Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-01-31
APACHES OF PARIS.
French Criminals Expert Enough, But
Americans Worse.

With the rapid return to its normal
peace time aspect, cables a spe-
cial correspondent, Paris also records
an increase in the number Of crimes OF
all descriptions. Not only Is the French
police force actively engaged in run
ming down the French criminals, but
the American authorities here have
had to call in the help Of detectives
and police officers from the United
States to deal with the gangs Of GRIM
inals composed of deserters from the
American army, which are usually
headed by some notorious American
crook who has been able to smuggle
his way into the army, only to desert
upon his arrival in France.
Bands of auto thieves and plunder-
ers Of cafes and houses are known to
he operating in and around Paris
There are also scores Of A. w. o. LIS
as they are termed here, meaning
members Of the American expedition
ary forces absent without official leave,
who are daily arrested in Paris, but
the most serious cases are those Amer.
lean thieves and murderers who steal
in the interior Of the country. They
will steal Ford car and sell It for 500.
Forgery Common.
Others by forged signatures get
goods from typewriter to tin OF
condensed milk from the Quartermas-
ter's stores, only to sell them for re-
diculously low prices.
There are yet others who for 500
francs will supply cleverly forged
and vised passport to deserters. en-
abling them to go to any country that
they want to.
One of these crooks famous in New
York, Ben Taylor by name, has been
run to the ground here and shot while
escaping from the house Of his French
mistress. Taylor was the leader OF
the auto thieving gang. He has been
known to masquerade in various Allied
uniforms or even an American officers
uniform. He wore an officers belt, a
,aptain's insignia Of rank on one shoul-
der and that Of a second lieutenant on
the other and a sergeant's overcoat
He haG been seen in French coloners
uniform.
Big Gang at Work.
The authorities here reckon that
these various gangs are minor parts
NJ vast organization to plumber and
rob. Only recently a big american
lorry loaded with sugar was stolen
under the drivers eyes by a gang
operating in the Versailles neighbor-
hood. Three days later the lorry was
found empty on a deserted country
road.
Raids are continually made In the
Paris theatres and cafes by the Amer
ican military police, and they usually
get away with an important bag OF
"a. w. o. LIS" and not infrequently
with a long long looked for criminal.
But where the military police get
baffled is when they are confronted
with a soldier, usually buck private.
who. somewhere behind the lines, has
been an m. p" himself and has sue
ceeded in keeping his armlet He
lands in Paris, Immediately puts on
his brassard and quietly stroll around
the Paris streets. AS he feels his
rockets becoming empty he becomes
border and does not hesitate in asking
officers for their leave papers.
If the officer happens to be an un-
fortunate "A. w. o. L." and drops on
one of these impersonating m. P.'s"
he is greeted with Sorry, sir, but you
must come along with me-"
To this order he naturally submits.
But he gets led down side streets and
in conversation tries, usually with sue
cess. to bribe the false m. P," and
by parting with something like $40 is
set free, often only to be arrested
around the corner by a properly ap-
pointed military police.