Evening star., 1950-03-14

IN of S160 in her home at 2700
shown with 9-month old Blight
Star Staff Photo.
Bandits Help TO Quiet
Children Before $3.50
Robbery in Arlington
Although bitter when they got
only $160 while looking for $780,
600, two armed bandits who in
vaded an Arlington home yester-
day helped a housewife with hel
crying children before locking the
family in the basement to cover
their escape.
The strange robbery, which was
followed by an equally strange
telephone call from the gunmer
to sthe family. occurred in the
substantial home of Blight H. Lee
at 2700 South June street, shortly
after noon yesterday.
Mr.. Lee, who told reporters he
had been in the numbers racket
in a small way more than IL
years ago. and since had operated
a farm and garage. was away from
home at the time. He believes
the robbers were amateurs who
might have heard his former
gaming associates gossiping about
the possibility that he kept a large
sum in his home.
Mr.. Lee reported there were in
dications the burglars hoped to
duplicate the recently reported
Emrnitt Warning robbery. War
ring, a convicted gambler, told
police $4,000 was taken by men
who forced their way into his
house several months ago.
Mother Working in Basement
Mrs. Marguerite Lee, 81, was
working in the basement of her
home, while her two young chill
dren played nearby, when she an
swered a call at the front door
about 1915 O'Clock. The two men
at first posed as magazine sales
men.
The shorter of the two, Mrs.
Lee said, forced his way indoors
and was followed by a taller man
wearing a grotesque mask resem-
bling the head Of horse or mule.
Mrs. Lee was ordered at gun
point, she told police, to go to the
second floor bedroom which she
shares with her husband and
make a search for valuables. They
ransacked dresser drawers and
other possible hiding places, and
took a small metal filing cabinet
said to contain Mr.. Lees private
papers.
Children Begin to Cry.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Lees baby son
and her 4-year-old daughter,
Janet, began to cry in the base
ment. The shorter bandit went
downstairs and returned carrying
the baby, with Janet walking
ahead of him, Mrs. Lee said.
The housewife told detectives
she was too nervous to find a key
and open the small metal box
when commanded by the gunner.
They then decided to take the
box along.
It contained insurance policies
and the like. but no money, police
were told.
The intruders overlooked $500
in United States savings bonds, 1t
was said.
Come on, let's get out of here, /"
one of the men said. They tried
to force Mrs. Lee to enter an up
stairs closet with the children, but
she resisted and said the base
ment laundry was better place.
Heard Car Drive Away.
Mrs. Lee and her children ac-
cordingly were locked in the laun-
dry. The mother said she heard
the front door close and an auto
mobile drive away.
One of the men, she said, had
told her to remain quiet or we'll
blow your head off,"
Mrs. Lee, however, managed to
break the latch on the laundry
door about pm, shortly after
the bandits left.
She telephoned a sister-in-law
who took the family to her home.
from which police were notified.
Mr.. Lee and the family were
at home about $50 o'clock, and
Mr.. Lee was talking to newspa-
per reporter when the telephone
rang.
MIR. Lee answered the call and
then invited the reporter to listen
In on an extension.
Caller Suggests Deal"
Police were told the man on the
other end of the wire, tough
talking character, suggested he
would make deal" to return
Mr.. Lees personal papers on con-
dition he would call off the police.
The man limited he had expected
to find big money in the house, like
that said to have been obtained
when gunmen entered the home of
Emmitt Warning and forced him
to open a wall safe containing
$4,000, police were told.
"We thought this was one Of
those big jobs" the caller was
quoted as saying. II could blow
\