Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-12-31
Bandit Escapes
As Police Hold
Fire on Crowd
Young Girl and Man
Used as Hostages;
HoIdup Gun Seized

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an unsuccessful attempt to rob
Mount Rainier finance office
late yesterday.
Trapped by police who with
held fire in fear of hitting the
girl or some one in the tense
crowd which had gathered, the
youth dropped his gun and fed.
Police found his topcoat and a
dagger in an alley near the scene
this morning.
Detective Sergt. Richard Pear
son Of Prince Georges County
police. said they are checking on
one suspect. a young Baltimore
County man with a police record.
He has not been at his home
since the attempted holdup, po-
lice said.
The gunman entered the sec
ond-floor Offices of the House.
hold Finance Co., 3235 Rhode
Island avenue, about 500 pm,
shortly after closing time. He
was masked with a white hand
kerchief and, the victims said,
appeared to be under 10 years
old.
He ordered nine employees to
lie on the floor and started ask
ing for the combination of the
safe. It contained between Sc. 900
and $4,000.
Told that they did not know
the combination. he pulled some
wire from his pocket and ordered
some of the employees to start
tying up the others.
Phone StartIes Gunman.
A ringing telephone which
startled the f1ustered youth, gave
the covering employees their first
break. He ordered Mrs. Marilyn
Green of Lanham, Md, to an
swer it land hang up"
The caller was John UtterSon,
a collector for the company who
detected something was wrong
when Mrs. Green repeated,
We'll call you right back"
He called police.
Police Pvt. Vernon F. Brum-
baugh came on the scene, went
back down the stairs for help
and found Mount Rainier Police
Chief Fred P. Schatz just across
the street where he had been
making a security check of other
finance offices.
Examines Wallets.
Meanwhile, the bandit had
given up on the safe and ordered
the nine employees to throw their
wallets on the floor. As he
started examining these. he
heard steps outside.
He grabbed Roy Gum, 4218
Oglethorpe street. Hyattsville. as
a hostage and excitedly asked
the location of the fire escape.
Suddenly he whirled, grabbed
17-year-old Mabel Jean Bowl
ing. a part-time employe of
1929 Thirty-eighth street, Brent
wood, and Fred Wildman, %.
an assistant manager. of 1924
Abingdon drive, Alexandria. Va,
and started down the stairway.
Chief SchatZ and Pvt. Brum-
baugh were waiting in the street
below.
AS the bandit, Miss Bowling
and Mr.. Wildman shielding him,
appeared, the gunman shouted,
THAT officer on the right, get
away"
Chief Says, "ShOOt Me-"
Chief Schatz said he stepped
from behind tree and called
out, Shoot me, don't shoot the
girl"
Miss Bowling was screaming,
"Please go away, he's going to
shoot me-"
The chief lowered his pistol.
With the girl and Mr.. Wild
man in tow, the bandit made
his way down Rhode Island ave-
nue. to the mouth, of an alley.
Tense passersby stood helpless.
Mr.. Wildman said, II was try
ing to keep him calm. He was
shaking like a leaf and sweat
was pouring from under his hat.
If he was out of his teens I'll
be surprised.
II don't know what he had
in mind. AS he walked along I
tried to talk him into giving up.
I told him he was liable to get
himself killed for nothing. He
said he wanted to get away"
Youth Breaks Away.
At the alley. the youth said.
I'm going to run down here"
according to Mr.. Wildman.
Then he broke away. fell
to the ground because I thought
the police were going to fire at
him. He handed the gun to
the girl. She had been calm
until he pointed the gun in her
face. Once she pushed it away"
The witnesses described the
bandit as about five feet, 10
inches tall, $50 pounds, light
brown hair, brown eyes. He was
wearing a gray topcoat and
brown shoes. His weapon, Chief
Schatz said, was a caliber $50
Colt automatic. which they are