Evening star., 1947-11-01
Less Vandalism
ButUsua| Franks
Mark Halloween
Firemen Answer
81 False Alarms;
Ghosts on ProwI

Ghosts on ProWl
Washington's children-and SOM
adults -cavorted with goblins, lepre
chauns and zanies last night in {
Halloween celebration which i'll
cluded neighborhood playground
and house parties and, no doubt, {
harried citizenry in many sections
The Fire Department had a bus!
night answering false alarms, bu
officials said activity was "abou
half" what it has been in previou!
years.
From pm. yesterday until
o'clock this morning "a false alarms
were turned in. Some previous Hal.
loweens have brought as many as
go. it was said False alarms aver
age three a night during the year
Several brush and leaf fires, pre-
sumably set by pranksters were re-
ported. None was serious, however
Token Equipment" Sent.
Following an established practice
token equipment was sent to fires
to determine if they were legiti-
mate.
Although a police dispatcher saio
there was about 10 times the nor
NAL nights activity on the police
radio. there were no serious cases OF
vandalism. One veteran policeman
stationed in the downtown area said
the night was very quiet for Hal
loWeen.
Police recorded only few crimes
which could be attributed to Hal
loween marry making. Vella L
Manderville, 81, of 1914 Columbia
road NV. reported the loss of q
wallet containing Sis after the de-
parture of two girls from her kitchen
where she had taken them fol-
"treats." One was about 13 and the
othed about 3, she said. William H
Castlery, 81, colored, received a pos
sible fractured nose during fracas
when he sought to eject three prank
sterS from a boiler room at l7ls
Thirty fifth street NV,
Other reports centered mainly
around missing or overturned porch
furniture, missing hub caps and un-
due noise.
Alarm Boxes Watched.
At Fire Alarm Headquarters it was
pointed out that no calls were re-
ceived from the Petworth area, while
the false alarms were being sounded
in all other parts of the city. This,
it was said, was because members
of the Petworth Citizens Associa-
ton had agreed to stand by alarm
boxes to make sure no false alarms
were sounded.
The residential sections showed
brightly lighted houses with pamp-
kin-lanterns strung over the lawns.
Every locality had its "beggars' in
outlandish costumes. There were
2dirty-faced cowboys, little toreadors,
bandits" forward little misses
mostly about years old and wear
ing the new look" dresses, and even
a voungster who was wearing a
policeman's coat and firemans
helmet.
The Southeast seemed to be the
special hunting Ground of the mis-
chief makers. Three small ghosts
ran up and down Pennsylvania ave-
nue. near Seventh street Sc, making
eerie noises and occasionally walop-
ing a stranger with stockings filled
with flour. The police kept such
disturbances at minimum.
Autos Marked With Chalk.
Filling station operators said, as
the evening progressed, that they
were getting more and more" work
cleaning chalk marks off automo-
biles.
Apparently because of the food
shortage. there was not too much
evidence of begging for edibles un-
der the ancient treat or trick sys-
TEN. A tour of investigation pro-
duced only ore such instance. the
victim being a counterman IN a
drugstore who handed over cookie
There was no section of the city
that did not have its nelghborhooo
party scheduled by the District
Recreation Department, which made
plans for about rs such gatherings
They we're attended by thousands
of children.
One of the largest fun groups was
the gathering of over 1000 gaily-
costumed children and adults at a
party at Hillcrest Playground, Erie
and Thirty-second streets Sc. Varl-
Gus citizens associations, four P-TA
groups and churches participated
The associations included those OF
Hillcrest, Naylor Gardens, Knox
Hill, Summit Park, Good Hope Hills
Fort Davis, Fort Dupont, Fairfax
Randle Highlands and Shlple5
Terrace.
PTA Groups Take Part.
The PTA groups we're from Stan,
ton, Anne Beers, Randle Highlands
and Kramer Schols. The churcne!
were St. Xavier's Catholic Church
East Washington Baptist Church
Holy Comforter Lutheran Church
and st. Timothy's Episcopal Church
Another event was the crownint
of Miss Red Feather" at the Boys
Club of Washington, Seventeenth
street and Massachusetts, avenu
Sc, in Connection with the group
part in the Community Chest Fed
Grafton campaign.
Elected by boys and girls from th'
club, Miss Red Feather" was Margi'
Wiegand, 13, daughter of Mr.. ant
Mrs. Raymond j. Wiegand, 32'
Seventeenth street Sc. She is al
eighth grade student at Holy Com
forter School and her father is
patternmaker at the Naval Gur
Factory.
Scientist Shot Accidentally