Evening star., 1924-12-01
Lawyer and Five Others Are
Taken Into Custody in
Robbery Series.
DARING BANK MESSENGER
HOLD-UP PLAN DROPPED
S. A. Schwartz Accused as Master
Mind Of Gang on Basis
of Admissions. w.

Sydney Albert Schwartz. who says
he is an attorney and counselor at
law. and five other men, whose occu-
pations range from chauffeur to
metalworker, were brought to police
headquarters early this afternoon
and charged with robbery and lodged
in cells at separate police stations.
following alleged confessions by all
but Schwartz that the six had en-
gagged collectively or individually in
armed hold-ups within a month.
The arrest Of the men, accom-
plished overnight by a dozen head
quarters detectives after a city-wide
roundup. is alleged by Inspector
Clifford L. Grant to spell the doom
of a gang of bandits who have been
terrorizing Washington for several
weeks under leadership of Schwartz.
Drop $4,000 Hold-Up Plan.
In addition to the five robberies
alleged to have been recounted in
the confessions, two of which took
place Saturday night. the gang.
Grant declared, had planned a dar-
ing daylight bank messenger hold-up
at Fourteenth and G streets about a
month ago. The plans fell through,
the inspector said. because the gang
sters found out that the messenger
was to carry only $4,000" from the
Treasury to the bank. which wasn't
enough to run the risk for" Had the
plot been carried out, Grant said. the
holdup men would have found a
squad Of detectives ready to pounce
on them.
The men were booked as follows:
Sydney Albert Schwartz. attorney,
2414 Twelfth street northeast; Victor
Paul Turey. "a years old. chauffeur
$40 Randolph street; Scott William
Smith, 81 years old. helper. 449 G
street; Jerry Mann, 40 years old,
meat cutter. Stag Hotel; Charles
Beall Mcdonald. 20 years old. helper,
1924 II street northeast. and Theodore
metal worker, Fairfax. Va.
According TO Detectiye Tom
Sueeney, three Of the six were ar
rested last night while they were on
their way to see some young women
who were known to the police.
Lens Under Police Eyes.
Inspector Grant declared that the
six men had been under surveillance
Of the police for about a month, or
just before the alleged bank mes
senger plot. He said that detectives
learned that three Of the men had
at that time made arrangements
with a colored hacker to be on hand
at $3.50 o'clock in the morning with
"a speedy car Police informants
also let the police in on the fact that
the whole plan was called off when
the amount to be carried by the bank
messenger became known. Grant said
that he had several men on duty on
the morning set and was ready for
eventualities.
Since that time, Grant explained,
there have been number of hold
ups by robbers who answer the de-
scription of the men arrested last
night. Not until Saturday night. how.>
ever, following the robbery at the
delicatessen store of Alexander Dio-
des. at 4o5 Eighth street northwest.
did the detectives pick up clues lead
ing directly to the men under arrest.
Before the delicatessen robbery,
which occurred after midnight, one
other hold-up had been reported by
men with similar descriptions Harley
H. Price. manager of the gasoline
station at Georgia avenue and Quincy
place. had reported being held-up at
the point of a pistol by three white
men who robbed him of about $75
and gold watch.
Caught at Girls Home.
Following the Saturday night rob-
berry Inspector Grant called q dozen
OF his men together and sent them
out to follow up the clues obtained
in the latest hold-ups. The men in
cluded the following headquarters de-
tectives: Sweeney, Waldron, Murphy,
Mullen, Springmann, Darnall, Scriv-
ener. Alligood, Keck and Weber. They
learned yesterday that several of the
men suspected had an engagement