Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-15
HELD FOR GRAND JURY
ACTION IN CASES OF F. s. Ho-
MANS AND D. P. TANNER.

Frank s. Romans, alias Tarbeau, and
David P. Tanner, alias Townsend, who
were arrested at the New Willard Hotel
last Sunday by Detectives Evans and Corn
well of headquarters, were arra1sned IN
the Police Court today on a charge of at
tempting to defraud Thomas ]. Kemp Of
5000 by means Of faro game. The de-
PENDANTS were represented by Attorney ].
Morrill, Chamberlin. Each defendant plead
ed not guilty, and preliminary hearing was
waived. The defendants were ordered held
by Judge Mullowny for the action of the
grand jury. Bond was fixed at 81 500.
Tanner was later arraigned on charge
of carrying concealed weapon. He plead
ed not guilty, and demanded a jury trial
Bond In the case was fixed at $500. Both
men were released on bond later. Thomas
r. ]. Campbell qualified as surety.
On account Of the waving of the exami-
nation, no testimony was offered today.
Information From New York.
Inspector Boardman, acting chief Of
police. has received information from the
New York police authorities concerning the
identity Of Tanner and Romans. 1t is stat
ed that Romans had served three years in
prison in London for an assault growing
out of a game of cards. Tanner, 1t vas
stated, had lived at White Plains NJ Y,
for about three years and enjoyed a good
reputation. In the mail this morning from
William Mclaughlin, inspector of the New
York detective bureau, were clippings from
two New York papers telling of alleged do
ings of Romans. but not giving any infor-
nation regarding Tanner. A photograph
of Romans, whose aliases were given as
Frank Taylor and Frank Tarbeau, was
also received from the New York police de-
partment. At the time the photograph was
taken, about year ago, the young man
stated that he was born in Mexico. 1t is
stated that Inspector Mclaughlin recog-
niZed the prisoner as soon as he appeared
in the latters office The inspector told
him that many of the older detectives had
retired during the ten years he was abroad
and that the new ones had overlooked him
during the few days he had been back.
The story tells Of how the prisoner was
shown to the members Of the detective
corps and of his subsequent discharge 1t
says: 'Tarbeau has not been here in ten
years, as far as the police know. He was
a member Of the Jimmie Irving and Porter
gangs of bank burglars, and was the recog-
nized leader of the Irving gang for long
time He has done most of his thieving on
the continent and he Is known in every big
city from London to st. Petersburg. One
of his biggest hauls was in South Africa,
where he and another crook got away with
100000.
Turned UP in London.
I'm 1885 Tarbeau and crook known
as Big Hawley turned up in London. They
rented house in the East End and Hawley
let it be known that he was the Hon. Will
liam Musgrave, United States senator.
Tarbeau was his private secretary. The
pair enticed wealthy young Englishmen to
their house and fleeced them at cards. 1t
got so hot for them that both skipped, and
Tarbeau was arrested some months later in
South Africa. He escaped twice from his
captorS, but was arrested again. On June
II, 1895, he was sentenced to three years
imprisonment for his work with Hawley."
Another clipping contains information
about the alleged operations Of Tarbeau in
London, Paris, St. Petersburg and other
cities. 1t is stated that he was connected
with Big" Hawley in swindling operations
in Ceylon, where, it is stated, the pair de-
coyed wealthy jeweler into the Colombo
Hotel and robbed him of 100000 worth of
diamonds and other stones. At the time of
his arrest in New York a year ago the po-
lice found on him a card bearing the name
IF. S. Romans, Plateau Madagascar, p
square du Bots de Boulogne, Paris,
Era