The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-07-14

BootIeggers Thought to Have
Fifty Taken From Hall OF
District Building.

Washington bootleggers have
obtained possession of fifty auto
mobile tags that have been
mysteriously stolen from the cor
ridors Of the District building.
This was learned by District Of
ficials today when an attempt
was made to establish the identity
of a bootlegger by means Of the
tag on his car.
Recorded as Lost.
Investigation by a Times reporter
showed a notation in the book con-
tanning the names and addresses of
persons having automobile tags to
the effect that tags numbered from
S7151 to $1,000 had been lost. Yes
terday a policeman was assaulted
and beaten by a group OF men in a
car bearing the license number
87177--wt1fch is one Of the tags lost.
Wade H. Coombs, license clerk,
said. that the first he knew OF the
missing tags was yesterday when the
police OF the Ninth precinct asked
him for the name and address of
S7177. He said that a complete
check-up would be instituted Mon.
day morning to see just how many
tags had gotten cut of the hands Of
the authorities without being regis.
tered.
Coombs stated that 10000 tags
had come into the District building
November l. This lost consignment
OF fifty may have been stolen short
ly after that date. They were not
missed until they were sought for
a few days ago. It is thought that
the box containing the tags. was
picked up in the corridors Of the
District building.
Easy To Get One.
That many more tags may have
fallen into the hand of people who
have refused them is considered
not impossible. This morning there
were several thousand automobile
tages in the corridors of the first
floor Of the District building. Just
to see how easy it would be, a re-
porter took a set of tags out Of one
of the boxes, and walked away
with it. The tags were later re-
turned.
Coombs stated that it was en-
tirely possible that many more tags
had been nislaid. He said that he
himself had on several occasions
seen people fooling with the tags
in the corridors and had told them
to let the tags alone.
Police officials have feared that
the tags were pilfered by repre-
sentatives Of Washington's lawless
element with a view OF concealing
their identity and avoiding apprehen-
sion. The discovery OF the first of
the tags on a bootleg" automobile
convinces them that such has been
the case.
Patrol Driver J. M. Maynard, Of
the Ninth precinct, is the officer
who was slugged by the bootleggers
who were caught in the act Of trans
ferring gallon jugs of corn whiskey
from a high-powered car to the
smaller one bearing the dead" tag.
Overcome Policeman.
After overpowering the patrol
driver the bootlegers abandoned the
small car and made their escape in
the high powered one, bearing
dead" tags. leaving the police Of.
ficer unconscious in the alley.
In telling his story Patrol Driver
Maynard says he was ia a garage
in the rear of 40 M street last
night when he saw q large car
filled with young men drive up.
Within a few minutes they began
to transfer liquor from their ma
chine to the small one. Maynard
telephoned to the Second precinct
station for aid but while q patrol
loaded with reserves was on its
way the bootleggers became alarm
ed and started to leave.
Maynard, in civilian clothes.
halted them and he says they
Jumped on him and beat him. The
changing of the patrol two blocks
away frightened them off and they
all fled in the touring car.
The officer drove the confiscated
car and it's cargo to the second
precinct station. A lookout was
sent for license No. S7,177 and it
was then discovered that 1t was
one Of the fifty tags which had
disappeared before they had
been issued.