Evening star., 1954-12-28
Yegg' g'sCapture
Solves String
OF Burglaries
Three Safe Jobs
Among Crimes Listed
In Signed Statement

In Signed Statement
A private detective captured o
safecracker at gunpoint yester-
day and District and Prince
Georges County police stamped
closed" on q whole string Of
burglaries.
The county Is holding Cornelius
Burton Weeks. jr.. ~, colored, Of
Washington in lieu of $4,000
bond-$5.000 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--and two grand larcenies in
washington, police said.
Weeks gave an address in the
1400 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 year ago.
: He listed his occupation as
"free-lance entertainer"
Weeks was captured by c. 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 q safe from
the Giant store at 1904 Indian
Head highway in Glassmanor.
Md.
He spotted the strongbox yes
terday 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 he based his
estimate on his~"casing" of the
stores Christmas business.
He told q bizarre story of how
he got the safe out Of the gro-
;ery after spending 48 hours in
side the food market.
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
3,100 pounds, the officer pointed
out, and a lone man could hard
~ have rnuScled 1t out of the
building by himself.
Detective Checked Place.
Mr.. James said he personally
checked the place at 11:40 pm.
Sunday when, according to his
captive. Weeks was still working
on the safe.
At dawn yesterday. the safe
still defled Weeks. He said he
used his torch to convert q
"slop cart" into a dolly.
Loading the safe on the dolly.
he trundled it to the stores rear
door, tied the dolly to his cars
bumper, and drove away slowly.
But at Maury avenue and Aud
rey lane the safe tipped over and
rolled into dry creek, he said.
Mr.. James. searching the area,
spoke to a housewife who re-
membered seeing Weeks green
car.
Autos Hood Up.
The detective found the car
shortly afterward. Its hood was
up. as though the driver was re-
pairing it Weeks was nearby,
and the safe was still in the
creek bed.
Police said Weeks admitted
breaking into the same store on
October 81 and burning away at
1t until his oxygen and acetylene
tanks were empty. Store officials
said he missed $21 900 then.
Weeks also admitted a virtu-
ally identical attempt on the
safe at the Coral Hills Giant
Food Store the week end Of De-
cember IL, police reported. He
was interrupted at about 8 o'clock
that morning when employees
made an unscheduled appear
ance at the store to put up
Christmas decorations. That
safe contained $4,000. accord
ing to police.
Deputy Chief Edgar e. Scott.
head Of the metropolitan detec-
tives, said Weeks admitted Dis
trict jobs under questioning by
1t. Irving Lubore of the safe
squad and Detective Sergts. VIII
liam w. Friel and Arthur Tram
!. melle.
Weeks statements said he OBJ
tanned $4,000 from a safe in o
Safeway grocery, 1852 Fourteenth
street NV, September 20 and
/ $1,000 from another Safeway
safe at 4O49 South Capitol street
November Z.