The Washington herald., 1922-12-16
CHARGED WITH
AIDING $4,000
LIQUOR THEFT
Former Government Clerk Said
to Have "PiIoted" Rum
Laden Trucks to the Capital
SEEN BY "WHISKEY SQUAD"
Mystery Woman Proves Expert
Chauffeur, Making Numer-
GUS Trips from Baltimore

Identity of the mystery wom-
an" who for months is alleged to
have made scouting expeditions for
q gang of Baltimore and Wash
mgton bootleggers and "stick-up"
men who raided a number of Mary
land and Pennsylvania distilleries,
has been solved, Federal agents
announced last night.
HAD FEDERAL JOB.
The woman is said to be Mrs.
Nettte Martin, former clerk in one
OF the Government departments,
and wife of George c. Martin, up to
three years ago employed at the
washington Navy Yard. living at
that time at Eighth and Z streets
southeast
Martin and his wife yesterday
were each released in $4,000 bonds
Tor the action of the Federal grand
jury which will convene in Balti-
more. where they were taken into
custody. next Friday They are
specifically charged with participat-
ing in the theft of whisky, valued
AT SlS1,0 which was stolen on
July II last, when hold up men loot
ed the Foust Distillery at Glen
Rock. Pa. after gagging guards
and revenue officers on duty at the
plant.
HEADQUARTERS IN BALTIMORE
Both Martin and his wife are
We'll known to the whiskey bootleg
ring which has been operating ex-
tensively in Washington. II being
said that the couple after leaving
the Capital several months ago
made their headquarters in the
Monumental City.
The mystery woman" as she
has been called bv Federal agents
and policemen of Baltimore and
Washington because of her alleg I'd
pathfinding for the caravans Of
booze-laden trucks speeding from
looted distilleries. also is said to
have made frequent daredevil trips
20 the Capital in a high-powered
automobile filled with liquor.
Dashing at high speed across the
borderline of Maryland and Wash
ingtOn, the mystery woman" has
succeeded in escaping through the
,police dragnet and safely placing
1.-THE cOntraband liquor into the
hands Of the whiskey ring here.
DROVE AT HIGH SPEED.
The regular trips of the woman
into the Capital from Baltimore is
said to have first created suspicion
among members of Commissioner
Oysters "whiskey squad" but net
having any tangible evidence that
her car was laden with booze on
the visits to the Capital, they hesi-
tated to place her under arrest. In
fact they say II would have been
difficult to do so. because the
woman is an expert chauffeur and
always drove at speed which
would outdistance the average mo-
torcycle ridden by a policeman.
Arrest Of Martin and his wife
followed indictments brought against
them and three other former Wash
ingtonians and twenty-one others,
Including a number of Baltimore
men. for the lODting of the Foust
distillery. by the Federal grand
Jury sitting at Harrisburg. Pa.
ONE OF MASTER-MINDS.
Martin is said to have been one
of the 'master-minds" of a gang
of bandits whose activities cen
tered in loOting whiskey ware
houses. The last job he Is said to
have engineered was the attempt to
rob on December the Standard
Distilling and Distributing Com
pany's warehouse at Highlandtown,
near Baltimore.
A gang Of twenty bandits over
powered guards and revenue men
at the distillery and were in the
act of loading 1000 barrels of
|whiskey on auto trucks when they
were surprised by a squad of po-
lice and revenue agents. Martin
was taken in custody while in an
automobile. near the scene Of the
hOld-up. where ii is claimed he was
N"present to see that the job was
pulled off right"
During the past year more than
$500. 900 worth of whiskey has been
stolen from Maryland and Pennsyl
vania distilleries by the gang, of
which Martin is alleged to have
been the ringleader. He is said to
have co-operated with former Bal
rimore salOon-keeper. who financed
khe warehouse looting and who dis
posrd of the whiskey that was
etolen. Large quantities of the
stolen whiskey found an outlet in
he Capital.