Police Catch Robbery Suspect After Tipoff by Student Victims

A Mattapan man was arraigned yesterday in connection with an October armed robbery in a Claverly Hall suite, and a trial date was set for January 7.

University Police Sgt. Lawrence J. Murphy said the three roommates who were robbed on October 13 saw the suspect Sunday on Bow St. near St. Paul's Church, recognized him, and called the University police.

Two Harvard policemen, Sgt. Lawrence Dennehy and Officer Thomas Scanlon, and two Cambridge policemen made the arrest, Murphy said.

He said that on their way to the arrest, Dennehy and Scanlon picked up one Cambridge policeman in their car, and a sergeant arrived later. The man offered no resistance to arrest, Murphy said.

The three students reported in October that they had been robbed at gunpoint of $100 by two men who had entered their room asking to borrow matches. Eight days later, their room was broken into and a stereo valued at $1700 was stolen.

Students Complained

Following the second robbery, Claverly residents complained to Archie C. Epps III, dean of students.

The administration responded by locking the doors to Claverly and placing a member of the security patrol and an alarm buzzer system inside, Epps said yesterday. The first floor windows were barred and peepholes were replaced, he added.

Epps said he was "pleased" by the arrest. "That is just the kind of participation we need," he said. The new security measures in Claverly will continue despite the arrests, he added.