Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-27
MOSBY MAKES ARREST
Post Office Inspector Captures
Green Goods Man.
ONE SWINDLER ESCAPES
Officer Sends Bullet After Fleeing
Individual.
STRUGGLES WITH THE OTHER
Exciting Incident in Baltimore.
Charge Is Using United States
Mail to Defraud.
STRUGGLES WITH THE OTHER
Special Dispatch to The Star.

DALI lhoRE, 4hQ., september eO.-AS
the result of detective work on the part
of Post Office Inspector H. B. Mosby Of
Bedford City, Va, a nephew of Col.
Mosby of Mosbys raiders, Charles Steel,
who gave his address as New York is lock-
ed up here, charged with using the United
States mails as a means to defraud. Steel
and another man, whose name is un-
known to the police and who escaped. are
believed to be the men who have been
operating the green goods game in diff
ferent sections of the country for long
time.
The post office authorities recently re-
ceived word that the men who were
thought to be working the swindle were
about to locate in Baltimore. Inspector
Mosby says he got the word" to run the
case down and he came to Baltimore In
some way he got into communication
with Steel, who had rented furnished
room at 532 West Mulberry street. This
morning Inspector Mosby met Steel at
the Hotel Rennert and had a long con-
Versation with him. Steel, who acted as
the "steerer,' explained the game to Mos
by. who was dressed in clerical attire, a
dark suit and a round top hat
Mosby made an engagement to meet
Steel at the Mulberry street address and
some time before 1 o'clock he went there
He found Steel and another man and i'm
mediately entered into conversation with
them about the green goods
Escaped by Way of Window.
Mosby reached into his inside pocket
a lot of the goods. Instead of the wal
let however. the alleged swindlers found
themselves facing the muzzle of a revol-
Jynr or,@
rest. The room in which the men oper-
ated Is in the front of the house on the
first floor 1t has two DOORS one on the
side, opening into the hall. and the other
IN the back. Inspector Mosby, fearing
that there were others in the gang shifted
MS eyes for second to the side door. AS
he did so the man who is unknown to the
police threw up the window sash and
leaped to the pavement. Before he. was
out Of sight. however, Mosby shot at him,
and. although he rushed around the cor
ner and disappeared, the inspector is of
the opinion that the bullet hit him.
After a short tussle the inspector gave
Steel pair of handouts and told him to
put them on. Steel demurred at first.
but the revolver again came into play and
cowed him. Even after the handouts
We're on Steel tried to escape. but his ef-
forts were in vain. Policemen Millard F.
Watkins and Harry l.. Twele were at
tracted to the scene by the gathering of a
crowd following the shooting They gave
assistance to the inspector A search of
the room disclosed a satehel Containing
good money, said to amount to several
thousand dollars. suit case and some
paraphernalia used in the operations
were also secured.
Say They Have Right Man.
Deputy Marshal Manning and Post Of
flee Inspector Hooten were notified of the
capture. They did not identify Steel az
already known to them, but say they are
confident that he Is the man for whom
they have been looking
In operating one of the gang. Known
as the 'steerer." would become acquainted
with the intended victim and tell him that
he has In his possession machinery for
making counterfeit notes SO good they
cannot be detected from real money
These he would offer to sell at much
smaller price than their face value. The
intended victim would be shown real
money and made to believe that it was
the good counterfeit referred to- Should
he purchase 1t he would receive a bundle
OF paper while the green goods men
escaped with his real money
News Of the capture in Baltimore was
received at the Post Office Department
yesterday afternoon from Inspector Mos
by, who reported by long-distance phone
that he had landed one of the green goods
men and had a shot at the other He
asked that assistance be sent him. In
spector NJ Fl. Boyle of tue New York
division. who was in the city, was ordered
to Baltimore at once.
1t is stated that some time ago a resi-
dent of the little town of Cleveland Tenn.
received a tempting circular suggesting
that there were ways to get rich which
beat working, and If he cared to look
further into the matter. the sender of
the circular in New York would meet
him. The circular was turned over to
Inspector Mosby, and he followed up the
case to the point of meeting his would be
benefactor in Baltimore. Posing as a
gullible grennhorn from the country he
went to Baltimore and registered at a lead
ing hotel to give the appearance that he
was not 80 very poor, The green goods
men fell into the trap, with the result
stated.