Evening star., 1947-02-24
a Murder Indictments
Among 80 Returned
By D. {. Grand Jury
Four persons were indicted today

Four persons were indicted today
on murder charges. Three of them
were accused of first-degree murder
and one of second degree.
The indictments were among 80
returned by the grand jury before
Chief Justice Bolitha j. Laws in Dis
trict Court.
Oliver Murphy, 81, colored, 800
block of Fourth street NE, was
charged with first-degree murder in
the fatal shooting of Charles E. Lee,
%, colored, 1400 block of w street
NV. Murphy also was named on
three charges of assault with dan
gerous weapon for allegedly shooting
and wounding three other colored
men. Police said the shooting fol-
lowed an argument in restaurant
on V street.
The others accused of firSt-degree
murder were Sullivan C. Lacks, 81.
colored, of the first block of G street
S.W., and Parvin B. Holton, At, COL
ored, 800 block of E street Sc. Lacks
is accused of fatally stabbing Calvin
v. Chase, 35, colored, first block of
K street Sc, while Holton is
charged with shooting and killing
Mabel L. Burton, 81, colored. also of
the 600 block of E street Sc.
Indictment in Fatal Cutting.
Monroe Cox, 26, colored, 100 block
of P street S.W., was charged with
second degree murder in the fatal
cutting of Elmer P. Brooks, 35, COL
ored, 1000 block of New Jersey
avenue Sc.
Harry r. Bowen, 20, colored, 400
block of Fourth street Sc, was in
dicted on a charge of criminally as
saulting a 37-year-old woman on
the Library of Congress grounds on
January 10.
Miss Deejaen Jane Bacon, %, of
the 5000 block of Wisconsin avenue
NV, was indicted on charges of
forging and cashing five checks to-
falling $9,574 on a bank account here
of c. N. Shelton. airplane pilot and
businessman of Miami, Fla.
Investigators claimed Miss Bacon
had used the funds to open bank
account, buy expensive fur pieces
and jewelry.
Two in Robbery Case.
RAYMOND A. Varnell, %, $500
block of E street NE, and Harvey
j. Drew, 33, of Lowell, Mass. were
named on three robbery charges
each. They were named together
in two indictments which accused
them jointly of robbing a restau-
rant co-proprietor, Meyer Dechter,
of money and his automobile after
he had left his restaurant in the
200 block of Upshur street NV,
and also of SITS from a man who
had given them a lift in his auto
mobile. Another count also charges
them of robbing a friend of the
driver of $38.
In separate indictments Drew is
accused of robbing hotel night
clerk of So and Varnell is charged
with robbing the night manager
of hotel of $50.
Housebreaking Indictments.
Oliver Lee Decatur, A, of the
first block of Randolph place NV,
who repeatedly escaped from police
on the night of February 6, was
named in an indictment with three
other men on a charge of breaking
into the home of Harry Di Fran
cisco, 28O0 block of Sixth street
NE, and taking S3.3o8. Those
named with Decatur we're listed as
Robert o. McKissick, 80; John R.
Lee, 26, and John w. Meyers, 40.
Decatur also is accused alone of
another housebreaking and larceny.
Decatur reportedly escaped from
Detectives J. G. Beach and John
A. Stewart while they were seeking
a box allegedly taken from Mr..
Di Francisco's home. Police re-
ported Decatur made his getaway
when he pushed Detective Stewart
into a pit as the officer searched
for the box.
Adrian Marcus, As, was indicted
on charges of impersonating a
policeman and blackmail in an ef-
fort to extort 500 from an alleged
victim. Marcus also is accused of
grand larceny of $50 from the al
legged victim.
Charged in Taxi Robbery.
James H. Clarke, 20, colored, 500
block of G street NE, was charged
with breaking into a liquor store
and stealing $4,000.
Three youths, said to be sailors
who were stationed at Dahlgren,
Va, we're charged with robbing a
taxicab driver of money and his