Evening star., 1942-12-18
Life Of Druggist
Menaced by Youth
He Saved From Jail
Mr.. and Mrs. David
Hermon Spared After
50-Minute Talk

5O-Minute Talk
A 42-year-old drug store proprie-
tor, today told police a story of hav-
ing pleaded so minutes last night
with a l9-year-old colored youth
whom he had once befriended to
spare the lives of his wife and him
self.
The couple was Mr.. and Mrs.
David Hermon of the Gallaudet
Pharmacy, 1000 Florida avenue NE.
Last summer, a youth who had been
employed by Mr. Hermon for year,
was convicted of stealing Mr.. Her.
mons car and golf sticks. At that
time Mr. Hermon pleaded success
fully that the youth be placed on
probation.
Last nights incidents started
shortly before midnight According
to the story MI. Hermon told police
today. he had placed money in the
safe, closed the store and was about
to leave by the rear entrance to
the living quarters above. when the
former employe entered, brushed
Hermon's wife Susan, 36, aside, and
held them up. He held, Mr.. Her
mon said, "cannon-like gun," an
old-style .38-caliber revolver.
Druggist Gives Up $245.
Mr.. Hermon said the holdup man
then demanded that Mr.. Hermon
open up the safe and also give him
the money in his pockets, adding
that he did not want any checks.
After the proprietor had handed
him $245, the youth ordered the
couple to put on their coats I'm
going to take you for q ride"
That is when Mr.. Hermon said
he started pleading. He reminded
the youth that when he had been
given from to 18 months by the
court last summer he had interceded
and suggested probation. Unmoved,
the holdup man replied, according
to Mr.. Hermon:
Don't make false move or I'll
kill you now"
Mr.. Hermon said he and his wife
then walked to their car, where the
youth demanded his keys, opened
the door and forced them into the
back seat. He jumped into the
front seat, adjusted the mirror so
that he could watch Mr. and Mrs.
Hermon. warning again, the pro-
prietor said:
"One false move and I'll kill you"
Mr.. Hermon said he had no doubt
that the youth intended to kill them.
He said they were driven down West
Virginia avenue and then, after they
had turned around on a dead-end
street, the car Side-slipped on the
ice. going into some clay. While the
youth spun the wheels to get the
car moving Mr. Hermon said he
talked constantly, pleading for his
life and his wife's.
Mr. Hermon said he promised the
youth that if he would drive them
back and leave the car he could keep
the money and the police would not
De notified
Well, 1 don't know You can't
trust your brother now days. but
I'm going to trust you" Mr.. Hermon
quoted his former employe as say
ing.
Their Hermons said they were then
driven back to their store, where
the youth suggested they sign
note stating the S245 was loan"
The text of the note, which was
dated June Is. 1912, read:
"On this date I loaned Matthew
Means S245 for a period of one year
with interest at 6 per cent per year"
The note was signed by Mr.. Her
mon and by his wife and Means as
witnesses.
After final warning to stay away
from the police, Mr.. Hermon quoted
Means as saying:
I'm going home and if I find the
police planted at my house I'm COM
ing back to kill you"
Then, Mr.. Hermon said. Means
left by the back door. Mr.. Her
mon called police and Detective
Sergt. Thomas Nally and Head
quarters Chauffeur Timothy Hickey
sped to the home of Means, said by
police to be in the first block of
Hanover street NV. After a wait.
Means finally walked into the arms
of police.
Detective Sergt Nally said Means
had no money on him, but carried
a gun. which was loaded. After
questioning, police said Means re-
vealed the location of the money,
S2l5.50 of which was recovered in a
pile Of sand in the basement of a
Northwest apartment house.
Police said that during questioning
q lieutentant asked him if he in
tended to kill those people" They
quoted Means as replying:
The gun was loaded, wasn't it?"
Police records show that Means
was arrested in May of this year
on charge of housebreaking, grand
larceny and unauthorized use of
car. Indicted by the grand jury,
he was sentenced on June 5 to 6 to
18 months but placed on probation.
At that time, Mr.. Hermon said,
Means mother had come to him,
asking for leniency. The mother
told him, Mr.. Hermon said, that
her son was not really bad and
that he had been punished enough
by staying in Jail six weeks await
ing trial
Means was booked for investiga-
ton and is being held at a precinct.