Evening star., 1949-10-31
Trio Held After Girl
Brandishing Weapon
Holds Up Hotel Here

Holds Up Hotel Here
Two women and a man were
held today for a hotel robbery in
which one of the women, acquitted
of manslaughter five years ago,
was accused of threatening the
clerk with a gun.
The trio was quickly rounded
up by police early yesterday
shortly after the night manager
of the Palace Hotel, 1102 Four
teenth street NV, yielded $35 al
gun point.
Charged with robbery were Mrs.
Margaret o. Hamilton, %, of the
400 block of K street NV; Mrs.
Ruth Edna Maze, 80, of the 800
block of Fifth street NV, and
Frank v. Morris, 80. an oyster.
man living at Abel, Md.
Mrs. Maze was arrested at
Twelfth and K streets NV. min
utes after the robbery when two
scout car policemen fitted her de-
scription to one flashed over the
radio.
Coincidence Leads to. Arrest.
Coincidence then played a
leading role when another taxicah
driver, arriving just then, recog-
nized Mrs. Maze and directed
police to- q night spot where he
had just taken the other two sus-
poets, police said. e.
George Keishen, 65, night man
ager of the hotel, identified the
three as the ones who asked for
rooms at the hotel at $40 am.
yesterday. The younger woman
pointed a 80 caliber pistol at him
and demanded all the money.
BY the tone. of her voice, Mr..
Keishen soon realized it was not q
jest, as he had first believed.
Emptying his pockets, he handed
over the money. r..
Threatens to "Blow Head off,"
Mr.. Keishen said the woman
then ordered the male confederate
to yank out the telephone wires.
When he hesitated, she put the gun
on him and ordered: Go ahead or
I'll blow your head off,"
While Mr.. Keishen was escortine
the bandits to the front door, as
the young woman had demanded,
the5 met a couple entering the
hotel.
Talk nice to me, like I was
your sweetheart, the woman told
Mr.. Keishen.
After they left the hotel en-
ploye called police. describing the
women's attire. which included
scarves wrapped about their
heads.
Police Pvts. Albert F. Mode and
T. H. Carpenter of the first pre-
cinct, following a cab on hunch,
saw Mrs. Maze in the rear seat
wearing such scarf and ques-
toned her. They said she quickly
admitted her part in the holdup.
Friend Seated at Table.
1t. Scott said he and Detective
Sergts. James Powell and Herman
Rander went to the Palm Grove
Club, Fourteenth and @ streets
N. w., and walked directly to the
table where Mrs. Hamilton and
Morris were seated. Taking no
chances. they pinned their arms
behind them.
| At that instant, a .32-caliber
pistol covered by a coat, slipped
of chair near Mrs. Hamilton
and fell to the floor. AS a police
knan picked it up. Mrs. Hamilton
said:
Better watch out; it's cooked"
Police said Mrs. Maze and Nor
his insisted they were unwilling
accomplices. They said Mrs. Ham
alton forced them to go along
after she had found them together
at a hotel.
{ A4SAN AAA ASSNSAs 1SODDSAJs
| On October II Mrs. Hamilton
WAS held for robbing an out-of-
town truck driver of $100, but the
ease was dropped after restitution
iwas made and the driver said he
would be unable to appear as a
witness, police said.
Five years ago today Mrs. Ham
Iflton was acquitted in Upper Marl-
iboro District Court of man
slaughter.
| Then known as Margaret Foran,
alias Rita May Welsh. she was
charged with Staying William E.
Sweeney, 20, Upper Marlboro
Farmland, with a 22-caliber rifle
on Christmas eve, 1a43.
The shooting occurred during
IAN argument between Sweeney
sand Guy Hamilton, at whose home
In Piscataway Mrs. Hamilton was
visiting. Mrs. Hamilton told police
sshe intervened after Sweeney
struck Hamilton's daughter, Lou
Use, with jack handle.
Pvts. Mode and Carpenter. who
arrested Mrs. Maze, figured in the
news last week when they arrest
ed a man attempting to crack a
safe in the P. o. Visible Lunch,
729 North Capitol street.
Last December Pvt. Mode was
given Policeman Of the Month"
recognition for his work leading
to the arrest and conviction of
Crispin Perez, 29-year old bar
tender, in the Staying of Charles
j. Hines of Madison. Wis. at the