The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-02-01
BURNS men PULL RAW|
STUFF; H0LDUPS
Has Mr.. Burns or His Agency the
Right to Hire Marines to Help
Him Stage Hold-ups?
xxx

Has Mr. Burns or Ills Agency the
Right to Hire Marines to Help
Him Stage Hold-ups?
XXX
bureau of Publication and EducatiOn)
WASHINGTON, D. C. Jan. 3d.
Can the Burns Detective agency,
even though it's head be Roman Ca
tholic and at the head Of the govern
ment is secret service, stick a gun In
your face on lonely country road at
night and take your automobile away
from you, even if you do happen to
owe some money on the car?
It's possible for that agency or any
other recognized authority to possibly
seize your car on a conditional bill
of sale and get away with it if you
have neglected to make your pay
ments. But the question is, can the
fellow or fellows who seize the car do
it by sticking gun in your face and
get away with the job in true hold
up style?
And another question is proper at
this point. Has Mr.. Burns or his
agency any right to hire United
States Marines, soldiers belonging to
Uncle Sam and in the service, to help
him stage a hold-up? On this point
it is stated that eighteen marines in
all, on duty at headquarters in the
Munitions building, were approached
by a Navy Department clerk, who is
also a Burns operative, and offered
what looked like "easy money" If they
could get off for few days. The men
were successful in obtaining leave all
right, all at the same time, and ten OF
the eighteen are now under arrest
and out on bond of $4,000 each,
charged with robbery, larceny and dis
orderly conduct. Marine headquarters
here sly the ten marines will be dis
ciplined for "engaging in civilian
practices" Here is the game they at
tempted to pull in connection with
two private detectives assigned to the
job by the Burns agency.
Hold-up Staged
The Burns men and the ten marines
held up eight taxicabs of the Pen
nant Taxicab Company, of this city,
and made away with the machines
near Upper Marlboro, Maryland, a
few nights ago. In less than half a
night the whole bunch were under ar
rest and in Jail at Baltimore. The
hold-up was resorted to according to
the manager of the Taxicab company
to serve writ of attachment for the
machines by finance corporation in
New York city. Instead of taking the
machines or resorting to legal prac-
tees to get possession of them the
Burns gang did it by trickery and at
the point of guns. No papers what
ever were served.
Business Rushing
The Washington taxicab company
suddenly had many calls for machines
from the detectives and the marines
who claimed they were going to a
prize fight at Upper Marlboro. Reach
ing that little Maryland town the en-
tire crowd went into hotel where
supper was ordered. While eating
the proprietor wanted to know what
was going on. The men told him the
detectives would be along in short
time and it was not long before they
put in their appearance. The hotel
proprietor who had visions of a raid
of some kind made further inquiry
and when the detectives told him of
what they proposed doing he told them
they could not pull that sort of a
stunt in his place and ordered them
to move on, saying that he would no
tify the sheriff and the Washington
authorities, if they attempted that
sort of hold-up.
The drivers were ordered to move
on towards Annapolis. Scarcely had
the light of Upper Marlboro faded
in the distance before the leading cab,
believed to have been occupied by the
detectives, was ordered to stop. The
driver suddenly found himself facing
a levelled pistol and before the other
chauffeurs knew what had happened,
they too were covered with revolvers
of their alleged customers. In other
words the whole eight taxicabs were
seized, not by legal process, but at
the points of pistols.
"Get out and beat it. These taxi
cabs belong to US now" one Of the
drivers said he was told.
Walked Back to Town
The taxi drivers walked back to
Upper Marlboro while their former
passengers rode off in the direction
of Baltimore via Annapolis. The men
hunted up Sheriff Fink and told him
what had happened and within an
hour every road in that and adjoining
counties were blocked by deputy sher-
iff and members of the Maryland
state constabulary.
Bandits Nabbed
Just before getting into Baltimore
the caravan was sighted and the
whole bunch put under arrest. With
out any fuss all of the men surrender
ed, turning over their firearms,
drove into Baltimore and were locked