Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-14
IDENTIFY PHOTOGRAPH AS
THAT OF GANG LEADER
Pinkertons Furnish Police With Pic
ture Of Man Who Robbed
Poolroom.
THREE MEN ESCAPED ON FOOT
Theory of Racing Automobile Is
Shattcred-Dragnct Is Out for
Men, Mt Least One of Whom Has
Long Police Record.

The continued investigation OF the
daring holdup of the Richmond Bill
lard Academy. SIS East Main Street.
on Saturday night about 10 o'clock
took new turn last night when the
theory of the police that the bandits
made their escape in Il racing automo-
bile was shattered. and when j. W.
l;rb. in charge of the local pinkcrton
detective agency, turned over to Cap
tain of Detectives Wright n clear-cut
photograph of the alleged leader %
the bandit gang.
Whiie the police were making every
effort TO obtain working description of
the participants or the "stick-up," Mr..
Erb discovered in his rogues gallery
a likeness of ono of the men who is
believed to be a leader of the gang.
On Saturday night he was addressed
by the members as either boss" or
doc. This is picture of Charles
Z. Thomas, whom the police now feel
reasonably sure was the leader of the
gang which startled official circles in
Richmond with the first big holdup in
recent years
IDENTIFIES PICTURE AS
THAT OF "SCUSH, THOMAS
Several victims who, on Saturday
night. were fleeced Of eyery cent they
mad on their person have already iden-
tihed the photograph of Thomas 3
mat OF one of the men in the raid
The last man positively to identify
Ihoinas is Jimmie" Eagle. OF Sis East
FRANKLIN Street. who had a 1000 dia
mond stud and $500 in money taken
from MN saturday night. He declared
TINS photograph to be an exact replica
or man whom he knew in Birminp
nam, Ala, by the name of Charles G
THOMAS. or 'Scush" Thomas Accord.
lhE TO the Ptnkerton record Thomas
Is ny occupation a horseman and by
criminal vocation a 'hold-up man."
scush" Thomas is thirty eight years
ola. hve feet nine and three quarters
pounds He is of medium complexion,
and has several gold teeth in his
mouth. although none of his teeth arc
missing. According to the pinkerton
agency Thomas was arrested i'm Mon
treai In June. 1915. for holdup and
brought back 10 Cincinnati
The theory that the bandits madc
their getaway in a low racing auto
mobile with wire wheels and white
inner rims has been shattered This
information that the robbers did MOI
use an automobile. hut ran from tn,
scene or their crime. was obtained from
IL. j. Strotemeyer. OF ISIS FLOYD Ave-
nue, a salesman employed at the store
of 0. II. Berry e Co. at Main and
Eleventh Streets
Strotemeyer said that he Left Berry's
about 10 o'clock. or a few minutes
after, and that as he turned the cor
ner OF Ninth and Main Streets three
men ran by him at rapid pace. lie
said that they came from the direction
OF the billiard parlor. which is located
over the Capital city Lunch on the
second floor. AS they were running
right in the path CT Strotemeyer, he
mad to step aside to prevent being
I'D rIVt.-
street, and nothing has since been seen
OF them.
ONLY THREE MEN
ENGAGED IN ROBBERY
This information given To the notice
by Strotemeyer aroused the belief that
mere. were only three men engaged
In the robbery instead Of four All
information that has been gotten bv
the police indicates that there We're
only three men. The fourth man was
supposed TO be on guard downstairs
ut the poolroom, but as nothing has
ever been seen OF him this is believed
to be myth. If the fourth man was
with them as a lookout he has never
been seen in company with the other
three bandits
IT was current rumor on the streets
last night that big bets had been placed
on horsc-racing recently and that the
oandhs were expected to clean up in
>.'S Pooii ooii- oHe rumOr had II that
the bandits were expecting to get more
than 100000. 1t is said that the rob-
oers were expecting the attendance
or Louis Belts, OF New York, IN the
poolroom that night. Belts was for
merly OF Richmond. T. H. Mann. one
OF the victims. said yesterday that one
OF the gangsters told him that he re-
sembled Belts.
Since the bandits have up to tho
ma
the work by the police and the Pink
erton agency has settled down to
slow grinding work awaiting results.
The picture given to Captain Wrsh:
by MIR. Erb and the fairly good de-
scrtption that the police have OF the
little guy" who was evidently the
forerunner" OF the gang, seem to no
the only real clues that the police have
TO work on. When questioned yester-
day about the part that the Pinkertons
were playing in the investigations Mr.
Erb said that their part was purely
voluntary. The Pinkertons have vol.
unteered their services for the good
or Richmond. I'VE feel that Richmond
is our home and such crimes are not
good advertisement for the city,
was his remark.
However, Mr. Erb said that the peo-
PIE must realize the greater difficulty
IN coping with crime at the present
time than heretofore. Construction
work all over the country and boom.
ing conditions in many cities are bring
ing in floating population and at
tracing an undesirable element
Captain Wright and Chief of Police