Evening star., 1942-12-23
Police and Fire
Heroes Named
For Awards
Two Gold, Two Silver
Medals, Bronze Bor
Listed; 20 Commended

For risking their lives in perform
ance of duty, Pvt Thomas S. Fletcher
of the Police Traffic Bureau and Pvt.
Ernest j. Meuller of Fire Depart
ment Truck Co. No. today won
the Districts Gold Medal awards
during the past fiscal year.
Acting on recommendations from
their awards committee, the Com
missioners ordered silver medals
conferred on Pvt. Thomas E. Howie,
ninth police precinct, and Pvt. Will
liam r. Cryer, No. % Engine Co.
Pvt. Ellis c. Helms, second pre-
cinct, is the winner of bronze bar.
Sergt. John c. Pipkin, seventh pre-
cinct, won honorable mention and
20 firemen, by the unanimous vote
of the committee, were commended
for outstanding work.
Members of Committee.
Annual awards are made by the
Commissioners under authority of
an act of Congress approved March
4, 1929 Members of the committee
are Robert " Fleming, chairman;
DR.. Luther H. Reichelderfer, former
Commissioner; Edward r. Gookin,
Maj. Edward j. Kelly, superintend-
ent of police, and Fire Chief Stephen
T. Porter.
The official citations tell dramatic
stories of the disregard of personal
safety. coolness, quick action and ef-
fectlve teamwork in dangerous in
cidentS.
While off duty and in civilian
clothes, Pvt Fletcher was walking in
the vicinity of Second and F. streets
NE, shortly before pm. October
4, when Farley Harrison. colored,
shot and fatally wounded his wife
and killed Ella Corley, described as
a friend.
Though unarmed, Pvt. Fletcher
ordered Harrison to throw down his
two pistols. Harrison resisted arrest
and fired at the policeman, who ran
to his home nearby and returned
with his service revolver Pvt
Fletcher then fired two shots into
Harrisons S body.
Meanwhile a radio call brought
to the scene scout car manned
by Pvt HoWie and Pvt. o. E. Reh-
bein. Pvt HoWie, under fire, also
sent slugs into the mans body
Courage and Goodness Praised.
The committee, in recommending
gold medal for Pvt Fletcher and
silver medal for Pvt. Howie, de-
clared the situation was one of
extreme danger, which demanded
courage, GOODNESS and quick action"
and it found the men had meas
ured up to these requirements in
manner that calls for commen-
dation and admiration
Pvt. Mueller received a gold medal
for his part in rescuing three persons
from the third floor of a blazing
building at ass M street NV. about
$50 am. last February under par
ticularly difficult conditions. An
official commentator was given Pvt
Thomas P. Newman. fireman. Due
to space limitations. there was dan
ger of 35foot ladder tipping during
rescue work
Pvt Cryer won the silver medal
for fireman for rescue work at
fire at 1924 Wisconsin avenue NV.
last April 9. The battalion chief
had cut a hole in the floor to direct
water into the basement when he
heard faint cry for help. 1t then
developed that Pvt. Cryer had en-
tered the basement by narrow
stairway and through a narrow
opening through dense smoke and
flame, to bring Preston Earle. 81, to
safety.
Bronze Bar Awarded.
Pvt. Helms was given the bronze
bar for locating and capturing two
of three brothers, who had wounded
Pvt. Frank H. Hoffman of the ninth
precinct in an affray in the 300
block of G street NE. last March
%. One of the men was shot by
Policeman Helms while he and
Pvt. w. E. Christensen were getting
them under control.
The 20 firemen listed for oral
commendation, including Pvt. New
man, were Sergts. S. E. Bishop, A. E.
Bigos. G. E. Tacey. V. M. Thompson.
and Pvts. j. D. Foley. A. M. Stacey,
K. E. Doolan, F. K. Matthias. Hamil-
ion PoulSon, L. N. Balcom, F.. r.
Hager, L. G. Porter, w. j. Schmitz,
w. r. Packet. H. w. SWanner. M.
E. Wallace, P E. Sanders, R. l..
Davis and M, F. Tolson.