Evening star., 1940-04-15
Bandit Shot
By Police in
K Street Store
Minister, Defying
Armed Man, Calls
Scout Car Crew

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sons captive at revolver point in a
Sanitary grocery store at 311 K
street NV. was surprised and shot
today by police. He was rushed to
Casualty Hospital with bullet
wounds in left arm and abdomen.
According to the report of Police
Inspector Bernard Thompson, the
man, identified by police as Ralph,
w. Green, 80, of the HOO block of
! Twenty-third street NV, was fired
on by Policeman T. R. Marquis Of
the first precinct. Witnesses said
the policeman emptied his revolver
OF five bullets.
The holdup was discovered by
customer, the Rev. Jesse Mccoy
Hanson, who said that as he stepped
into the store he heard a voice
IN the darkened rear of the estab-
ishment saying:
Put your hands up"
Mr.. Hanson said he saw a "big
blue steel gun" in the hands OF
the man, dressed in overalls. who
had lined up clerks a customer and
two laundrymen
The stores manager, Charles God.
win. said the bandit, a stocky. be-
specialized man, entered the store
at $3.50 am. and stayed Is min
utes. He first forced the manager
and two clerks, Joseph Jenkins and
John Mullen, together with wom-
an customer and two laundrymen,
into a storage room at the rear.
He told the manager to open the
cash register and safe in the front
room, and then he stuffed all cash,
estimated at S3l5. into his pockets.
During this time the five others
stood unguarded in the storage
space, but could not escape because
a rear exit was locked.
AS time dragged on the six be-
came more and more nervous from
fear that the bandit would shoot,
Mr.. Goodwin said. because he ap-
| peared to be drunk After the
shooting. however, the clerks calmly
resumed work, pointing out to Curl
GUS customers bullet holes in their
meat counter.
Left Store to Summon Aid.
Mr.. Hanson backed slowly out OF
the store, he said, in spite of the
armed mans instructions to Join
the others. He stood outside for
about five minutes" until a police
scout car passed, when he shouted
for aid. He said policeman leaped
out. dashed into the store, and fired
as soon as the man aimed his gun.
! According to the story Of Inspec-
tor Thompson. Policeman Marquis
first asked as he ran into the store:
rs there any trouble in here?"
Inspector Thompson said the man
wheeled slowly, exhibiting a As
caliber revolver, and said:
"Stick 'em up"
The shooting followed. Mr.. Han
son said the wounded man was able
to walk from the store with the as
sistance of Policeman Marquis. and
his companion. Policeman R. E.
Maust, who came as soon as the
scout car was parked. Mr.. Hanson
said the mans head slumped as he
left the scene, apparently from loss
of blood.
The mans pockets we're "crammed
with money" according to Mr..
Hanson.
Mr.. Hanson is assistant pastor Of
Unity Spiritual Church. and also
is employed by the District Recre-
alton Department as an aircraft
specialist for colored recreation GEN.
tiers. He has been a pilot for many
years. He lives at 1913 Fourth
street NV.
Ralph Waldo Greene alias Ralph
Waldo Green. alias Ralph Walter
Greene. started his criminal career
at the age of IA, according to police
records. At that time he was ac-
cused of housebreaking Since that
time he has been arrested on charges
OF housebreaking, threats, assault
with a dangerous weapon, robbery,
holdup and robbery, transporting
whisky and violation of the smoke
screen regulation.
Wounded Once Before.
In February of 1882 Greene was
in chase by members of the police
liquor squad after he attempted to
smoke them off his trail. At that
time he was charged with transport
ing and possession of whisky and
using smoke screen. He received
a sentence of one year and one day.
His latest arrest was in March. 1887,
when ne was convicted on robbery
charge and sentenced to one to two
years in Lorton Reformatory.
Walter H. Slant, 5o-year-old War
Department clerk, of 53O7 Twenty
ninth street NV, reported to police
that he was abducted by four men
who entered his car as he stopped
for q traffic light late Saturday
night at Twentieth and o streets
NV, driven to Baltimore and
robbed of $40 wrist watch. a $50
ring and $1.50 in cash. The bandits,
all young men. according to Mr..
Slant, fled from the automobile after
q AAAAAAOA SOA1o1Oll WILL dllUbllSI CdI
in Baltimore.
A Takoma Park (MdD writer, Mrs.
Edith M. Stern, told police she was
beaten by burglar who entered her
bedroom early yesterday and fled
with $26. The intruder struck her
with his fist when she rang a bell
summoning servants. Her husband,
William A. Stern II, Department of
Justice attorney, was not at home
at the time. she said.
Two colored men snatched a purse
containing $24 from Mary E. Rogers,
20, of 1017 Tenth street NV, at
Eleventh and L streets NV. last
night, she reported.
Ernest Berkley, 62-year- old inmate
OF Soldiers Home Hospital, said four
young men attacked him last night
on the hospital grounds and robbed
him of $63.