Evening star., 1948-11-01

NHHS OSSu ~ DuHuu
In Gunfight Fatal 10
Two Men Is Found
The automatic rife used by a
robber in gun battle in which two
men were killed and three boys
wounded Saturday night has been
found, police disclosed today.
The rifle and the killers brown
coat were found hidden in lumoer
yard in Southwest Washington not
far from the scene of the shooting
The rifle is a 35-caliber clip-loading
Winchester.
With the rifle, the robber killed
James E. Washington, So. colored,
manager of the >Rosalia Theater,
2l8 F street S.W., and fought his
way out of a police Gordon which
blocked both ends of the street In
which the Staying occurred.
50 Shots Exchanged.
More than so shots were ex-
changed as three policemen and the
killer blazed away at each other.
During the exchange Herbert Smith,
IS, of 1924 Seventh street NV. a
bystander, also was killed, and Carl
Shedrick, 10. Of 829 Delaware ave-
nue. S.W., Richard Lee Jefferson, 13,
of $40 O'Neil court S.W, and DON
aid johnson, 16. of 1246 Fourth
street S.W., were wounded. All the
shooting victims are colored.
Ballistics experts of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation are. assist
ing Metropolitan police in deter
mining whether the bullet which
killed Smith came from the rife or
from the revolver of one Of the
policemen.
Homicide squad detectives are
tracing ownership of the gun and
coat, and appear hopeful that a
break" In the case is not far away
Several colored men are being
held for questioning at the fourth
and fifth precincts, but police indi-
Gated none of them are believed
to be directly implicated in the
killing.
Bag With Receipts vanishes.
Washington was killed as he
walked to his automobile parked
near the theater carrying a bae
containing about $500.
Witnesses said the killer sepa.
rated from two other men when HI
approached Washington. Detec.
tives said they are not sure whether
the two men were the killers &C.
oomplices or were bystanders.
The bag containing receipts from
the theater vanished after Wash.
ington fell. Police have been unable
to establish whether it was picked
up by the killer or was stolen by
some one in the crowd that gathered
/. Policeman Thomas Allen, who
exchanged shots with the killer
from a distance Of 20 feet, said he
did not see the bag and that the
man had both hands occupied with
the rife. Pvt. Allen thought one OF
his shots might have hit the bandit
but said there were no bullet holes
in the coat which the man aban-
doned.
Thought Shots Firecrackers.
Police said the bandit was a
colored man about feet 8 inches
tall. They said he was wearing 9
brown jacket like the one found.
Policemen J. E. Smith and W.
Toier We're at a call box at Third
and F streets when Washington
was shot a half block away. AS they
ran toward. the scene the killer
opened fire. Both officers took cover
and emptied their guns at the man
While this exchange was under
way Policemen H. r. Kershner and
Allen reached the intersection OF
Second and F streets S.W. in their
scout car, and it appeared the killer
was trapped. However, policemen
thought the reports they had heard
were Halloween flrecrackers.
Pvt. Allen left the scout car at
the corner, and as he walked toward
the theater met the killer. He Or
dered the man to drop his gun and
was met by burst Of gunfire. As
Pvt. Allen dropped behind parked
car to return the fire the killer fled
past him. ~.
Fog Aided Escape.
Pvt. Kershner, still unaware that
any one had been killed, pursued
the fugitive in the scout car to ar
alley on Second street between
and E streets where the front tire
Of the car blew out.
Shortly after the shooting q
dense fog rolled in over the neigh.
borhood. Police believe the killer
hid in the lumber yard until the
mist was thick enough to hide his
movements.
Young Jefferson and johnson
were only grazed by the bullets ano
returned to their homes after hos
pital treatment. The Shedrick boy
is in Gallinger Hospital with frac.
tured right leg.
Washington and Smith were
killed only a few feet from the
drugstore at Third and F streets
S.W. where Nathaniel johnson, 54-
year-old druggist, was fatally shot
in holdup attempt October IL
Policeman Toler sought shelter in
the doorway of the drugstore as
he returned the bandits fire, and
Smith was standing on the corner
just across the street from the
drugstore.
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