The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-10
BUCKING THE TRUST
JAILS SUFFERER
Polite Gang Raiding Red Cross
Supply Depot Rescnts Out
side Assistance
so HE Is MADE VICTIM
BlancO Brothers, Stocking Up
Against BOOzcless Days,
Also Come to Grief.


in business. It has been remarked. so II
Is only to be expected that such organi-
zations. lawfully established in legiti-
mate affairs, should be initiated by some
81 our up to date crooks in their own lit
tie schemes for keeping commerce and
the cops moving. George Skillen thought
he could he Independent and compete
with one such aggregation OF freeboot-
ers, but he learned yesterday In Jeffer-
son Market court that you can't buck
the trust.
George. you see, wanted to play q lone
hand--lt was generally understood
among detectives who began 10 take an
interest In him that George had been
reading lately about Thomas W. Law
son or the Lone Wolf or similar legen-
dairy characters. And when Mr.. Skillen
discovered that some of the laborers and
even couple of bosses were helping
themselves to comfort clothing for SOL
oilers from the Red Cross supply depot
at 657 Broadway, where he worked.
George decided. as the police came to
learn that that sort OF thing called for
individual brilliance rather than team
play.
Threatened with Ostracism.
But the closed corporation which was
taking muff1ers. sweaters and socks from
the depot felt that outside talent was not
needed. One of the bosses. who later
WAS revealed to be head OF the clique.
told George he must Join their little set
or they would report him to Robert
Aspinwall, general manager Of the At
lantic division OF the Red Cross. be-
sides cutting him dead socially.
But George. despite the fact that he
suffers like machine gun. managed
to convey to them his defiant threat TO
do a little reporting himself II they con-
Quoted any such trade boycott OF his
operations. George considered they had
offered a reflection on his versatility,
sighting the capabiity OF a man who
not only can work til 6 o'clock every
day as n porter. but then can go on
again every night at IL o'clock as a
Waterman to see that the ferryboets at
The foot of Roosevelt street don't butt the
supports OF the Brooklyn Bridge out of
the East River.
Here. George cogitated bitterly. he'd
been holding down both these Jobs every
day in the week for several years. draw
ing forty-one heans n week for them
and working twenty hours out OF the
twentyfour. and now all this virtuosity
had been overlooked by a bunch OF low
lifes who had to hang together to put
anything over. So George went right on
as a free lance. tuck!ng away under his
clothing things that got in his way as
lie trunded packing cases about in his
versatile manner.
A Victim of the Trust.
Then this unlawful combination in
restraint OF pilfering. George himself
allows, done him dirt. The superntend
ent warned the higher officials OF the
Red Cross. who themselves had been
growing suspicious lately because arti-
Giles had been vanishing so miraculously
that in one big box. for instance. only
three sweaters had been left out OF zoo
which seemed to the Red Cross chiefs
20 be too crude 20 so unHot!ccd.
80 they delegated shipping clerk
10 act as detective and after hiding
behind packing case a couple Of days
Ego he rushed up to General Manager
Aspinwall with the news that he had
seen Skillen slip a roll OF dry goods
under his coat, without any Mea. ap-
parently. OF using II for chest protec-
tor. So the clerk said he had popped
out at him for the regular sleuthlng
collar that comes at the end of the
chapter, but Skillen, getting up speed
very fast. showed there was no I'M
pedtment in his legs, whatever his speech
iient ne IKE ne clerk resigned as a
sprintins sleuth after a couple of blocks
Then two real detectives-Reilly and
Notrissey Of Deputy Police Commits
sloner Laheys offlce-were called in,
much TO the amateur sleuth's chagrin.
on Saturday morning they went around
10 skillen's home at % Madison street
ana asked him las a favor. to let them
Snow II he had been stealing lately.
N-n-n-n-n-" said George. "N-n-n-n-"
lie means no." volunteered Mrs
Skllen.
Then why haven't you been back to
work during the last two days." asked
detective Reilly, just 10 keep the con-
Nersation going.
-wh-wh--" replied George in
dignantly. ''Wh- VIII VIII VIII" which
his wife interpreted to mean, ''Why
should ! go back when they accused me
OF stealing?"
Ready for n Real Winter,
After the detectives had passed the
tlme or day pleasantly with them for
ABOUT three hours, during which Skillen
damaged to contribute a couple OF re-
marks, Detective Reilly told Mrs. Skillen
she would better produce the goods. as
they must be stepping along coon. SO
she led them into the bedroom and there
on shelf were rows Of boxes all neatly
hacked with goods illustrating what the
man on the Rhine Will wear. There were
Htty sweaters, worth IS apiece seventy
pairs OF woollen socks and twenty
muffers-all indicating that Skillen had
expected much harder winter than ac-
tually came
After he had confessed, the notice
say, to General Manager Aspinwal. he
han the satisfaction Of seeing tho rim i,
put out or business But his reyela-
lions were insufficient to Jail any one.
ana as Ski'len was led away IN
JEFFERSON Market court in default %
$4,000 bail Magistrate swee,ser axed
Tor his examination the trust buster re-
marked in evaporation:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. which no
tect!ve Reilly. who had picked I'm tho
language by now. translated as. "rm
locked up-and the others Amt They
got away with more than did. Where's
the country going to anyhow"
Fling at the Wbiskey Ring.
Another monopoly brought to Hight IN
tho court yesterday which had very moor
results was the attempt Of the Blanco
brothers TO corner a large part of the
"N'skey market, John and Antonio
speak mixture which Is rich in Span
ish but needs more gas OF an English
type. Vet somehow the intelligence had
penetrated under their hats that after
July l about the strongest thing they
tould get would be Spanish onions
30 IL happened that as Patrolman
lNadt was keeninE the grass from croW
'nG on the pavement at Washington md
'larkson streets Yesterday morning tho
hlan'"s ra'he INFO sight bearing a bulg-