Evening star., 1946-10-19


Two Of the suspects arrived here
from Columbia, S. c., by plane at
m. today. handcuffed to Detective
Sergts. Otto Fuss and Daniel
Kennedy. Arrested in Columbia
Thursday on United States Com
missioner's warrants charging hold
up and robbery, the pair were named
by police as William Henry Harrison,
20, OF the 2100 block Of Eighteenth
street NV, and Richard Wakefield,
%, of Columbia, -,~-... .le,..-..
Two En- Route From Florida.
The other two, Edward F. Polcen,
20, formerly Of the 200 block of
Taylor street NE, and a 17-year r-old
companion, left Miami. Fla, at am
today by train and will arrive here
some time tomorrow. Polcen and
his companion were arrested in the
Florida resort city yesterday by De-
tective Sergt. George Cooper and
Precinct Detective Herbert Young.
Wakefield, who was armed with
a loaded .45-caliber pistol when ar
rested by Sergts. Fuss and Kennedy,
has admitted he was the driver of
getaway cars in several District rob-
berries, Inspector Barrett said.
The detective chief said Harrison
confessed participating in Jobs in
Washington, Maryland, Alexandria,
Ua ord KonfyYcry
Girl Friend Provides Clue.
Harrison and Wakefield were ar
rested in a Columbia hotel room by
police acting on a tip that one of
the men had a girl friend there.
Sergts. Fuss and Kennedy waited
for the pair in the room and seized
them when they entered.
From Harrison and Wakefield,
Inspector Barrett said, the two de-
tectives learned that Polcen had
continued on to Miami with car
believed to have been used in sew
eral of the robberies. Sergts. Fuss
and Kennedy wired this informa-
tion back to Washington.
Inspector Barrett said he dis
patched Detectives Cooper and
Young to Miami by plane, where
they procured United States COM
warrants charging hold
up and robbery against Polcen. The
17-year-old youth is held on an
open charge, police said.
Arrested at Garage.
The two detectives succeeded in
locating the garage where the auto
mobile was stored and arrested the
pair when they arrived to claim
the car. Inspector Barrett said the
automobile was stolen here.
Polcen, as well as Harrison, has
already been identified by holdup
victims from photographs taken
from the files at the National Train
ing School for Boys, Inspector Bar
rett declared. He said, however,
there was a possibility that Polcen's
17-year -old companion may not be
connected with sthe Washington
robberies.
In al, the three men named have
been connected with six holdups
here, Inspector Barrett said, includ-
ing four robberies at Hot Shoppes.
Their loot totaled $2,500 in the six
cases, he said.
Two New Holdups Reported.
Two new -holdups we're reported
to police in the past "a hours in
which gunmen made of with 500 at
one grocery store and $40 at another
Marty Shapiro, half owner of the
M. & M. Market, 1888 Eleventh
street NV, said he was held up last
night by a nervous bandit whose
hand shook so violently during the
robbery that he dropped several
bills. Mr.. Shapiro told police the
man drank a bottle Of soda pop
while waiting until the proprietor
was alone in the store, then pointed
a pistol. scooped $40 from the till
and fed.
A second gunman held up groc-
cry store at 1415 Tenth street NV.
last night and forced Mrs. Fannie
Greenfield, the owner, to hand over
about 500 from the cash regisfer.
The bandit, colored man, made
Mrs. Greenfield put the money u q
paper. bag and lie on the floor befpreI
he escaped, police were told.