Evening star., 1954-12-28
Yegg' Capture
Solves String
Of BurgIariies
Three Safe Jobs
Among Crimes Listed
In Signed Statement

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safecracker at gunpoint yester-
day and District and Prince
Georges County police stamped
closed on a whole string of
burglaries.
The county is holding Cornelius
Burton Weeks. n, colored. of
Washington in lieu of $4,000
bond $5 900 on each Of three
grocery safe jobs police say he
has admitted.
Metropolitan detectives said
they would file detainers against
him today. He has. signed state
ments admitting eight house.
breakings-three of them safe
jobs land two grand larcenies in
Washington. police said.
Weeks gave an address in the
400 block of Sixth street NV.
But detectives said they are con-
fident he didn't live there. In
stead. they said, his true address
probably is in his fathers home
in the 1900 block of Crittenden
street NV.
Weeks told police he was "just
an apprentice safecracker.'
Studied Safecracking.
He said he studied safecrack-
ing in books borrowed from
Howard University's library. He
said he studied law and pre-
medicine at Howard for three
and one-half years before quit
ting about a yea. ago.
He listed his occupation as
"free-1ance entertainer.
Weeks was captured by G. T.
(Jimmie) James, 40, owner of the
National Detective Agency. HIS
firm has a security contract With
the Giant Food Stores.
Mr.. James was working on the
weekend theft of a safe from
the Giant store at 4804 Indian
Head highway in Glassmanor,
Md.
He spotted the strongbox yes
5erday at Maury avenue and Aud
rey lane, about two blocks from
the grocery. Weeks was stand
ing by it.
County Police Called.
The detective pulled his gun.
He said Weeks told him. I'm
your man. Don't shoot me" Mr..
James shouted to a housewife
to call county police, and held
Weeks captive until officers ar
rived.
The strongbox contained more
than $4,000, Giant executives
said.
Weeks told detectives he ex-
pected to get around $42, 900 from
the safe. He said ne based his
estimate on his casing Of the
stores Christmas business.
He told a bizarre story of how
he got the safe out of the gro
:ery after spending 48 hours in
side the food market.
$780, Pound Safe.
Police said he told them he
entered the store about $3.50
Christmas morning. He claimed
to operate alone, but Capt.
Charles N. Thomson of the
Prince Georges police said the
man had to have help. The
Glassmanor stores safe weighed
3,10o pounds, the officer pointed
out, and a lone man could hard
ly have muscled it out of the
building by, himself.
Weeks said he climbed a lad
der. stolen in Washington, to
the stores second story, and
pried open a louvre, police re-
ported.
Once inside the place, he
opened the back door and hauled
IN MS cuGLing Cofch, TANKS ana
other tools. he said.
Using a crowbar and auto
jack, he moved the safe from its
exposed position to a more Sc
cluded spot in the store, he said.
Then he made q dummy safe of
cartons. covering it with canvas,
to trick Mr.. James men who
were inspecting the store regu-
1arly.
Detective Checked Place.
Mr.. James said he personally
checked the place at 11:4O pm.
Sunday when. according to his
captive. Weeks was still working
on the safe.
At dawn yesterday, the safe
still defied Weeks. He said he
used his torch to convert a
"slop cart" into a dolly.
Loading the safe on the dolly,