Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-09

| tuTtdtS OF actual violence. ana ne was lett TO
| find his way back to the city. These cases be-
| came so numerous that public attention was
| excited, and the officials at the head Of the
| various departments adopted stringent rules
| prohibiting guides from entering the buildings.
| The same course was pursued by the Capitol
authorities; but still the piundering went on
| When an indignant voice asked where were the
detectives, certain of those virtuous officials ex-
planned that the men went over on Virginia soil
| and robbed their victims there and that they had
been unable to get the Virginia authorities to
| cooperate with them in their efforts to arrest
| these monte men. Yet all this time these very
| monte men were paying these detectives 10 per
cent OF what they extorted from their victims,
| and II there was any 'kCk," the percentage
ranged from 90 to so per cent.
On one occasion when victim clicked"
! one of the monte men confessed that he sent
! his wife to one of the detectives with all the
money he had left-S40. His wife asked the
| detective:
| "Now must they stop this?"
! mo. tell them to go on; we want money"
| was the reply.
ONE OF THE GANG GIVES 1T AWAY.
| 1t was mentioned above that the big robberies
! which have occurred here in recent wears were
acknowledged by the professionals to have
| been done with the cooperation of official de-
| tectives of crime. who received a percentage
of the plumber. private detective, who was
on intimate terms with two of the detectives.
| but had fallen out with Them in a statement
which he sent to police headquarters long be-
| fore an investigation was thought of, gives the
| following interesting account He says that on
certain day he saw four professional thieves
standing on street corner He went up to
them and told them that they could not rob any
| body In this city
"They asked me what was the matter? I
told them that there was nothing the matter
with me- but that they could not do any steal
ing They said that they had seen Mr. giving
the name Of detective) and had paid him a
percentage, and they We're going to stay here
and steal"
THE CITIZENS ORGANIZE.
Such was the condition OF affairs in the Capt.
toll city of this country. when on the 9th day of
December. 1882, anumber of prominent business
men and citizens of this District met at the
Metropolitan bank and organized q citizens
committee. The following were present: J..
W. Thompson, NJ. G. Emery. A. L. Barber, r. G..
Fox, j. E. Fitch. c. s. Moves. Thos Somerville,
T. A. Rover. John H. Magruder, S. H. Kauff-
mann. W. W. Burdette, Thos. Bowling, Henry
d: Cooke, c. C. Glover, A. E. Bateman,
w. A. Cook, William shuster. ]. W. Boteer,
b. H.. Warner. William Thompson, Charles
Stott, William P. Wood and DR.. Baxter. Most
of these gentlemen had been victims OF the
burglaries which had been perpetrated with
preceding years They organized for self pro-
lection as the men who We're paid out of the
publlc treasury to perform this duty had utterly
failed. The immediate cause of the meeting
was the statements Of John H. Murphy and
Charles O'Leary, cOnvicts then in Jail for frauds
committed by means of the three card monte
game. and their allegations were regarded as Of
so much Importance and cOnflrmatOry Of the ex-
perence of the citizens that listened to them
that 1t was believed the interests of individuals
ana the community demanded q full and impair
tlal investigation. AS the men who were en-
trusted with the protection of citizens were i'm
pncated IT became necessary for the citizens to
organize and for the plundered to take de-
cided stand against the plunderers.
JOHN W. THOMPSON CHOSEN CHAIRMAN.
The committee organized with Mr.. John w.
Thompson as chairman. After listening to what
these men were willing to testify to, COL VIM
p Wood made statement, In which he ex.
pressed confidence that these men could be cor
roborated and many additional facts could be
obtained. Upon hearing these statements the
gentlemen decided to investigate their truth
and after discussion the entire matter was
entrusted to subcommittee composed of the
following gentlemen: John W. Thompson. j. w
Boteler, K. c. Fox. w. w. Burdette John H.
Magruder. 7. A. Rover and W. A. Cook The
latter, however, soon withdrew as a member of
the committee. The Importance of this meeting
can now be fully appreciated, in the light of
what has since been accomplished.
THE POLICY OF INTIMIDATION.
The prospect at that time was not an inviting
one. The committee were in possession of but
few facts. They had no power to summon wit
nesses, and from the very nature of their duties
they could expect no aid from the authorities en-
trusted with the detection Of crime On the
contrary the publication Of the fact of the or
ganiZation of the committee, aud its objects at
once exposed the members to threats Of injury
to thelr persons, to outrageous assaults upon
their character and regulations, and to the
espionage OF trained band Of detectives and
thieves. The entire combination directed all
their power to thwart and ntimidate the men,
bers ofthe committee. They openly jeered at their
efforts, and resorted to every means to make
these public spirited men apprehensive not only
OF their personal safety, but Of their property.
The citizens at large, ignorant Of the extent
and power OF this combination of wicked men,
were inclined, at first to regard cOldly the pur-
poses Of the committee. The first few weeks
were the dark days in the history Of the work Of
! the committee, and they sometimes thought
| that they stood alone. But the light began to
dawn. at first in faint glimmer, then stronger
and finally such flood of light that the evil
doors, who had so long held triumphant rule in
this city, began to run for cover and to plead for
mercy. One week after the committee organ
lied the sub committee went to the Jail and
heard the statements Of OLeary and Murphy
The publication Of the facts gained in this
interview showed an astounding state of af-
IaiTs Additional facts came pouring in
from citizens who had been plundered and in
two weeks the committee was able to embody a
portion of these facts In statement which they
called 'Memorandum No. L." and which they
sent to the District Commissioners. An inyes-
tigation was at once begun by the Commission
ers, represented by Gen. West, into these
charges affecting the detectives. and in a few
days several members of the detective force were
suspended. By the efforts of the committee q
bill was introduced in Congress abolishing the
entire force, and this was followed by q reor-
ganization of the police.
EVIDENCE POURING IN.
In the meanwhile the citizens committee con-
tinued their work with undated energy. The
statement OF a lady who had been robbed by this
gang graphically described her experience with
certain detectives and tended to show their col
fusion with thieves and "fences." Then came
the sworn statement of Parker, Berry and Nc
Gill, three sneak thieves. one of whom
described thirty rObberies that he had been per-
petrated, twelve Of which were committed in
about months time. These confessions gave
the details not only Of the rObberies but the
disposition Of the goods and the plundered citi-
zens were Informed how their property was
stolen from their residences, then Carried to a
'fence," within block Of Pennsylvania avenue
and held there while detectives bargained with
the owners for the ransom and divided the
money thus received with the fence and the
thieves
Information was at the same time secured of
those who committed the large rohherias NJ