Evening star., 1946-02-08
Suspect in 70 Thefts
From Apartments Held
Under $4,000 Bond

James E. Bishop, %, no fixed ad-
dress, who police say has admitted
robbing a number of apartments of
more than $4,000 in personal belong
ings, was held under $4,000 bond
today following preliminary hear
ing before Municipal Court Judge
Ellen K. Raedy on a charge of house
breaking.
Formal arraignment was con-
tinued week because Bishops
counsel was handling another case.
Bishop asked the court to allow him
to have hospital treatment because
of persistent headaches and blood
clots in the eyes. The request was
granted.
Suspected in more than 20 apart
ment thefts here within the last two
weeks, Bishop allegedly used a cellu-
luloid ruler to ease back door locks.
He was arrested Wednesday when
police surprised him in a taxicab
with an 18-year -old girl. The ve-
hicle, parked outside a downtown
hotel, contained Bishops luggage,
police said, and the taxi driver had
gone inside to pay the mans hotel
bill. Police closed in when Bishop
entered the cab as it drew away
from the hotel
Swallowed Piece Of Paper.
Arresting officers were puzzled as
to what the man sought to conceal
by swallowing piece of paper while
in a scout car on the way to head
quarters. Police hinted the paper
had contained the names and ad-
dresses of places Bishop had entered
or dealers to whom he sold stolen
goods.
During questioning Bishop readily
admitted a series of housebreakings
since January Is in which the loot
amounted to more than 5000,
police said.
A pickup" date, made on a bus,
led to Bishops arrest. The girl with
him when he was captured had been
missing from her Alexandria home
since Sunday.
Officers quoted Bishop as saying
he met the girl while riding to Vir-
ginia on bus to pawn some of his
loot. He arranged a date for Mon
day evening after telling the girl he
was registered at q downtown hotel,
officers declared.
Luggage Held by Hotel.
According to the girls statement,
she told her parents about Bishop
and gave them the name and ad-
dress of the hotel. When she did
not return home Monday night,
her parents advised the Missing
Persons Bureau
Two detectives went to the hotel
Tuesday and were informed Bishop
tried to check out late Monday, al
legedly without paying his bill. The
hotel manager said he was holding
Bishops luggage until the bill was
settled.
On Wednesday the two detectives
received telephone call from the
hotel manager saying a taxicab
driver was about to pay the bill.
They raced to the hotel and watched
Bishops luggage being carried to
the cab. The young girl was in the
back seat. AS the vehicle started
away it was hailed by Bishop, who
was standing across the street, the
police said. They trailed the cab
for two blocks and made the ar
rest.
AS Bishop and the girl were about
to enter police scout car, Bishop
allegedly pulled woman's fur
piece from under his coat and at
tempted to hide it under a seat.
Then he started to chew the paper.
Police said he had ransacked the
apartment of Helen F. Snyder, 1926
Fifteenth street NV, just before
he tried to retrieve his luggage.
Loot in Two Hotel Rooms.
At headquarters Bishop was
dubbed 'the Celluloid Kid" because
of his alleged technique of using a
celluloid ruler to open apartment
door locks. Police said he had loot
hidden in two rooms he maintained
in Washington hotels and that
other loot was pawned.
In a cocky and proud manner he
said he had been travelling around
the country for the past few years
and was now on probation in Cleve-
land following his arrest on a
charge of dealing in black market
shoe ration coupons.
Officers said he told them he would
commit housebreaking after as
suring himself no one was in the
apartment by telephoning to an oc-H
curant whose name he had copied
from the mailbox.
Headquarters records showed Bish-
op has been involved with the police
since 1887, having been caught half
dozen times for running away from
the home of a relative with whom
he lived. He was a Board of Public
Welfare ward at one time and also
an inmate OF st. Mary's Industrial
School in Baltimore. the records
revealed.