Evening star., 1953-07-29
Suspect Seized
In Ho|dup Of
Woman Driver
Man Tells Story
Of How He, Too,
Was Robbed Here

VuS NODDSu HSIe
DaZed, covered with coal dust
and clad only in trousers, q
young man has been arrested in
yesterdays robbery of two women
who were forced at gun point to
drive a bandit through down.
town Washington streets.
1t. Edwin Crandall of the rob-
berry squad said John N. Mckee,
"a of Sharpsburg, Pa. denied
the robbery and told a bizarre
story to explain his condition.
1t. Crandall said Mckee had
been identified by the women
and two men who saw the gun
man fee, and would be charged
with robbery. He also was
being questioned about the
fatal shooting of two truck
drivers on the Pennsylvania
turnpike last Saturday and yes
terday, both while they slept in
their trucks.
Becomes Unconscious.
Mckee was arrested near
Fourth street and Maryland ave-
nue. NE, about $3.50 pm. yester-
day by police who saw him wan
dering. They took him to
Gallinger Hospital where he be-
came unconscious but later was
able to talk to police.
He said he lost his clothes
when a man Of similar appear
ance forced him at gun point
into a coal car and changed
clothes with him.
Police doubted the story and
believed the man perhaps had
been overcome in the car by
heat and coal dust. He told po-
lice he had arrived in Wash
ington about 7:30 am. yesterday
from Youngstown, hence the
Interrogation about the Penn
Sylvania murders.
1t. Crandall said the mobile
daylight robbery here began
when a man stepped into the
rear seat of a car parked at
Eighth and E streets NV.
Victim Describes HOIdup.
Miss Hazel M. Boeddeker, 80,
of 500 Arlington Village, who
was driving the car during
yesterdays robbery, gave details
of the narrowing experience to-
day
She and Miss Kathryn Warren
of Melfa, Va, riding in a Cadil-
lac sedan, had stopped for a
traffic light at Ninth and E
streets NV, when a tall man
opened the back door and
climbed in.
Looking back, I saw he was
holding a gun" Miss Boeddeker
said. 1.-The barrel was covered
with surgical cotton held in
place by a rubber band"
"'This is a Silencer,'" Miss
Boeddeker said the man warned,
pointing to the cotton. "'You
know what that is"
Handed Note.
The man ordered her to start
driving in the direction of Union
Station. AS they rode, she no.
ticed he was scribbling some
thing. Soon he handed her this
note:
"I want all your valuables.
nothing else"
All the while, she had been
thinking furiously, wondering
how to attract attention. She
thought of running into another
car, or running off the street.
She drove along very slowly.
"He took both our pocket
books" Miss Boeddeker said,
"and found $25 or $50. I had
been quietly dumping out the
contents of my purse on, the
floor as we rode"
Wipes OFF Fingerprints.
Later, the gunman carefully
wiped off the purses and the
back doors where he might have
left flngerprints.
At E street and Union Station
Plaza, Phillip w. Austin, 1918
Cheverly avenue, Cheverly, Md,
pulled up beside them in another
car.
II winked and made faces"
Miss Boeddeker said. "He got
the idea and could see his lips
forming the words, rs he robbing
you?' I let him know he was"
Mr.. Austin followed until, at
Second and I streets NV. a
Dodge carrying three men pulled
in between him and the Cadillac.
Weapon Is Sought.
Mr.. Austin called to a pedes-
trian, explained the predicament.
and the pedestrian told the three
men ahead. AS the light
changed, the Dodge darted in
front of the Cadillac, cutting it
off as Mr.. Austin pulled in from
behind.
Waving his gun at the men
moving in toward the car, the
bandit dashed down a railroad
smbankment and disappeared.
Twenty policemen were search
ing coal yards today for the gun
used in the holdup.