The Washington herald., 1912-07-08
WILD CHASE FOR
DIP" SUSPECTS
Four in Gotham Street Car, and
When the Police Appear, One
Leaps Through Window.
TWO CAPTURED, TWO ESCAPE

New York July T-Union Square was
treated to a little rush hour excitement
this a. m. when three plain-clothes men
from police headquarters flushed a covey
of suspected pickpockets in a Fourteenth
Street crosstown car. One of the sus-
poets dived right through a car window
TO the cobbles and. got away, and an
other succeeded in losing himself in the
crowd, but the trio OF plain-cIothes men
Eaobed two others and took them 10
headquarters, although they were unable
TO prefer any direct charges when they
got them there.
Complaints have been frequent Of late
that members of the light-fingered pro-
fession have been busy in the Williams
burg bridge cars which cross that span
from Brooklyn. run up Avenue A TO Four
teenth Street and then cross town, ending
up at Twenty-third Street and the North
River. Consequently. Detectives Cray, Ca
sasss. and McKenna. OF the plain-clothe s
squad. were assigned to the job of locating
the dips" and breaking up their route.
The three started in at Avenue A and
Twenty-nInth SAeet this morning and
shortly spied quartet of old-timers at
the pocket-picking game In one of the
Williamsburg Bridge cars. They lost
them temporarily, but picked them up
again, still busily engaged in Jostling
around among the passengers on a
crowded westbound car at Fourteenth
Street and Irving Place. The men in
lain clothes got right on the car and
III very short order things started to
happen.
Dives Through window.
A member Of the quartet recognized
Cray and let out Yell. One OF his pals
close by didn't even look around to see
what had stimulated the yell. but went
right through a window and made his
getaway while he had the chance. There
was a woman in the way and she was
badly mussed up by his transit Another
of the suspects dropped of the rear
platform and made tracks for the Bow
tfy.
Cray grabbed the fellow that yelled be-
fore he had time TO save himself. The
fourth of the gang started for the head
cf the car. TO be confronted at the door
by the motorman. who had turned
around to see what the rumpus was
about The next thing the motorman
knew he was sprawling on his back on
the platform with a bloody nose
Casassa and McKenna had lively
sprint after this ready-fsted gentleman
He headed toward Broadway. and they
followed. drawing their pistols, but not
daring to fire them on account Of the
crowd. Although the odds were with
the fugitive. with so many persons to
lose himself among. his luck or judg-
ment failed and his pursuers overlook
him at Broadway. The two prisoners
were taken at once to headquarters for
Identification
The police say that the pair are two
OF the most notorious pickpockets op-
Grating IN this city. one having a record
OF thirteen prior arrests. with a term
OF a year and three months at Sing
Sing. and the other a record of nine
teen arrests. The two described them
selves as Alexander Martin. thirty years
old. OF los East Eleventh Street. and
Charles Lewis. twenty-nine years old.
of 2ls East Nineteenth Street Both have
several aliases according to the police.
who add that Lewis has Just recovered
from wounds that he received in a fight
at Eighth Street and Third Avenue not
long since when Jack Zelig's gang. OF
which they say he is a member, started
out to shoot up another gang and got
shot some in return.