Evening star., 1946-05-09
Paratrooper, 18, Held
In Series Of Robberies
Al Ice Cream Stores

oolutlOu OF l4 nOlQupS OF Ice cream
stores and cleaning establishments
here within the past four months
was announced today by police with
arrest of an 18-year-old coloree
paratrooper last night after h,
aroused police suspicion by loiter.
ing in front of No. police precinct
station house.
At the same time, police announced
for the first time that two colorec
women clerks were criminally as.
saulted in two of the holdups. The
soldier, identified as Pvt. John T
Crawford. on leave from Fort Lewis
Wash, admitted the robberies, police
said, but denied assaulting the
clerks.
The soldier, who formerly lived
at 522 Fifth street Sc, was inducted
March 8, 1916, police said. He was
granted 24-day furlough from Fort
Lewis early last month. Police found
a telegram in Crawford's pocket
from his commanding officer grant
ing him an additional five days
leave.
Crawford was ordered held for
the grand jury without bond by
Municipal Court Judge Walter j
Casey today on the only specific
charge against him-the attack on
a colored woman clerk April 20
during a robbery at 1929 Ninth
street NV Police explained they
booked him on the assault charge
rather than one of the robbery
charges because the former carries
higher bond.
Meanwhile. police planned to pre-
sent directly to the grand jury 13
other robbery charges against Craw-
ford, including one of robbery and
criminal assault.
Two Boys Also Held.
Also taken into custody were two
colored boys, IA and Is years old,
who allegedly acted as Crawford S
accomplices in two of the robberies.
The boys, who will be turned over
to juvenile authorities, were i'm
plicated by Crawford.
Crawford was arrested at 7 o'clock
last night by Pvts. r. c. Diggs and
Vincent H. jenkins of No. as they
left the station house at Fifth and
E streets Sc.
The officers said they saw the
soldier in Marion Park, across the
street, and decided to Salk to him
because he answered the description
of the widely sought bandit who
made speciality of robbing Highs
Ice Cream stores and cleaning shops
Admits Many Robberies.
Crawford admitted robbing the
following places:
johnson Parks. Inc, clothiers, 745
Eighth street Sc, on May 4; Kents'
Cleaners, 725 B street Sc, on Janu-
ary 20, and the same store on April
20; Highs Ice Cream Store, 101
Fourth street Sc; Anacostia Tailor
ing & Cleaning Branch, 1000 Penn
sylvania avenue Sc; a cleaners
shop in the 1900 block of Ninth
street NV; Highs Ice Cream Store,
1000 Fourth street NE; the same
store on April 16, 1916, when he
attempted to rob the clerk; at
tempted holdup of a Howard Clean
ers at 903 Sixth street NV, on
February Is; Howard Cleaners at
1920 H street NE, on February IA;
Howard Cleaners, 2203 Fourteenth
street NV, on February II. and the
same store on January 10; Highs Ice
Cream Store, 1000 Fourth street NE,
February 25, where he got 81 and
allegedly assaulted a clerk, and a
cleaning establishment at 1929 Ninth
street NV, on April 20, where he
got $25, radio and allegedly as
Saulted the clerk.
Last night, Philip Franks, pro-
prietor of a jewelry store at 8l2 F
street NV, was robbed for the
third time in a month, police said.
Mr.. Franks, who lost merchandise
valued at s567 in last nights bur-
glary, said the same plate glass dis
play window was broken in all three
thefts. His total loss in all three to
date, he reported, is $3.50.
Robbery Near White House.
Franklin Lehr, IL, a physical edu-
cation instructor at Western High
School, was struck from behind last
night and robbed of about SO as he
was walking down Pennsylvania
avenue NV, opposite the White
House. Mr.. Lehr was treated for
minor cuts at Emergency Hospital
and released.
Fast work by two 18th precinct
policemen last night resulted in
capture. of three white men less
than an hour after a trio of their
description robbed Alfonso Dinkins,
colored, 46, at gunpoint and took
his taxicab.
Pvts. o. M. Nelson and w. B.
Nolan said they made the arrest
when they spotted three men on
the New York Avenue Bridge, who
answered the description of the men
who held up Mr.. Dinkins. The
officers said a wrist watch, identified
as the property of the cab driver,
and a .45-caliber pistol like the one
used in the robbery, were found in
possession of the prisoners.
Mr.. Dinkins, who lives at 1925
Vernon street NV, told police he
picked up the men at North Capitol
street and Massachusetts, avenue
and was directed to take them to a
northeast address At Twelfth street
and Rhode Island avenue NE, the
hacker said, one of the men showed
a pistol into his side and directed
him to drive to lumber yard at
Seventeenth and Bryant streets NE.
There they took his watch, $11 in
cash and his trousers, then drove
away in his cab, Mr.. Dinkins said.
Pvts. Nolan and Nelson arrested
the men before II o'clock. They ad-
mitted the robbery, police said, be-
cause they needed money to con-
tinue on their way to Georgetown,
S. C. Police have not lodged formal
charges against the men pending
further investigation.