Evening star., 1942-01-17
Grocer Pulls Own Gun
And Holds 0neof Two
Bandits for Police
Other FIees but Is Caught
Later Along With Son
Suspected in Other Thefts

A grocery store proprietor, invol-
UNFAIRLY assisted by an unsuspecting
customer, last night turned the
tables on two colored holdup men
who had attempted to disguise their
faces with black shoe polish.
In capturing one Of the men, who
gave information leading to the
capture of the second in that hold
up and capture of a third involved
in another holdup, the grocery store
proprietor, Ben Solomon, A, helped
Assistant Chief of Detectives Rob-
ert Barrett pile up a record for
breaking cases in the past week.
The two holdup men entered Mr..
Solomon's store at 1912 First street
NE. shortly after II pm, accord
ing to police. One Of the men, who
police said was the son-in-law of
the other bandit. pulled a .22-caliber
revolver while the other took the
money Mr.. Solomon handed him
from the cash register.
Bandit Gives Up Gun.
Mr.. Solomon did not hand over
all the money in the register. He
said he gave the bandit about $40
At that point, a customer came In
and wandered over to the soft
drinks. The gunman, meanwhile
put his gun away and asked for 8
package Of cigarettes, according te
the grocer. AS the bandit turned tc
keep his eye on the customer, Mr.
Solomon drew his own 32-calibel
revolver from its hiding place besid,
the cash register and ordered tn,
holdup men to stick 'em up"
The man with the gun obeyed anc
put his weapon on the counter Will.
the other fled from the store with
the money, police reported Ha
Solomon, 19-year-old son Of thu
proprietor, entered from the back
of the store, grabbed the bandits
gun and made of after the fleeing
man.
The captured bandit asked for a
cigarette, but Mr.. Solomon, not to be
fooled into a tussle with the gun
man, laid one on the counter and
waited for the police to arrive.
A motor cycle man, first on the
scene, arrested Mr.. Solomon's cap
tive while Capt. Barrett. who had
been cruising in the Northeast Sec
ton with 1t. C. N. Strange, chief OF
the robbery squad, pulled up outside.
Two Others Captured.
The -in-law, who had partici-
pated in the robbery, was arrested
In the 1900 block of Sixth street NV.
and his son, a 14-year-old boy, was
also taken into custody in connec-
ton with the holdup of Louis Dorf-
man at 1905 Massachusetts, avenue
NE, last Wednesday night, accord
ing to police.
The three were being held for in
vestigation and will face a number
of recent holdup victims at lineup
tomorrow. From various descrip-
tions. Capt. Barrett said he believed
the three were implicated in several
other cases.
Capture of the bandits last night
marked the third case broken by
Capt. Barrett in a week. On jan
uary 9, he broke a $500 alleged
hoax" holdup which occurred last
August. On January IL, he was in
strumental in the capture of the
men implicated in a Baltimore mur-
der and a series of Baltimore and
Washington holdups.
Unassisted by police, Anita Harri-
son. colored, of 518 Fifty-fifth street
NE. yesterday foiled the efforts
of a colored man to rob the drug
store at which she is employed as a
clerk at 5131 Grant street NE. The
man made purchase and, while
her back was turned, the man went
behind the counter and picked up
two jars of change. AS the thief at
tempted to leave, she tackled him
and recovered the noney