Evening star., 1947-09-02

RobberySuspect
Caught Fleeing
With$2,685Loot
TruiI of Blood Leads
To Another Held in
Store Window Theft

Two robbery suspects, one cap
tured by police while fleeing with
S2,6S5, and another who left a trail
of blood which led to his arrest,
were in police hands today.
Robert James Sowell, 10, whose
address police were unable to deter
mine, was to be charged today with
the robbery last night of the Mas
tefs liquor store at TIA K street NV.
According to police, a bandit
armed with a short-barreled re-
volver walked into the store about 7
pm. and ordered the owner, Louis
Deckelbaum, IS, of 1902 st. Andrews
way, Silver Spring, to open the safe
and put its contents into bag.
When a customer, Michael Nc
Nalley, TIA K street NV, entered,
the holdup man forced both men to
lie down in back room, they told
police.
AS the man ran with $2,6S5 loot
in cash and checks, Mr.. Decklebaum
fred two shots at him. Both missed.
The shots attracted the attention
of two passing scout car policemen
who captured the suspect after a
short chase. He was carrying the
bag of money, police reported.
Face Slightly Blackened.
Police said Sowell told them he
had been arrested June In Ell
Paso, Tex, on a violation of the
National Vehicle Theft Act but had
jumped $1,000 bond in that case.
He said he had also been AWOL
from Army posts in Louisiana and
Georgia, according to police.
Police said the suspects face and
hair had been slightly blackened
with burned cork.
The suspect in the blood-trail
case. was listed as Anthony Petrillo,
36, of 925 Potomac avenue S.W.
He was charged with grand larceny
and HOUSEKEEPING.
Police reported that a scout car of
the First Precinct, answering call
early today, found smashed win
dow at the Scott Jewelry Store, 812
F street NV.
Pvt. Alfred G. Fielder followed a
trail of blood next door and up
flight of stairs to second-f1oor
barber shop, where he found key
in the door. Entering the shop, he
said he found Petrillo sitting in
chair with a bleeding hand. The
man was arrested and police said
that three radios and six sets of
wedding bands, valued at 5000,
which were taken from the window,
were recovered. He was employed
at the barber shop, police said.
The suspect told police he cut his
hand in breaking the window. He
was taken to Casualty Hospital
where four stitches were required to
close the wound.
Two Held on Suspicion.
Meanwhile, Gilbert John Foster.
3e, a cripple who was caught twice
on Sunday near the scene Of two
thefts, was awaiting grand jury
action on a charge of housebreaking.
He was ordered held under $500 bond
after waving preliminary hearing in
Municipal Court yesterday. Foster,
colored, lives in the 2400 block of
Seventeenth street NV.
An Alexandria man who police
said was a known housebreaker and
his 22-year-old wife were held today
on Suspicion in connection with a
Washington housebreaking last
night.
Augustus S. Hale of 5000 Univer-
sity. avenue NV. told police that
when he came home lasS night he
found two men ransacking his
house. The men fled when they saw
him, he said, one jumping from a
second-story window.
Police from No. 8 precinct search
ing the neighborhood found the
woman sitting in a car parked in q
secluded spot. When she couldn't
explain her presence there she was
arrested on suspicion. Shortly after
ward the husband, Is, appeared at
the station house inquiring for his
wife and was also arrested on sus-
picion. The investigation is con-
tinllinp TODAY. police said.