Evening star., 1940-02-26
'HoughieIing, II Full
Dressk Robbed in
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Immigration Chief Honds
Over Money and Wotch;
Chose is Futile

IAN inIlstent bandit, with little
understanding Of the intricacies OF
fun dres4 held up James L. Housh-
telling. Cd dilissioner Of immigration
and naturalization. and Mrs. Hougt-
telling. a edhlsin Of President Roose-
welt. in fropt Of their home, at 2424
!wyomtns avenue NV, late last
night. Apparently the same holdup
man retptked to the neighborhood
,,a few hSurs later and robbed an
other man.
Mr.. Houghteling, relating the in
icident TO-DAY, said the man ap-
preached him and Mrs. Houghteling
after they had parked their car on
their return from a formal party.
Drawing a pistol from the folds
Of his overcoat, the man command
ed Mr.. Houghteling to hand over
his wallet, the commissioner re-
ported
Bandit Given s..
IT told him a wallet is not carried
by one wearing full DRESS" Mr..
Houghteling said, "but he insisted
I must have some money on me-"
The bandit was correct in that
assumption, and Mr.. Houghteling
related he handed the man 81 and
Mrs. Houghteling advanced with
81 bill, which the bandit Immediate
ly pocketed.
Still he wasn't satisfied" the
Labor Department official recalled.
He kept insisting I must have a
wallet and was just as insistent
that didn't. I finally gave him
my watch and he ran up the
street."
Mr.. Houghteling said he chased
the man short distance and re-
turned to his wife and summoned
police. Later officers fired three
shots at a man who fed when they
sought to question him near Con-
necticut and Florida avenues NV.
Another Robbery Nearby.
About two hours later, a man an
swering the same general descrip-
ton of the bandit who held up the
Houghtelings stopped Luellen E.
Thompson, "a. of 1910 Sixteenth
street NV, while he was walking in
the 2200 block of California street
NV, and robbed him of $40. Mr..
Thompson said the bandit pulled a
pistol from his overcoat and fled
after taking the money. The scene
OF this robbery is within a few
blocks of the Houghteling home.
Mrs. Houghteling is the former
Laura Delano. Mr.. Houghteling has
been commissioner of immigration
and naturalization since 1887. He
had been identified with the banking
business and at one time was a
newspaper executive.
Safe Stolen From Home.
A 200-pound safe, containing more
than $3.50 and jewelry valued at ap-
proximately $3.50. was stolen last
night from the second floor of the
home of William L. O'Conner, at
1910 East Capitol street, police were
informed today.
Mr.. O'Conner, District food in
spector, said the safe was taken be-
tween 7 o'clock and midnight last
night. Both doors Of the house were
left open by the burglars. he said,
indicating that duplicate key was
used on one of the entrances and
the other opened from the inside.
Mr.. OCOnner said the safe also con-
tanned number of old coins he had
collected.
Pocketbook Snatched.
Beatrice Flick of the Dupont Circle
Hotel said her pocketbook, contain
ing between SIS and $25, was
snatched by one of two white men
who approached her as she was
standing at bus stop at Kalorama
road and Connecticut avenue NV.
last night. The men were chased
for several block by Carl Williams.
1349 Columbia road NV, but they
outdistanced him.
John w. Phillip, taxicab driver,
was attacked and robbed by two
colored men early yesterday after
he had driven them from Union
Station to the first block of r street
NV. Mr.. Phillip, who lives at 1922
Massachusetts, avenue N. w., told
police one of the men hit him on the
head with blunt instrument when
they reached the destination and
the two pulled him to the rear seat.
One man then jumped In the drivers
seat and drove the cab to Fifth and
Gresham streets NV, where they
robbed him of $3.50 and fed, he said.