The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-02-26
With The
|Alibi Artists
Ia Cross Section Of the
Daily Grind in Judge
McMahOn's Court.
Read EN- and Weep,
BY DONALD McDOUGAL.
A LeaIkY Abb.


honor. and ! was taking him TO
the Providence Hospital. My
wife was holding him on a pillow,
and sitting in the front Of our
Ford roadster beside me.
There is very narrow bridge
on Sergeant road, about mile
from Riggs road, and we just had
our front wheels on It when /
saw a big touring car bounce
over the brow OF the hill ahead
Of us.
Great, black clouds Of smoke
were rolling out Of the machine,
which was coming toward us
with terrific speed.
II knew 1t was q bootleg car
making q getaway, and wOuldn't
have much regard for a Ford
roadster and sick baby. There
was not time for me to get across
the bridge and out Of the way be-
fore the rum car arrived, and
there wasn't room for both cars
on there at the same time.
my wife cIutched the baby up
close In her arms and rl10aned.
reversed my car and backed into
the ditch as q Cadillac touring
car slithered past, its left front
door open.
THAT struck out left front
fender with a ringing sound like
B. circular saw hitting q nail, AMI
we were in total darkness for q
minute or so as. the smoke en-
veloped us.
at made my eyes smart pretty
hard. and choked us. The baby
gasped and cried weakly, his
lungs irritated with the gas,
which smelt like essence Of rotteu
eggs mixed with ammonia.
When the smoke cleared away
motorcycle and Hide-cAr stalled In
the mud 2 hundred yards ahead.
"rhey told us the buotleggers
had let out the smoke there In
hopes the officers would miss the
bridge in the darkness.
"One Of the officers was tenn
porarily blinded, and the other
asked me would I take him on
after the criminals. The police
engine had gone bad when they
struck the, mud at sixty miles an
hour. -
IT said I'd like nothing better
than to help catch the beasts that
came so near numbering us.
My wife went to a neighbours
house with the baby, and the Of
ficer who was blinded raid he'd
be able to see well enough to re-
pair the machine In a few min
utes, and we went after the rum
runners, but they beat us to the
Maryland line"
Witness: II run q garage in
OccoQuan. Va. At the time, in
uestion these two men stopped
at my repair station to fill /. the
radiator of their Buick roadster.
It was leaking pretty bad"
Next witness: II was there and
carried the water that went into
the radiator. 1t was dry and the
engine was smoking. / recognize
these two defendants as the men
who were in the roadster at the
time."'
Boob: "I was on my way to
Richmond to collect some money
due on q Ford car / sold q year
ago. / admit the Cadillac with
the smoke screen on 1t was my
car, but I wasn't using it then.
didn't have the Cadillac out
that day. It was in a garage all
the time. I didn't have the
garage keeper here to testify, be.
cause didn't think It would be
necessary.
IT went to Richmond In a.
Buick that belongs to a friend NJ
mine, because / heard the roads
were bad and didn't want to
ruin the springs Of my own
car.
1--WE left Washington at $50
and got to Occoquan at 1870,
the time when the officers say
we were out on Sergeant road.
I'VE made such poor time be-
j, cause the radiator went bad. We
didn't have 1t repaired beca use
We were in such a hurry. That
radiator trouble stayed with us
all the way to Richmond, and
we had to stop and fill up at
every stream we came to. We
got to Richmond at 4:3O."
Assistant Corporation Counsel
McGarraghy: "It took you two
hours to run from Washington
to Occoquan, and only five hours
to reach Richmond from there?"
That's right"
The court: Guilty"
Counsel: There Is a Court Of
Appeals"
"You have four days to file
motion for new trial. In the
meantime your clients are held
in $500 bonds"
II ask that the defendants be
released without bond, your hon.
or. II you knew Officer Shelters
methods as we'll"
Don't stand up in open court
and criticise the police in any
such way as that. 1t is out Of
order, and will not be permitted
in this court. See that the pris-
oners are locked up, Mr.. Bailiff."
Counsel. TITS quarter past
five and the bonding offices are
closed. will be responsible for
the appearance Of the defendants
when required"
you have twenty minutes to
get bond for your clients"
After Senator Stanley had
spent hours of valuable time
and blocked the passage Of the