Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-25
Some Washington Detectives.
SERIOUS CHARGES NADR AGAINST THIN


From the New York Sun. to-day.
WASHINGTON, Nov M.-The almost uninterrupt-
ed success or the operations OF monte men In
Washington has beer long the cause OF uncom-
piimentary comment upon the detective force OF
the city. Until recently hardly day passed
tut some unsuspecting granger was fieeced
The ground OF operations was originally
at Arlington, Virginia, whittier the victim was
led by bogus "guide" to see the soldiers ceme-
terry and the Lee mansion. But the activity OF the
Virginia authorities led the abandonment or this
field The arsenal grounds, which are full OF
shady retreats, were then selected by the swind-
lerS The victim was entlced there by the sguide-
under the pretenSe or seeing the grave OF Mrs
Surratt. When his money gave out a fictitious
policeman would appear on the scene. The monte
man would then run In one direction and the
frightened granger in another, frequently lament
ing the loss OF his watch as well as his money.
About six months ago two monte men, John
IT, Murphy and Charles 0Leary, were arrested by
Specially connected. They were tried by Judge
Wylie In the Criminal Court Murphy was sem
tencet to six, and 0'Leary to three years In the
pententiary. Their counsel took an appeal, which
Is now pending, and will be acted upon soon one
OF the effects OF Judge Wylie's decision was the
immediate cessation or the monte game In WASH
fngton; another is an astonishing revelation or
the methods OF some OF the members OF the me-
tropolltan detective force or the city.
During his confinement In the Washington. IAN
O'Leary prepared written statement OF his ex-
periences with the detectives and violators OF law
He says he owed the unmolestei part OF his career
TO the detectives, who were paid percentage OF
his receipts Thinking he might get into trouble
some time, and that certain knowledge would be
Deneflclai TO him In such emergency. 0Ieary one
day conceived the project OF finding out whether
the detectives "jivviein exclusively with members
| OF his own profession He was somewhat startled
to ind that what the detectives received from
monte men was mere bagatelle compared with
the harvest he alleges they reaped from the mystic
ton during the past three years.
Outside the halls OF Congress Washington is well
known not TO be the resort OF professional thieves
OLeary claims that certain members OF the detec-
tive FORCE through stool pigeon, secured the ser
vices OF professional thieves from New York.
Among the robberies they committed We're the
diamonds OF ex-senator Christiancy. from the
National hotel; large sum or money from the
Government Printing ONCE under Defrees' ad-
ministration, which was subsequently made good
by special appropriation OF Congress; silks from
Burdette's dry goods store in 9TH street; the con-
tents OF the safe In StottS drug store money from
| the office OF Fitch, Fox Brown; bonds from the
National Metropolitan bank and various articles
| National Metropolitan bank paid 5000 to the
detectives stool pigeon, and got back their bonds
but no arrests were made.
BIZ woodward, the proprietor OF policy shop
| In washington, until recently had been paying
the detectives part OF his receipts for protection
that the detectives did not fulfil their promises OF
protection. he discontinued paying them. They
threatened him, and he defied them. He charges
| that they then connived with the manager OF the
opposition policy shop, which is supported by the
lottery, for revenge. BY an arrangement with the
accredited New York agency OF the lottery they
put up j0J to bankrupt him.
Playing policy is the favorite pastime OF proba.
| Oily half the negro population of Washington
Ihey Invest their money on certain combina-
| lions of numbers, variously and myteriously
DESIGNATED as "money row." ''emancipation
row. and other rows with seductive titles
| woodward says that the owner OF the opposition
policy shop became familiar with the rows most
patronized by his Ethiopian customers, and had
the drawings so Manipulated by the lottery peo-
| pie as to cause him loss OF about s., 600 in a
single day, and previously other losses amounting
| monte business, and, like OLeary, had familiar.
| lied himself with the transactions OF the detec-
tives. He corroboretes the story told by oLeary.
A short time ago the friends OF OLeary and
Murphy, believing their statement, employed com.
petent counsel to investigate it The result OF the
investigation was laid before John w. Thompson,
president OF the National Metropolitan bank who,
with other victims OF the robberes, considered
the subject Of such importance that they gave it
cumulated other evidence, and are becoming con-
WINGED that O'Leary's statement Is substantially
doubleday will be added to those made by O'Leary
and Murphy. The whole affair is expected to cui-
| inmate In an Investigation which win be begun In
a few days.
LIEUT.. ECKLoFF DENrEs
81 say it's all lie made out OF whole cloth, ex-
claimed Lieut.. Ecklo, OF the detective force after
reading the SUMS article, which was shown him
by STAR reporter ST." he continued, "any man
OF the force ever got anything from thieves I
know nothing about it, and I don't think this
thing could go on without my finding 1t out" The
lieutenant then went On to give an account OF the
difficulties that had been found In the way OF con-
VlcInR Une InTee caro- monte men. lie said the
men OF that stamp were arrested often and over
again, but would escape conviction and re-
sumo their rascal!y practices. The lieu.
tenant said that he arranged the scheme
for the capture OF Hambleton, who
was convicted and sentenced to states prison In
Virginia for confidence operations, He said the
| authorities here could not get the Virginia law
officers to cooperate with Them and this was one
reason that thieves operating In virginia were Dot
lieutenant, pretty well broke up the monte prac.
tices. He mentioned one case where man named
Long subsequently convictedl robbed a country
man from Virginia A certain lawyer, said the
lieutenant, was sent to the Virgtnian's residence
and paid him $500, In consideration OF which he
was not to appear here and testify against the
thief. The man kept the money, but broke his bar
gain, and on his testimony Long was convicted.
WHAT THE DETECTIVES SAY.
Detective Voss said: "If anybody ever got any
divvy know cent OF 1t never came into my hands,
and feel sure others are just the same"
Detective McDevitt felt too indignant, appa-
rently, to make any denial OF the charges
The other detectives all denounced the charges
as false, and claimed that 1t was not their fault
that monte games and similar schemes were not
broken up long ago.