Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-11-17
smashed the power Of the largest and
most dangerous gang in New York,


most dangerous gang in New York.
! Nearly always it is some personal
feud = an affair of "honor"-that
brings the gang leader down. Thus
Henry Moore, an aspiring young gang
ster with a really exceptional talent
for man killing, was first arrested
when he was charged with shooting a
couple of men he didn't like at a dance
he was acquitted because no one cared
to testify against him. A little later
he was convicted on charge of fight
Ing and sent to the Tombs, where he
stabbed a fellow prisoner. When he
got out he was warier man. The po-
lice soon wanted him again and they
continued to want him for four years.
although he remained in and about
New York all Of that time.
He was very short man and weigh
ed a hundred and eighty pounds. but
he was remarkably adroit at moving
his bulk on short notice. Whenever
detective was reported in the vicin-
ity he would leave at once, and almost
always by way of window or fire
escape. When an intimate friend Of
his died, however, he went to the
funeral In a closed carriage. And
detective stuck a gun through the
door.
When 1t is impossible to arrest
gang leader on serious charge, his
prestige may be broken by continually
arresting him on minor charges, thus
belittling him in the eyes Of his fol-
lowers, demonstrating to them that he
has no pull" That was what hap
pened to a young man named Hen.
retty, who founded club called the
Golden Eagles, designed to gather
those and other coins by various Tile
Ultimate means. Henretty gave big
racket at Plaza hall on Fifty-ninth
street. and when the festivities were in
full swing. the police went in, arrested
him and dragged him out in very un.
dignified way They arrested him on
minor charges four times in two
months. He became laughing stock
and the Golden Eagles a memory.
I'm handling homicide cases the de-
partment has devoted its energies to
getting quickly to the scene: tighten
ing the meshes of its net about the
fugitives; and preserving and gather.
ing evidence.
A quick alarm is often worth all the
cunning deductions in Conan Doyle.
and everything is done to get word of /
a killing promptly to station house.
and put men at the place. For example |
there Is now green light in the mid
die Of each beat by which the precinct |
lieutenant may flash a warning to the |
patrolman that there is trouble in the |
neighborhood. It Is intended that ul- !
timately this light shall be so fixed |
that citizen can flash it. The turning
in Of general alarms about minor dis
turbances Is discouraged so that the |
force may concentrate its energy on
the really big Jobs.
The police training school Is paying
special attention to the identification
of fugitives. All Of the patrolmen are
given the description of man, who Is
then turned loose to wander about the
streets where they can see him. This
play fugitive generally gets pinched.
are used in the same wav,
the license numbers often being chang
ed to make the identification more dit-
hcult.
Patrolmen and detectives are taught
that the preservation of the evidence (
at the scene of crime is no less i'm
portant than the apprehension of the
criminals and protection of innocent
persons. To this end, the best Europ-
can methods are now being used No
one is allowed to touch or move any
thing. The scenes of the crime and I,
It's vital surroundings are photograph /,
ed and chart is made, showing the
relative positions OF all important OBJ
jects.
The latest weapon in this war on
is just being completed now.
It is a card index in which every gang !;
ster in New York is listed together
with his picture, and all possible in
formation about him, including his
gang, his girl and his favorite hang
puts Bertillon measurements and
thumb prints are good to identify
nan after he is caught This latest
,atalog of criminals is designed to
keep him identified all the time