Evening star., 1951-01-14
5 Hurt, 7 jailed
AS Police Que||
Street. braw|
; Ninth Precinct
Privutes Wounded
In Northeast Melee

ianS nurSed their injuries and two
men were in District Jail last
night in the aftermath of a near
riot that drew more than a score
of police reinforcements to Fourth
and H streets NE. early yester-
day.
The street brawl, featuring some
members Of gang long known tc
police, grew out of one police
mans efforts to arrest one man
1t produced these results:
Pvt. Harvey Womble of the
Ninth Precinct suffered a bruised
face and had a hole in his coat
where a switch-blade knife rip
ped it. The knife's course toward
Pvt. Womble's body was stopped
by his wallet and case of pipe
cleaners.
Pvt. John A. Vaccaro OF the
Ninth Precinct was treated at Gal
linger Hospital for kicks in the
stomach.
Pvt. John O'Brien of the Ninth
Precinct was treated at Casualty
Hospital for chest injuries.
Two Civilians Injured.
William Smallwood, 81, of the
TOO block of Tewkesbury place
NV, was treated at Casualty
Hospital for head and nose in
juries. .
Audrey Schaeffer. 18, of the 500
block of Second street NV. was
also treated at Casualty and re-
leased.
Eugene w. Rollins, %, who gave
police addresses in The 500 block
of F street NE. and the 500 block
of Seventh street NE, was held
under $4,000 bond on two charges
of simple assault and cne charge
of assault on a police officer.
John T. Lyons, "a, of no fixed
address. was held under $4,000
bond on a charge of assaulting a
police officer.
-Four other men were charged
with disorderly conduct but the
case against one of them was
dropped.
Saw Man Being Kicked.
Pvt. Womble said he and his
scout car partner. Pvt. r. R.
Swank, were cruising on H street
about 1:50 am. when they spotted
man lying on the ground and
another man kicking him. The
man who was down in the street
fight later was identified as Mr..
Smallwood.
AS told by Pvt. Womble, here's
what happened next:
Pvt. Womble got out of the
scout car to arrest Mr.. Small
woods assailant, later identified
as Lyons. Lyons stopped kick
ing and started running but Pvt.
Womble caught him in the TOO
block of Fifth street NE.
AS the policeman and his pris-
oner walked back toward the
squad car. Pvt. Womble noticed
that a crowd of Is or 20 men had
gathered. Sensing trouble, he put
an iron claw on Lyons left arm
to hold him and kept on walking.
At that point, some one in the
crowd hit me on the side of the
head, knocking me to the ground
and Lyons and I went down to-
gether," Pvt. Womble said.
IA Squad Cars Respond.
1t was then that Pvt, Womble
felt a knife rip through his
clothes.
The tense crowd already had
prompted Pvt. Swank to send in
a policeman in trouble" call.
Fourteen squad cars and several
motorcycle men converged on the
scene.
By then, Pvt. Womble said, II
was more or less dazed." Other
police said Pvt. O'Brien jumped on
the man then tussling with Pvt.
Womble and was kicked in the
ribs by Rollins.
According to police, it was
Lyons who kicked Pvt. Vaccaro in
the stomach.
The melee lasted few minutes
longer with policemen swinging
batons and bystanders fighting
back.
Police said Rollins kicked a cell
companion-Frederick A. Pettitt,
%. of the 300 block of E street
NE. Pettitt was one of the four
arrested on disorderly conduct
charges.
Both Rollins and Lyons ap-
peared in Municipal Court yes
terday. Judge Andrew j. Howard,
jr., fixed the $1,000 bond when
Assistant United States Attorney
William Glendon said several
more charges probably would be
placed against the two men and
that the knife attack could have
been serious if not fatal" The
cases were continued to Janu-
ary 25.
AS for the others accused OF
taking part in the fracas, Wesley
E. Stewart, %, was freed when
the charges against him were
dropped; Pettitt forfeited $40:
James F. Courtney, 80, was fined
$40 and James P. Mcclure, 26,
was fined S..
Police said both Rollins and
Lyons have long police records,
dating back to juvenile offenses.
This isn't the first time Pvt.
Womble has been in a tough spot.
On December 2, 1948. he and
Corpl. Grady Beacham forced
open a door to get a man who
had said he would kill any one
who came after him. Corpl.
Beacham was fatally wounded
when the man opened fire and
Pvt. Womble fired five times, kill
ing the murderer. Pvt. Womble
L., L.