Evening star., 1950-02-19
Police and FB| Check
Fingerprints and Tips
In D. T.. Bank HoIdup


An abandoned auto which, po-
nee believe, may be the getaway
car in the Shepherd Park bank
robbery has yielded a number of
fingerprints, detectives admitted
yesterday.
Trail of the three men who held
up the branch of the Hamilton
National bank, 7731 Alaska avenue
NV. and escaped with $28,351
has cooled.
Fingerprints on the car con-
stitute the only present hope of
a clue, but, police said, prints
found thus far do not match any,
thing on file.
Tips Being Run Down.
Tips have poured into head
quarters and detectives are run
ming them all down. The lookout
has become Nationwide.
Newest tip, which the Federal
Bureau of Investigation looked
into and apparently found want
ing. came from a Walter Reed
Hospital military policeman.
Corpl. Homer Bass. 36, of 1920
B street NE, told the FBI that
three men, one of them armed,
had threatened him.
Early Friday afternoon, shortly
after the bank robbery, Corpl.
Bass related, he stopped car for
speeding through the hospital
grounds and then told the three
men to drive on after warning
them against excess speed.
Reports The Incident.
After hearing of the robbery, he
reported the incident to the FBI.
Then, as he neared his home yes
terday afternoon, three men drove
up, stopped him and addressing
him by name, warned:
You won't live to see o'clock
tomorrow morning if you don't lay
off this case"
Il didn't know what case he
was talking about the soldier
said. The only thing I can think
of is that I had stopped a car
for speeding. I'm not sure it was
the same car. I don't know how
they knew my name. I didn't get
a good look at the men I stopped
for speeding and don't know
whether these were the same
men"
The one who made the warning,
he said, held a handkerchief
covered revolver on him. License
plates on the car, a black 1949
Chevrolet sedan, was covered" he
said.
FBI Has No Comment.
An FBI spokesman, after listen
ing to Corpl. Bass story, said:
mo comment"
1t was about 11:40 am. Friday
when two of the bandits left
third one sitting in the car and
walked into the bank. Manager
Hubert R. Bauckman and Teller
Herman Sikorra were behind the
counter. No customers were in the
bank and janitor, George w.
Everdale, was in rear room.
One of the bandits remained at
the front door and the other
walked swiftly behind the counter.
leVeled the gun at the manager
and teller, informed them it was
holdup and began pushing
money into a tan suitcase.
Early counts put the loss at
about $4,000. but a thorough
check scaled it down to S28,351.
The loss is insured.
The money-gathering bandit
ordered the two men into the rear
room with the janitor and warned
them as he left, to remain there
five minutes. The entire robbery
required less than that.
Auto Found Friday.
The flngerprint-lo auto
which police impounded was
found abandoned near Thirteenth
and Locust streets NV, Friday
afternoon. 1t had been reported
stolen from Thirty sixth street
and Prospect avenue NV, about
9 am, and had been driven by
A. l.. Loffler, claims adjuster
for Capital Transit Co.
He saw the car himself later
in the afternoon as he went to
his home in Silver Spring and
notified police.
Contained Money Bag.
1t is a black Chevrolet sedan
carrying District tags and con-
tanned an empty money bag.
The nationwide lookout carries
this description of two of the three
bandits:
No. six feet tall, about SO
years old, 160 pounds, dark hair.
ruddy complexion with sharp
features. He spoke with an Italian
accent and wore a brown topcoat,
white shirt, dark tie. brown hat
and gloves. a
No. 2-Five feet. 10 inches tall.
about 80 to 35 years old, ITO
pounds and wore a light gray