Evening star., 1946-05-20
Two Arrested
|nknightS|ayiing
After Phone Tip

witnesses to HoIdup
Identify Men Seized
On PoIicemun's Hunch
The arrest of two armed COL
ored men on charges of mur-
dering John Hall Knight, 81
grocery clerk, was
credited today to the prompt &C
tion 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 I. 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
gun was subject of a 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 acted after the
informant reported that two flash
colored men were loiter-
ing around an A. g. P. grocery store
at Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue S.E. "and it looks like they
are going to do some business
Bowles dispatched two scout cars
and policemen who were in the sta
tion house to the scene.
Detective F. A. Jordan and Police
men T. E. Dalziel and Wade G
Baucom arrested Hawkins ano
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 foune
a high-powered convertible coupe
with the ignition switch turned on
Loaded Pistol Undiscovered.
A 38 caliber pistol was take,
from Prout on the spot, but no
until the party reached the station
house, seven blocks away, did polic'
discover that Hawkins also had ,
loaded pistol Hawkins, who polio
said confessed he was the bandi
who shot Mr.. Knight down Withou
provocation in the April 13 holduI
apparently had a .38 caliber pisto
stuck behind his belt buckle.
In the scout car going to the pre-
cinct house, police said, Hawkin
managed to take the pistol out of hi
belt and slide it behind the cushion
in the rear seat. Police recovere,
the pistol.
Detective 1t. Robert V. Murray
who headed a squad of five detec,
tives assigned to break the Knigh
case, hurried to the fifth precinc
station and conducted three lineup
during the night before score o
victims of armed robberies, includ
ing the witnesses to the Safewa,
store murder. Hawkins and Prou
were identified in five holdups at
am. and at 2:30 am, under con
slant questioning before a parad
of witnesses, police said, they brok
down and confessed to the Knigh
murder and II other holdups whicl
netted them more than $4,000 loo1
Until the four witnesses to tn
Safeway shooting and robber
pointed them out as the killers, bot,
Hawkins and Prout steadfastly pro
tested their innocence.
Both were expensively clad an
bejeweled. In their rooms, polio
said they found extensive wardrob.
and quantities of marihuana, nal
cotics, needles and S1,031 in casl
When first questioned both elaine
to have made heavy winnings bel
ting on horse races and HaWkir
said he was a car washer. Bot
men were carrying marihuana reel
ers."
Hawkins and Prout will appear &
an inquest into the Knight slayin
before Coroner A. Magruder Mac
Donald at the District Morgue tn
afternoon.
Rewards totaling $1,000 wer
posted amidst a storm of publ
clamor demanding apprehension {
the killers following the Staying {
Mr.. Knight. The Retail Grocer
Clerks Union, of which the victii
was member, offered $500. tn
rewards remained unclaimed toda,
HOlAIC lldFC HCCll
trace the anonymous caller VIII
supplied the sketchy tip which lie
to the arrests.
! Police listed the following store
among the robbery victims of HaW
kins and Prout: LIE Droit Liquc
Store, sol Florida avenue NV; Ma
than Blink, 1900 North Capitol street
liquor store, 801 v street NV
Stanby's Liquor Store, II P stree
NV; Lewison Drug Store, 163
North Capitol street; Robbins Liquc
Store, 1869 Sherman avenue NV
Safeway Grocery 0o address given
Atlantic & Pacific Grocery, IT.
Benning road NE; D. & S. Lique
store, 1927 Eleventh street NV
Morris Basin Liquor Store, 14s
P street NV, and SafeWay Gre
Gerry, 1921 KenilWorth avenue NJ