Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-04
|SLEUTHS|N "PLANT"
| SUBMIT TO ARREST
Detectives Sweeney and
Waldorf, on Still Hunt, Are
Mistaken for Burglars.

Placed under arrest as alleged bur-
glars and taken to the first precinct
police station. was the experience Of
Detectives Sweeney and Waldorf
while on a police plant" In the base
ment of 9th street cigar store and
lunchroom one night last week. 1t
was necessary for the sleuths to sub
nit to arrest to prevent their identity
becoming known and possible inter
ference with an investigation in
which they were assisting.
Their plant was in connection
with an investigation of a kit of bur-
giar tools left in the business house
by a young man. who later proved to
be one of a trio of alleged youthful
''yeggs." The trio, now in custody.
are Charles Lewis Cummings. sixteen
years old. 1923 A street northeast:
Dennis Leahy Smith. nineteen years
old. 1900 East Capitol street. and Ar
thur S. Bassi. twenty-one years old.
535 9TH st. southeast.
Detectives Make Arrests.
Cummings and Smith were arrested
by Detectives O'Brien, Mullen. Scriv-
ener. Kelly and King. and Bassi sur
rendered to them. Charge of house,
breaking have been preferred against
entered the engraving and printing
establishment of the Brewood Com
pany, $40 18th street. several weeks
ago and blew open the safe. but OBJ
tanned no money or other valuables.
Sweeney and Waldorf were on the
plant" in the cellar of the 9th street
establishment waiting for the young
man to come and claim the burglar
outfit. and it became necessary for
an employe to go to the cellar for
supplies. Presence of the detectives
SO greatly alarmed the employe that
were called. They were not acquaint-
ed with the detectives. and the latter
submitted quietly to arrest. At the
police station. however they were
recognized. and the incident was
closed, but they were unable to re-
new their plant" duty.
3. Alleged Confession by Prisoners.
The three prisoners are said to have
admitted blowing the Brewood safe
while they were awaiting the action
of the probation officer on a charge
involving the theft of safe contain
ing $500 from the Sanitary grocery
store at Kentucky avenue and 18th
street southeast more than five months
ago.
Recovery of Il satchel containing
burglar tools. revolver and other ar
ticles. led to the arrest of the trio.
and, the detectives stated, prevented
the execution Of a burglary that al
ready had been planned.
At the lime of the arrests for the
grocery store robbery, the detectives
stated, small safe was taken from
the store to the woods near Tuxedo,
Prince Georges county. smashed with
a hammer and rified of it's contents.
Cummings. it is charged, furnished
most of the tools recovered by the
police last week. having obtained
them, it is stated, from his fathers
tool chest at home. He was employed
in the Brewood establishment some
time prior to the blowing of the safe.
according to the police. and under
stood the location of the safe, and also
had reason to believe it contained
much money.
Explain Process OF .Boring."
The prisoners are said to have ex-
planned to the detectives how they
managed to bore holes in the safe,
place the dynamite and explode it by
means of percussion cap and cleo
trio current from a searchlight bat
terry. They were in the business house
several hours. they are said to have
told the detectives. and were fright
ened OFF after they had blown the door
Of the safe, but before they had time
to remove an inner casing that had
become wedged. It is probable the
will be given a hearing in
Police Court this week.