The Washington times., 1910-11-29
Alleged 10 Have Been De-
linquent in Running
Down Clues.
HOUSE ROBBED TWICE;
TENANT HAS MOVED
PapeThanger Says Detectives Are
Attempting 10 Fasten Crime
on His Wife.

After A c Columbus, a paperhanger,
pf IH6 Eleventh street, had leased a
house In q new nefghbOrhoOd this morn
ing in order TO protect his family from
the depredatiOns Of thieves, he declares,
The police today decided TO MAKE q thor
bUgh investigation Of a robbery in the
Columbus home, reported 10 them two
weeks ago, and which, according TO
Columbus. they ignored
It required a second robbery, ~hich
occurred last Saturday morning. and II
which his wife was brutaIIy assaulted
BY a negro and robbed Of S24, &C ncealed
In her stocking. before the police were
finally aroused from their letharEv- lie
elares Columbus, and came 70 the con-
illusion that they had better loOA into
the case
But my wife IS too nervous to re-
main longer IN the house. he said we
have been denied protection. for what
cause do not know
Columbus this morning leased a house
at 1Si6 Eighth street
As the family vas packing up prepare
tory TO moving, detectives presented two
suspects 10 have them Identified. but
neither fitted the description OF Mrs
Columbus assailant-
According to Columbus, the interest
taken II the case today by the police
IS the very first evidence OF their desire
10 20 TO the bottom OF il, but their &C
ton came too late as far as II affected
his family continuing TO reside in their
Eleventh street home
Police Suspected Wife.
Columbus story Of the treatment he
has received at the hands Of the Po-
lice Department came as the result Of
an attempt by the police 10 fasten the
guilt Of the thefts upon his wife
Coupled with this allegation was
theory advanced by the police that the
family was IN arrears IN the payment
Of its rent and the rUse OF a robbery
was adopted n order 70 avoid the pay
ment-
IN denying the charge against his
wife, Columbus says that the police OF
the Second precinct, from tie moment
the second robbery was reported 10
them, took the attitude, before they
had scarcely begun an investigation,
that the burglar1eS could not have taken
place, as described, and intimaued that
his wife had made away with the
money
he also says that. after the second
robbery was reported, L was admitted
10 him by an officer OF the Second pre-
cinct that clue which he had furnish
ed the police concerning the first rob
berry had not been investigated
As for the matter Of rent COlum bus
AYERS that his rent was paid IN ad-
N--e-- GO
he owes is from that date 10 the pres
ent time His landlord has made no
demand upon him for the money, he
He produced a receipt showing that
he had paid to the firm of Gardiner
& Bent this morning the sum OF
S32-50, which is q months rent in
advance for the new house Just
leased
The description Of the two robber-
les which occurred in the Columbus
home within two weeks and the in
tereSt the police have taken 81 then.
as furnished by Columbus reveals one
OF the most unusual situations ever
recorded in local police circles
The First Robbery
The first robbery occurred on the
night Of November 16. When Mrs.
Columbus came down stairs the fol-
lowing morning she discovered that
pOcketboOk containing SIS had been
stolen from the sideboard. and that
al the doors IN the house were open.
The Second precinct police were
promptly notified and, at the same time
were told about q negro who had mys-
1eT10uSiy called at the house a few
days before and inquired If a AlT. Mason
took his breakfast there This Is the
clue that Mr. Columbus referred to
The police, i Is charged, said they
would invest cate the case and would in
form the family that evening if they
had made aHv progress
But, according 70 Columbus the p0-
Ice were not heard from again until
last Saturday morning following the
second robbery The captain of the Sec
oDd precinct and a detective arrived
soon after they had been informed OF
the attack and theft
At this time. IL IS alIeEed- they were
asked If they had investigated the clue
clue concerning the man n1O called at
the house, but informed the family they
had not attempted % md out anything
about the negro
The Second Robbery
The second robbery Is alleged 10 have
taken place as Mrs Columbus was de-
scending the stairs ITO the basement
Saturday morning TO cook breakfast
She was seized by a negro at the bot
tom OF the steps, who asked her t.
turn over the money she had Her To-
ply was that she had no money.
The negro then knocked her to the
Scor. ripped open her stocking and Sc
eured the family roll which she was
carrying there for safe keeping
While the first robbery was reported
at headquarters, the second was not
entered on the police piotter-
Major Sylvester today said that the
complaint had not beer recorded be
cause he had ordered II Withheld until
he could invesIlSaIe whether there was
. anything e. i. This Investigation, he
said. assured him the facts dlQ not war
rant the complaint.
When asked II ne knew the police OF
the SsCC I'D precinct had formulated the
opinion that Mrs Columbus was also
the perDetrat0r of the first robbery.
Major sylvester admitted that he had
Lot investigated the first robbery and
did not know the facts
lie also said that he did not know
whether the police had looked up the
clew concerning the man who called at
the Columbus home and which COIum-
bus alleges he made known TO the Sec
ono precinct officials
4 full report on The case was being
prepared by The detective bureau, Major
Sylvester said. and. until then. he would
make no statement for publication