The Washington times., 1908-02-16
First Tangible Gu e
Found to Solution of
Hold-Up Cases.
N c gro Arrested SuS-
peCted of Having At
tackled Miss MuIIan.

Congress is TO be appealed to By the
Commissioners TO aid them in bringing
an end to the reign Of terror. Alarmed
By the continued number of hold-uPs-a
situation with which the police depart
ment declares itself unable 10 cope
Commissioner Macfarland yesterday
determined to recommend 10 the Com
missioners that they ask Congress for
additional policemen at once.
Commissioner Macfarland and Major
Sylvester held a conference regarding
the situation yesterday afternoon. The
major showed in detail the position of
every man on the force and stated that
there is no possible way TO provide
more men for street duty. The Com
missioner then summoned Auditor
Tweedaie and inquired f the emergency
fund or any other of the District funds
could be used 10 provide additional po-
iicemen for temporary emergency ser
vice.
To Ask Special Appropriation.
Finding that under the DECISION Of
the Comptroller Of the Treasury this
cannot be done. the Commissioner an
ncunced that he will ask the Commits
sioners TO request Congress at once to
make an appropriation. for 100 add
tional policemen. Otherwise, even IL
included in the regular District appro-
priation bin, the policemen Will not
be- available until July J.
IF Congress responds favOrably,'
said Commissioner Macfarland. The eX-
animation of applicants for the police
force can be so expedited that the ad-
ditional patTolmeu will be ready for
/ service at a comparatively early date.
Find First Good Clue.
What the police believe to be the first
| tangible clue they have had in the many
| cases which have been causing terror
| 10 the community was discovered yes
terday afternoon by one Of the detec-
| tlves assigned 70 the case in which Miss
May r. Mullan was robbed Friday
| evening directly in front of the British
| embassy.
| Just what the evidence is on which
| the corps of plain cIothe men and cen
| tral once detective are working, would
not be divulged by Major Sylvester, who
! is certain that the miscreant viii soon
| be arrested with the detailing of ten
]
\ trict included between Eighth and
! Eighteenth and X and 5 streets north
/ west. strict orders were given TO every
| policeman and detective on the force 10
round up every suspicious character.
II is thought that, even II the clue on
which the authorities are now working
| should prove to be without result, the
| arrest of all suspicious individuals
found on the streets after dark viii be
the best means of Terreting out the
guilty.
While it is an undisputed fact with
/ Major sylvester and Captain Boardman
that one man is not guilty Of all the
robberIes, the theory is still held that
one man is responsible for at least six
or seven Of the twenty-one which have
been committed since September last.
Mullan Suspect Arrested.
Officer ". S. Smith and Precinct De-
tective Dawson, of the Ninth precinct
yesterday afternoon arrested a COlOreC
man. who gave his name as Luther Den
ton, in connection with the MuIlan case
; The man answers to the description OF
Miss Mullan's assailsnt and was seer
, lettering about a negro saloon OH II
street northeast. He first told Captain
DAILY that he worked for a local grair
} dealer but it was afterward learned
that he had not been in the employ Of
the firm for some time.
He could give no satisfactory account
Of his actions on Friday night and told
several conflicting stories as to how n,
> has lived since he quit work. Detectiv,
b Dawson is spending his entire time II
running down every semblance of
; clue which would tend to connect Den
ton with any of the assaults.
-Four Mnre Snsnacts