Evening star., 1924-10-03
End of Profiteering in World
Series Cards Sought by
D. c. Officials.
GIVEN MORAL SUPPORT
OF FEDERAL AUTHORITIES
Internal Revenue Bureau, Tech
nically Taking No Part, Places
Liberal Construction on Laws.

Backed by a liberal construction of
the revenue law, but without the
technical support of the Revenue Bu-
reau, the Washington police depart
ment early this afternoon launched
a vigorous campaign designed to
Danish from the National Capital the
scores of world series ticket specu-
lators, who have been reaping
golden harvest since yesterday at the
expense of the base ball fans.
Orders had scarcely been broadcast
throughout the various police pre-
cincts, providing blanket instructions
to arrest every person selling base
ball tickets in excess of the oflcial
ball park price. when the first of the
arrests was made at the improvised
brokerage" office located at the Sar-
noff-Irving hat store, 1915 Pennsyl
vania avenue. doing business as Bar
netts Ticket Agency" which was closed
up by police of the first precinct, acting
under instructions from capt. Brown.
The proprietor of the agency, who
gave his name as Charles t. Barnett,
was placed under arrest quietly and
with little formality by Precinct De-
tective Talley, in the presence of
Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue
Nagle, who had been on duty at the
! violations of the revenue law.
Returns to Office.
Other arrests were to follow i'm
mediately at the closely grouped
brokerage" offices in the same block,
! several of which opened only last night
or this morning.
Barnett, who is from out-of-town.
as are most of the other brokers. was
released on $500 collateral. Police
had orders to continue 20 re-
arresting offenders, as long as they
/ sold tickets in excess Of the regu-
larly established price printed on the
| face by the ball club.
VIII Test Issue in Court.
I'VE are going TO Danish scalping
| during this world series if it is hu-
manly and legally possible" declared
CORPORATION Counsel Francis II. Ste
phons as he emerged just before noon
from the conference in his office with
high police officials at which the dras
tic order to the police was drawn up.
Congress, we believe, intended that
| ticket scaIpers should be prosecuted
under this law, and we are not going
to let them get around it. If our in
terpretation of the law is wrong. let
these men prove il in court" Similar
expressions came from Maj. Daniel
Sullivan, chief of police; inspectors
Shelby and Evans, and Ringgold Hart,
assistant corporation counsel, fol-
lowing the conference
While the police were thus clampinE
the lid down on the outburSt of ticket
speculating all over the city, revenue
bureau officials stood by and gave
their moral support, but expressed
the laconic opinion that the police had
interpreted the law incorrectly.
heir hI however,
said.
Provisions of LAW.
The wording of the law under
which the police acted today follows:
Whoever sells an admission ticket
or card on which the name of the
yender and price is not printed, SO
stamped. printed or written thereon.
is guilty of a misdemeanor. and upon
conviction thereof shall be fined not
more than 500" This clause is from
section 500 cd of the revenue act
of 1924.
Barnett and the other brokers have
been stamping their names and the
price at which they sold the tickets
on the back of the card with a rubber
stamp. This according to the Revenue
Bureau, complied with the law, and
although the bureau has had two
representatives stationed in each
agency, no arrests had been made.
The men were instructed to watch
only to see that the 'brokers' stamp
ed the name and price on the back
of the ticket.
Crowds See Little Evidence.
Lunch hour crowds gathered in
front of the four ticket offices which
have been opened in the 1900 block of
Pennsylvania avenue scarcely knew
that the police were raiding the
establishments. so quickly and effec-
lively did the hand of the law fall
on the admittedly surprised ticket
sellers.
At the hat store, the proprietors
of which evidently had rented space
in the front of the store to Barnett,
Detective Talley, in plain clothes,
stopped a customer, who had just
purchased s16.50 grandstand series
ticket for $25, and asked to examine
the ticket. On the back was
stamped Barnett Ticket Agency"
with the brokers' selling price writ
ten in ink on dotted line provided
for the purpose.
Talley Immediately announced to
Barnett, a short, middle-aged man,
that he was under arrest"
But here's revenue man." ex-
claimed Barnett, pointing to Nagle.
Il don't care about that, I'm a po-
liceman, and you've got to come with
me-" said the detective.
With that the prisoner picked up a
pile of tickets from the little table
he used as counter and went to the
station house. Il don't know what
it's all about" he said on arriving
there, at which he was informed that
he was charged with selling tickets
in excess of the established price and
must put up collateral. The prisoners
argument that he had stamped the
excess price on the back of the