Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-13
OR GANIZED ME-.
THIEVES, RECEIVERS AND DETECTIVES.
REPORT TO THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE.
WHAT THE INVESTIGATION HAS DE
VELOPED


VELOPED.
CHAIRMAN THOMPSON ABLY SUMS UP
THE RESULTS.
The Citizens committee met at half-past one
| to-day at the Metropolitan Bank. The following
| were present: H. H. Wells, Jas. E Fitch, r. C.
Fox, W. NJ Shuster, w. w. Burdette, II. D. Cooke,
A. E. Bateman,M. G. Emery, VIM. Thompson, ,Thos.
| somerville, B. H. Warner, &. K. johnson, G. F. E.
| Richardson. c. Wilmer, W. s. Roose, C. Stott,
E: Waggaman. A. T. Britton, c. B. Jewell, Col n.
Wilson, P. H. Hooe, Thos. Dowlipg.
man, Mr John ". Thompson. Mr.. B. B. n. i Warner
acted as secretary. The chairman then read the
| following report:
Report OF Chairman Thompson.
| Conference.-The events which caused the citi-
| zens Of Washington to organize themselves into
Committee OF Safety, are OF so recent date that
| they need not be rehearsed at length; but 1t is
! enough to remind you that burglary, robbery,
grand larceny. and other kindred crimes had be-
come 80 frequent as to excite no surprise, while
| the arrest and trial OF the offender, especially
| when the amount OF property stolen was large, or
even considerable, was so rare an occurrence as
not only to attract public attention. but was COM
monty published as an evidence OF the extraordin-
ary skill and vigilance OF the detective force.
While the criminals generally escaped, 1t was
not 6y any means uncommon for the citizens who
had been plundered OF their effects to recover the
same by buying them back, a method not unlike
the old and barbarous practice of paying ransom,
which grew and strengthened until it became In
to protect the citizen by detecting crime and ar
resting criminals; but the fact became daily more
and mora apparent that we held our wearing ap-
parel, our household effects, our bonds, money
jewels and ornaments subject to the will OF thieves
and burglars, with only the privilege of buying
G al O acnno hi
crate price
ORGANIZED CRIME.
At length, however. 1t was plain that crime had
| become an organized Institution, embracing the
| thief, the middle man to whom he could instantly
deliver his plunder, and private and public detec-
tlveS. upon whom the f1rSt-named classes could
confidently rely for immunity. TO meet that Or
ganiZation 1t became necessary for the citizens to
take concerted action-for the plundered to wage
| war against the plunderers. From that necessity
sprang the citizens committee
bers OF the committee had knowledge OF only
Few crimes which had been thus compounded.
os5y nhey nad M not however either knowledge or sus
been carried, and never conceived 1t possible that
when the local thieves were found inadequate to
larger enterprises some OF the officers charged
With the detection OF crime and the arrest OF Grim
mas mad brought here more expert professional
criminals to execute the plans which they had
suspicion OF the difficulties which would be thrown
around them In the progress OF their undertaking,
for but few would be willing to engage in this pub
lie service, knowing that thereby they would SUBJ
Jeet themselves to threats Of injury to person ana
estate, to unWarrantaOle end outrageous assaults
upon their character and reputation to threats of
suits for slander and libel and, more contemplate
and offensive than all, to constant espionage, sur
veillance and shadowing by trained spies and in.
Formers To all OF which some members of your
committee have been from the outset constantly
INFORMATION NECESSARILY OBTAINED FROM THE
CRIMINAL CLASSES
We were reminded, and came shortly to know.
that it was painfully true that the information for
which we sought could only be obtained from the
CLASSES eS from those who had
we OF necessity resorted. We did not 60 into
churches. nor among the innocent and unsus-
went, in short. to the men who did the deeds to
ascertain what In fact had been done. While we
0mereo no immunity, ana n TACT had none to oner,
sity, not only to seek for information from the
quarters referred to- but when 1t was obtained and
verified by known facts and credita Die witnesses.
to protect by all Just and proper means the indl-
v1dnals who had, IN the interest Of justice, not
m1ttee, but at war with their former friends and
associates.
furnished by John Henry Murphy and Charles
OLeary cohvicts. then In jail, for frauds commit
ted by means OF game OF cards known as three
card monte. Their statements were voluntary
descending TO details reduced to writing and made
on oath, which Informed us not only OF their own
methods and means BY Which their crmes were te
committed. They furnished also the names OF in
divtduals oficers OF justice, charged with detect
the plunder, obtained under agreements made be-
forehand as to how the spoils were to be divided
generally known. that among this depredafin0
class there is generally pretty full Information as
to what offences have been committed by others,
In whose particular crimes they are not them
selves associated.
COMPLETELY OF THIEVES AND DETECTIVES.
AS an Illustration OF what has just been said,we
learned from one OF these earliest statements the
name Of the person who committed the Chris
inaung Mt long MerS we hGe earne6 rne6
from another written and sworn statement. made
by man who was Justly convicted OF grand lar
force on the public street, two months after the
larceny, who accosted him thus: "Hello, give
he had no business to use that language to him:
to which the detective answered.: "Look here you
did shoot OF your mouth" referring to some com
crime, "and I'll have you arrested and sent to the
workhouse." He did have him arrested two hours
the the goods Or 1ae ana
evidence, and the party who had bought them,
who testified not only to the purchase. but to his
The man was found guilty of the larceny, and
served term OF twelve months In the peniten-
tiary.
The witness Just mentioned who was the re-
ceiver of the stolen goods, was promptly indicted
therefor at our suggestion. and on his arrest was
bailed by another Of the detectives ,who so far as
we then knew, had no knowledge OF the fast-men-
toned crime. The receiver, however, very shortly
made this all plain by furnishing his sworn state
ment and giving his testimony before the grand
jury, from which it appeared that both OF the de-
tectves just referred to were rot only acquainted
and connected with the Christiancy robbery, but
one OF them planned the crime, sent for an expert
thief to execute it, received the stolen jewels into
his own hands, sent to New York for go-betWeen
TO buy them. hagGled about the price to be paid
therefor, sold them for 000 receiving four $500
bills In payment, two Of which bills he exchanged
for smaller money. and divided as follows: $26 to
the witness who furnishes the statement, 500 to
his fellow detective, $500 to the man who stole the
property, and kept $500 for his own share OF the
plunder; and finally he went to the depot and
nnding that the way was clear, his fellow detec-
tive actually carried the jewels to the depot where
he delivered them In due form and with all proper
ceremony to the go-between, who was then In the
car and waiting for them.
Such occurrences as the foregoing would be
Incredible were they not established by most abun-
dant evidence which the committee gathered and
furnished to the grand Jury.
The Instances mentioned are enough, although
we have IL our possession proof more or less COM
plete OF probably one hundred similar transac-
tons, involving ordinarily much smaller amount
OF property than she Christiancy robbery, but