Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-20
BOGUS INSPECTORS
CHARGE OF ANOTHER ROBBERY
PLACED AGAINST THEM.

Captain Boardman. chief of detectives,
learned yesterday that the two bogus teie-
phone men who robbed the house of Will
lam E. Boulter, 1924 s street. of 81 500 wor. h
OF diamonds last week. as stated in The
Star at the time. also robbed the home of
DIR. r. N. Harper, 1917 10th street. They
took only gold watch from the Harper
home, leaving box containing about $4,000
worth of diamonds near the place from
where the timepiece was taken. It Is
thought the young men went from the
home of the president of the American
National Bank to that of Mr.. Boulter.
Mrs. Harper was not at home when the
men called, and they were admitted by the
butler She returned while they were there.
however. and inquired why they had come
to look after the phone wnen no complaint
had been made. One of them explained
that 1t was necessary to look them over
occasionally, and said there did not seem
tc be much the matter with the instru-
ment In her house. When she asked why
one of them had entered her room on the
second floor near the telephone, he said he
was looking for water. 1t Is thought he
had the timepiece in his pocket at that
time, for the two intruderS left the house
shortly afterward.
Mrs. Harper regarded the action of the
men as suspicious, but was satisfied when
she found that her diamonds had not been
touched The next day she went to New
York. and did not discover the loss of her
watch until she returned home. While in
the house the bogus inspectors cut the
wires and removed the transmitter.
The police of other cities have been ask
eo to look out for the two men. Their de-
scriptions were furnished, but nothing has
been heard of them since they were sup
posed to have been seen to leave an Allan
tic Coast line train at Richmond.
Merely Joke.
Detective Tyser thought he had a line on
the bogus telephone operators this morning
when he found man in a second hand
store with three transmtters in his possess
sion. The young man was taken to police
headquarters and Mrs. Boulter called there
to see him. She promptly said he was
not one OF the two men who called at her
house 1t turned out that the young man,
who is in the employ of the Chesapeake and
POTOMAC Telephone Company was called
into the store in the belief that he wanted
to make purchase. When he had looked
over the contents of the store and had found
nothing that suited him he jokingly said to
the clerk: Now l have something to sell
you, exhibltlng the transmitters. His ar
rest followed and he was taken to head
quarters. He explained the joke and was
not detained.
MI. Bethell's Warning.
In an interview today MIR r II Rathe,1
general manager of the Chesapeake and
Potomac Telephone Company. stated 70 a
Star reporter:
hoooeries by bogus telephone repair
men such as have occurred recently In
washington, are reported from time TO
time IN every city in the country In orr
telephone directory, under the head. Gen
eral Notices. we request our subscribers
not TO allow access to their premises to
teIephone men unless such men can nro
ouce a metal badge showing a he'll onr
company's name and a number OF course
as pointed out by Major Sylvester these
naoges can be duplicated but the badge
felt ""u COUNTER
AS an additional precaution, however it
a lh:ght De well for subscribers. when in
ooupt as to whether the men should he
admitted to the premises or not. to cali
up the equipment foreman Main 5000. The
equipment foreman can readily identify the
company Workmen by telephone"