Evening star., 1948-03-01
Hunt for Killers
0fCabnnenTu Turns
To Baltimore
Shooting Of Driver
There Believed Linked
To District Crimes

Police searching for the killers
of two Washington taxicab drivers
turned their attention to Baltimore
today with the belief that one Of the
gunmen shot a cabbie there last
night
At the same time, they questioned
six suspects here in connection with
the slayings and q rapid-fire double
holdup of another cab driver and
q filling station last night.
Robbery detail detectives said the
Baltimore incident was so like those
here they had every reason to
believe the ruthless robber-killers
had transferred operations to the
Maryland city.
Driver Shot Twice.
Peter Finnegan, "a, the Baltimore
driver, was shot twice after COL
ored man had forced him to drive
near a cemetery in South Balti-
more. Ordering the driver out OF
the car, the bandit took $l2 and
shot him. After Mr.. Finnegan fell
to the ground, the robber shot him
in the arm and fired one wild shot.
His condition was described as fair.
The double holdup occurred ehere
within Is minutes last night, caus-
ing police to step up their search
for two gunmen who beat and shot
to death two cabbies Friday night.
Sergt. Walter v. Chase, acting
hack inspector, said few Wash
tngton drivers are staying off the
streets at night and that others
alarmed by the outbreak Of violance
have been cautious about picking up
passengers answering the general
description of the assailants.
Activity in the Detective Bureau
today bore out reports that police
had definite leads" looking to cap
ture of the bandits.
The filling station holdup last
night ended with the gunman In
fight after he had shot one OF
the two attendants in the arm DUR
ing a scuffle. The bandit was beaten
about the face and head with a
hammer. and probably marked.
At 1918 pm. he had hailed a
cab driven by David B. Ray, 49,
colored, of 57O6 Southern avenue
Sc, at Seventh and P streets NV
Placing a gun at the drivers head,
he forced him to drive into an
allev in the 200 block OF O street
NV. took S5 and forced Mr.. Ray
from the cab.
Fifteen minutes later he entered
the filling station at Georgia avenue
and Kenyon street NV, and stuck
the gun into the back OF Clinton
Rivers, 38, colored, OF 1886 Ihlr-
teenth street NV.
Mr.. Rivers wheeled and caught
hold of the gun. While they strug-
gled for its possession, the second
attendant, Freeman Coble, ID, col
ored, came up with hammer.
While he was striking the bandit,
the gun was discharged, Fsnghtly
wounding Mr.. Coble in the right
forearm He was treated at Freed
mans Hospital and released.
Drops Pistol in Flight.
Dashing away, the holdup man
dropped the .32-caliber pistol and
his coat. He was described as
light-skinned colored man, 20 to q
years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, with
sharp features.
The description generally fitted
that of one of the two men sought
for the Staying Of the two cab
drivers, police said.
One of the men questioned today
was John Layton Jacobs, 81. colored,
who was arrested last night and
charged with robbing a grocery store
at 344 H street S.W. January "a.
Police we're holding him on suspicion
of being the lookout" man while
two others armed with shotguns
robbed the store of 500.
victims Describe Attackers.
The cab drivers slain in the same
neighborhood Friday night were
James Hardy, 80, colored, of SAT
G. street NE, and Howard Jones,
81. colored, of AIT Irving street NV.
Mr.. Hardy lived until Saturday
night and gave police a description
of his attackers. He had been thrown
from his cab down railroad en-
bankment near New Jersey avenue
and 1 streets Sc.
Shot through the head with a
large caliber pistol, Mr.. Jones had
died instantly. His body was found
in an alley near Second and Canal
streets Sc.