The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-22
POLICE MAKE RAID
| ON VICIOUS CLASS
--------
Drag Second District in Hope Of
Arresting Negro Sneak
Thieves.
---------
SIX ARE QUICKLY CAUGHT
Warrants Charge Prisoners With
Being Ordinary Migrants.
Going After More.
SIX ARE QUICKLY CAUGHT

A dragnet campaign. aimed at
worthless negroes who infest certain
portions of the city in the second Po-
lice l. act. which was started last
night, rounded up six characters
known to the police, and will TO
great extent put a stop to the petty
robberies which have occurred to an
The six negroes were locked in the
Second Station. and Will be brought
before Justice Crutchfield to-day.
There is III the city certain set
of negro man who have no occupation
and no visible means OF support They
live and are necessarily suspicious
Characters. although II is hard mat
ter to get any real evidence against
them. The police are morally certain
that these men are responsible for
mum bers Of petty crimes that are COM
mitted without arrests, and the heads
Of the department have decided to put
these worthless characters where they
can do no further harm.
Whole District Dragged.
According TO the program set forth
by the heads OF the department the
Second Police District was dragged
Every character known to the police
was promptly arrested. The warrants
on which the police arrested the men
charge them with having led for Some
time an idle, immoral and prohgate
life. having no property to support
them and being able to work and re-
fusing to do So
Many We're. tte protests in dark al
leys last night, when the police went
their rounds. Il Amt done nuthin' "
was heard at every stop OF the squad,
but the protests awaited nothing. Sim
Minor. Rueben Johnson, alias Bias
Dick; Littleton Smith. John Garnet,,
alias Lady Killer James Reed ana
James Burrell, alias Berry, were locked
up.
Every man arrested Is known to the
police to belong to that class which
refuses to work and has absolutely
no means OF honest living. Most OF
them have figured in Police Court be.
fore for petty crimes. and the polio.
believe that all of them could be tailed
If everything they had done is known
ne dragnet campaign is due en-
tirely to the numerous crimes commit.
ted in the western portion of the city
this summer. Usually 1t is vacant
| mouse that is broken into or nous.
that Is temporarily vacant.
Some purglaries have been com.
united and houses entered in the day,
time when the people living in tn,
| houses We're absent. In a large mum.
Der OF cases The evidence has beer
that the cririe was committed by othe
than finished cracksmen, and when n,
trace was left the crime has been at
| trtbuted to the idle negro who hang!
about tho barrel houses In the day,
time and disappears from view a
night.
Other Raids Helped.
Although II may be difficult I,
fasten any of the recent crimes OF
any of the men arrested last nigh,
the charge that they have been lead
Ing idle, immoral and profligate live
can be sustained in every case TIL
| charge OF vagrancy can also be estab
| lished beyond any doubt, and ii /
more than probable that the men ar
rested Will certainly get Jail term
Several years ago the police car
ried through a dragnet campaign
against the worthless classes, an,
Justice Crutchfield filed the Jail Wit
Migrants. The Improvement was no
ticeable for long time, and eve
those who were not brought befor
court took warning from the expe
lience OF their less fortunate friend
and behaved themselves. 1t is ex
1 pected that the present campaign Wi
4 have the same effect.