The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-31
"Suspicious Person" Charge
Would Have Held Two
Check Flashers III
MAY BE WANTED
IN PETERSBURG
ON A WARRANY
Chief Ragland Says He Told
Local Detective Captain He y
Would Probably Send for
Alleged Crooks. 3

1t is rumored at the Ciy Hall that
Captain of Detectives Mcmahon may
be asked by the Board Of Police Conn
missioners to explain why he failed Y
to lodge the charge OF suspicious per-
sons. suspected Of being fugittves frCna
Justice against Pitcher and How, the
two alleged check tiashers who fux~a
nished $500 bond to keep the pace For
thirty days. got out Of jail and l@8&s
the city while the head OF the Local
detective force and acting chief OF t1T1kH
department sat waiting for an anaN14
10 his message to Baltimore TO A1
out whether or not they were Want1 Z
Friday.
The men were not wanted In Bat1
more, as Captain Mcmahon found 4l
Saturday morning. II Is more tA
probable, however. that the men Gl
wanted In Petersburg on cnAreoa&
check flashing. Captain McMaho4
quoted | ma morning newspapex
saying that he had been advised t12x1
the men had passed a worthless chSe}
in Petersburg. but that he had aaf
been informed that there would ~
no charge against them. and that c41
sequently the Petersburg authOrif34|
did not want them held. ss sss
Denied by Itagland.
Flat contradiction to this stateM11
is given by Chief Ragiand. Of the -
tersburg police. s3S&s
Il never told Captain Mcmahon lhn1s
did not want the men," said ChtoE
Ragland during a long distance tot1}
phone conversation with a repOrtoI&
for The Nirginian. ''On the contraxSsS
l talked with Captain MeMAhon oyN
the phone Saturday morning. and tOl4I
him that ] probably would want to
men. | asked him TO hold them. qs
ne told me he had them ! didAs&
know until after IL o'clock noon &
Saturday that the men had been S
leased. AT 1929 Captain Mc1EAhG
sent in a message, (which I receive4 X
few minutes later telling me that a.
men had given bail and eift town. ur
to that time l thought he had th41
ana was just expecting to send G4M
them" n.
lin Ragland said that tho NJ
had secured $50 from q Petershi1%
business man on owrthle1s CHI
drawn on Portland. Me. bank A94
last week. Monday morning the w.
tim received letter from P1tcnN1X
postmarked Washington. d. ca.
which the writer promised to u11
good the amount of the check
The party intends TO wait ua&+
Tuesday" said Chief Ragland.
he doesn't get the money by eA44S
warrants will probably be issued 1S5
the arrest of both Pitcher and H0Na
IL warrants are issued. a dctec<&
chase viii be neeessitated. 6ucA
chase would have been eliminated nMM
Captain Nc Mahon taken steps 70 h0A
the two men held as being susnac4
Of being fugitises from justice.
charge would have held them
days, thus giving other cities pteA
OF time to act. X4
But Captain Mcmahon made
such effort. His statement that
showed Justice Griggs tho tele9t4
from Baltimore IL denied by that a. 49,
cial MI
Didn't Read Message.
Captain Mcmahon came to
after had adjourned court A1
told me he had received some 1
| quiries about the men," said Ju1e1
Griggs. He said that he exp4c1
! Information in about an hour.
| that he knew he would hear INyS
4 Baltimore within an hour and 60
| He held a telegram In his hand
| he talked, but he did not give q
| me. / knew nothing OF what Wnne
| IT, The only thing knew defin11
| was that the men had defrAudN6
| cal merchants. who refused TO pk0
| cute them. l tried to continne
! case, thinking that the police IA
| want time to inyesigae. but
| not even asked to do this O.
| contrary, Detective Sergeant WIN
| told me he was ready; that h.
| all the information he could Gets
/ garding the matter" ss3S
| Sergeant Wiltshire admitted
! ing said this, but declared ho
/ ferred only to the local case.
I nothing about the men having ~
/ checks in Baltimore or any othex
at that time" said he.
/ charge OF the case. In fact.
/ my case. But Captain McNA
didn't show me the telegram
| Baltimore. He dian't even tei&
| he had gotten one"
| 1t IL not denied by CaptMfn
Mahon that he waited in hts Q1ne
/ til near o'clock Friday oN~
waiting for word from Baltiu06
| to whether or not the authOfteA
1 that city would send for PitchME
/ How While he was waiting thA
| left the jail and the city. ssS
! Captain Mcmahon did not
| they were gone until shortly
/ 10 o'clock the next day, wA1
| was informed Of the fact by
| tive Sergeant Wiley. Until thA&
he was still trying to find Oyl
ther any other city wanted
hold wo men who had been NJ
! N%SFX4