Evening star., 1946-05-20
Two Arrested
|nknightS|ayiing
After PhoneTip
| Witnesses to HoIdup
Identify Men Seized
On PoIicemun's S Hunch

Vii O1ISSItlOU , uu1SH
The arrest of two armed cob
ored men on charges of mur-
dering John Hall Knight, 34-
year-old grocery clerk, was
credited today to the prompt ac-
ton of a Metropolitan Police De-
partment station clerk who acted
on a hunch.
The men, booked for murder and
listed as Alfred L. Hawkins, %, of
the first block of Quincy place
NV, and Laurence l. Prout, 20, OF
the 5000 block of Nash street NE,
were trapped, police said today,
through an anonymous phone call
received at the Fifth Precinct Sat-
urday night by the station clerk.
Policeman James D. BoWles, 81, of
226 Evans, Alexandria, Va.
Police said Hawkins and Prout
were positively identified by wit
nesses to the holdup of the Safe
way Store at 1901 First street NV.
April 13 in which Mr.. Knight, vet
eran and father of three, was shot
down by one of two bandits. The
murder gun was subject of wide
search along the Baltimore boule-
ward today. Hawkins and Prout,
who police say have confessed to
the crime, said they dismantled the
pistol and threw the parts out of
their car one by one.
Police Rush to Scene.
Policeman Bowles acter after the
informant reported that two fash
Iily-dressed colored men were loiter-
ing around an A. & P. grocery store
at Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue Sc. "and it looks like they
are going to do some business"
Bowles dispatched two scout cars
and policemen who were in the sta
ton house to the scene
| Detective F. A. Jordan and Police
men T. E. Dalziel and Wade G.
Baucom arrested Hawkins and
Prout. Scout car men v. E. Bost.
A. j. Gerber, E. v. Will and L. A.
| White also were on the spot.
Around the corner, police found
high-powered convertible coupe
with the ignition switch turned on.
Loaded Pistol Undiscovered.
| A .38 caliber pistol was taken
from Prout on the spot, but not
until the party reached the station
house, seven blocks away, did police
discover that Hawkins also had a
loaded pistol Hawkins, who police
said confessed he was the bandit
who shot Mr. Knight down without
provocation in the April 13 holdup,
apparently had a .38 caliber pistol
stuck behind his belt buckle.
In the scout car going to the pre-
cinct house. police said. Hawkins
managed to take the pistol out of his
belt and slide it behind the cushion
in the rear seat. Police recovered
the pistol.
Detective 1t. Robert v. Murray,
who headed a squad of five detec-
tives assigned to break the knight
case, hurried to the fifth precinct
station and conducted three lineups
lduring the night before a score of
victims of armed robberies, includ-
ing the witnesses to the Safeway
store murder. Hawkins and Prout
were identified in five holdups at
a m. and at 2:30 am, under con-
stant questioning before a parade
OF witnesses, police said, they broke
down and confessed to the Knight
murder and II other holdups which
: netted them more than $4,000 loot.
Until the four witnesses to the
SafeWay shooting and robbery
pointed them out as the killers. both
, Hawkins and Prout steadfastly pro-
tested their innocence
Had Expensive Clothes.
Both were expensively clad and
bejeWe!ed In their rooms, police
said they found extensive wardrobes
and quantities of marihuana, mar
cotics, needles and s1,O31 in cash
When first questioned both claimed
to have made heavy winnings bet
ting on horse races and Hawkins
said he was car washer. Both
men were carrying marihuana reef
ers"
Hawkins and Prout will appear al
an inquest into the Knight Staying
before Coroner A. Magruder Mac
) Donald at the District Morgue a!
1890 O'Clock this afternoon.
Rewards totaling $1,000 were
7 posted amidst a storm of public
clamor demanding apprehension OF
f the killers following the Staying OF
Mr.. Knight. The Retail Grocery
Clerks Union. of which the victim
was a member, offered $780, The
rewards remained unclaimed today
since police have been unable tc
! trace the anonymous caller who
supplied the sketchy tip which led
. to the arrests.
Police listed the following stores
among the robbery victims of Haw-
klns and Prout: LIE Droit Liouo,
Store. sol Florida avenue NV; Ma
than Blink, 1900 North Capitol street;
r liquor store, 801 v street NV:
Stanbys Liquor Store, II P street
NV; LeWison Drug Store, 1863;
2 North Capitol street; Robbins Liquor
< Store, 1869 Sherman avenue NV;
, Safeway Grocery (no address given)
: Atlantic & Pacific Grocery, 172e
Benning road NE; D. g. S. Liquor
Store, 1927 Eleventh street NV:
Morris Basin Liquor Store, 1856
P street NV, and Safeway Gro
Gerry, 1921 Kenilworth avenue NE