Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-19
SIMILAR HIGHWAY ROBBERIES
FOUR MEN IN EACH CASE HELD
FOR GRAND JURY.
"Gangs of Loafers" Hanging About
Saloons Prosecutor Calls Prison
ers-Eight Men Accused.

BY curious coincidence, Prosecuting
Attorney Ralph Givens found it his
duty to present to Judge Kimball mis-
morning two cases of highway rob-
berry, occurring in different parts of the
city, the details of which were almost
Identical.
Four men were concerned in each Of
Tense. In asking the court to hold
the men for the grand jury Mr.. Givens
expressed himself at great length or
the subject of gangs of loafers" hang
ing around saloons and lying in wait
for any one who shows any money.
Two Men Waylaid.
The first case was one in which
Morris Chambers, John Matthews. Mel
kizer Thomas and Arthur Roy. alias
Kid Roy all colOred. were accused OF
waylaying Bernard Jenkins, another
colored man. and William Kendrick,
giving them both a beating. and TAX
ing So from Jenkins, and SO from
kendrick.
The story as told in court. was that
Kendrck and Jenkins left a barroom
on Missouri avenue, near Az street.
Saturday night. after having displayed
q little money in the barroom. Some
rated by a few feet in walking down
AZ street.
Four men jumped on Jenkins with
in stones throw of the brilliantly
lighted Pennsylvania avenue, knock
ed him down. and then turned their at
tentions to Kendrick. One of the men
who is accused Of being connected with
this piece of work. namely. Thomas.
rushed up to Kendrick saying:
Il am policeman. What's the mat
Kendrick said he was holding onto
his roll at the time. but when Thomas
said he was a policeman he pulled his
hands out Of his pocket.
The confessions of the four men. dis
gorged after a mild third degree treatment
in the sixth precinct station house, were
somewhat at variance with other testi-
mony. Each Of them seemed to put all
the blame on his next neishbor Each
one of them said that somebody got the
money, but nobody seems to know who.
Judge Kimball held them all in $1.OCO
bond for the grand jury
Negro is Victim.
In the other case three men are sup
posed to have met fourth, held con-
sultation along the river front in Foggy
Bottom, then went to a saloon and held
up c. d. Price, an old colored man, who
had shown little DIT of money in a bar
room.
Price was badly cut. When he appeared
in court he had on enough bandages ia
hide his features almost completely.
The testimony was that as Price came
out OF a barrOom near 18th and Is streets
the four men, Walter Fortune. Riley
Washington, Carroll Ford and Monk Hill,
all colored. who had just finishing plan
ming the hold-up. followed. The four men
jumped on Price in dark corner opposite
me Montgomery School. between l and X
streets southwest, on 21th street.
They got about So from him, according
to his statement. One of the men cut him
badly with "a large knife
The police first heard of it from the hos
p.tal.
Precinct Detective Embery and Police
men James B. Much and w. c. Young
went to work on the case.
Much arrested two men whom he knew
were not connected with the case but
had knowledge of everything that goes
on in Foggy Bottom. Shortly after their
arrest the third precinct station was be-
sieged by young colored women who Of
fered to tell who did it provided the pair
under arrest should he let free
In that way the police learned of the
four men who appeared in court today.
Fortune was caught in Northeast Wash
ingtOn before daybreak Sunday morning.