suspects were being paraded before
recent robbery victims in police
headquarters lineup. Two of the sus-
poets were picked out as "resem-
bling the colored gunner who
murdered Herman Sirkis, Northeast
liquor store proprietor. in rob-
berry Monday night. % H.
Confess to Auto Theft. :.
1t. Joseph shmon, head of the
pickup squad, said two Of the men
arrested in the overnight roundup
confessed to an auto theft. An
other suspect, the detective said,
was armed with a 44-calber re-
volver at the time he was taken
into custody.
Capt. Ira E. Keck. acting chief
of detectives, said today that his
men would continue to work 20
hours a day and pickup all sus-
picious characters on the street"
Two white men armed with re-
volvers held up Mr.. and Mrs. Nor
ris Bonnet in their grocery store
at 1901 Warder street NV. and
escaped with more than $3.50.
Mr.. Bonnet said the bandits
threatened several times to kill him
and his wife. After searching the
victims for money and taking the
contents of the cash register, the
robbers forced Mr.. and Mrs. Bon
nett into rear room of the store.
Before they left" Mr.. Bennett
said today. "one waved his pistol and
said, I have a good mind to kill
you anyway"
A few hours earlier, a white man
and two colored accomplices drove
their automobile alongside Jasper
Thompson, eolored, of 1902 Lewis
street NE, who was walking near
Fairview and New York avenues
NE. Inviting him to the car, one
Of the men threatened him with a
sawed-oh shotgun and forced him
to get in.
The victim told police the men
drove him to Sixth and Oates street
NE, robbing him Of $50 en- route,
and showed him from the car.
At police headquarters it was
learned today that up to yesterday
SO robberies had been committed in
the District during the month Of
February, an increase of IL over the
total for the corresponding period
last year.
A marked increase also was shown
in the number of housebreakings.
For the same period, 2l0 cases were
reported, as compared with 126 for
1889. A decrease in the number of
grand and petty larcenies was noted,
while automobile thefts totaled the
same for both years, 1853.
IS Victims Attend Lineup.
Thirty-11ve recent robbery victims
attended the lineup at headquar.
ters last night, turnout described
by Capt. Keck as zone of the best
we've had in some time"
The acting detective chief said all
but four of the suspects. were re-
leased following the lineup. Two
men, held for further questioning
in the Sirkis Staying, were pointed
out by Calvin Pendleton, colored
witness Of the murder, Is looking
something like" the gunner.
Another suspect was positively
identified by Al Edelin, Of 1405 Sixth
street NV. as one Of three bandits
who robbed him of his wallet con-
tanning several dollars on February
10. A fourth was held after he was
partially identified by several hold
up victims.
Girl Reports Assault.
A 20-year-old colored girl told
police last night that she was GRIM
inally assaulted and robbed by q
colored man who grabbed her near
Sixth and O streets NV. and
dragged her into Freedmen's court.
The man escaped with approximate
ly 81 In change, police were told.
More than 800 in cash and 8la
quarts Of assorted liquors were
stolen from . drug store In the 14O0
block Of Pennsylvania avenue NV.
BY thieves who broke In through .
skylight, Mrs. Doyle r.. Rakusin,
proprietor Of the store. reported to
police today.