Evening star., 1922-07-09
PLAN TO round Up
/ P|CKPOCKETS HERE
Arrest Of Chief Thief Predict
ed-Den Under Sur
veiIIanee.

out went tHc tSHtdCleS OIL tne po>
lice department last night to grasp
firmly well organized band OF
thieves which has been operating in
Washington. In its ramifcations 1t
has spread to various parts of the
city. but centered its operations in
the downtown section near the mar
ket and along 9Th streets white way.
From the outlying points of its
workings, where the, police, under
Capt. Brown Of No. 1 precinct, have
picked up the ends OF its tangled
threads here and there, the lines lead
10 what the police believe is the den"
of operations. Toward this den have
been observed skulking along the
able characters. The trail each time
leads to the same objective.
Organization down to a science OF
modern business, the police believe.
has been effected by |aese operatives.
They work with the efficiency, stealth
and skill of the once notorious bands
of Paris, New York and Chicago-one
doing the stealing and passing the
loot to confederate.
Legal Aid speedy.
Even legal talent is ready when
pect of the gang is picked up, it is
not long before some one appears
with bond, or legal advice turns up,
almost before the police can give
notification Of the arrest to some
one the prisoner suggests. Tho police
of the band and then the big round
up Of the subjects will follow.
For the first time in the history
of the local police department. ac-
cording to those familiar with its
history, pickpocket, now believed
to be one of the leading operatives
of the band, fell the victim Of a
plant" last night.
A negro. who gave his name to the
police as Jack Frisby and his ad-
dress as 33 F street northwest. was
the victim. and as a result is locked
up at No. 1 police precinct on
two charges of robbery and pick
pocketing. Yesterday Solomon S.
Morton, 1217-A South Capitol street.
reported that he had been robbed
while on a street car at 9Th and b
streets. He gave a description OF
three negroes and Precinct Detective
H. K. Wilson Of No. l took up
the trail. spotted" his man. planted
a 81 bill in the pocket of a man
police. The marked money was found
on him after he had been taken into
custody.
Capt. Brown said that he believed
that this prisoner is one of the band
which the police plans~to put safely
behind bars. that the people of Wash
;ngton may travel safely around
without holding their hands always
on their wallets.
Purse Dropped From Car.
A crossing policeman at 9th and
Pennsylvania avenue the other day
noticed a hand reach out from a street
car and drop a wallet to the ground.
He picked it up. boarded an automo-
bile and caught the car from which
it dropped. There he found on the
platform a man reaching around in
his pockets. feeling for his pocket
book. This is one of the series of rob-
berries along the 9th street car line.
which lead to the setting of the traps
from the trails of which the police
den of the thieves. 1t is the belief
that when the pocketbook was
dropped. 1t was the intention that 1t
should be picked up by confederate.
who was standing in the vicinity. but
the eagle eye of the policeman foiled
the game.
Before another night rolls around
the police expect to have in custody
the directing head and a good many
operatives of the band. which they
hope to take from the den when the
proper moment arrives after the
nightly mobilization for the reports
of the days operations.
Charles D. Cameron, East Riverdale.
Md. was relieved of his pocketbook
containing SIS while on Columbia
line car riding from New York-ave-
nue. and 18th street to 18th and H
streets northeast about o'clock. He
told the police of the alleged sus-
picious conduct of two colored pas
SengerS.