Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30

1h1S is the opinion OF offlClalS OF
a large national insurance company.
which holds a great many burglary
policies here, after an investigation
of recent series of store robberies
These robberies, according to Her
bert E. Parker, head of the burglary
1 department of this company, clearly
are the work of operators of ex-
ceptional skill who plan their work
and select their loot in a manner
possible only to experts. Baltimore,
Wilmington and Philadelphia are
having similar epidemics of store
robberies, Mr.. Parker said yesterday.
| which gives some basis for the
theory that each city is under a
tenacle of a giant octopus of crime
| whose brains are i'm New York.
He believes that the recently en-
| acted Baumes laws in New York.
which prescribe a life sentence upon
| the fourth conviction for any Grim
| inal offense. have resulted in scat
| tering the professionals, who have
! spread to the Atlantic Coast cities,
but who still operate through a New
| York headquarters and fences.
Planned In Advance.
First. saws Mr.. Parker. all of the
| recent store robberies here. evidently
were planned for weeks in advance.
In each case the thief took advantage
| of the one vulnerable spot In the
| stores defenses and timed the bur
| clsrlv exactly so that he would have
| leisure to work without Interrupt
| ton from the police or private
| guards.
| In the robbery at Riziks, for ex-
ample, entrance was made through
an unbarred skylight-the single win
| CT which NOT
| barred and the one spot where en-
| trance could have been made easily
| and quickly.
At Erlebacher's, entrance was made
| through a cellar window, which was
| prot cted by one iron bar. But the
! bar was fastened with nails in inse-
cure wood, so that it could be ripped
| off with a slight pull. Investigation
| showed, Mr.. Parker said. that there
was no other spot in the whole build
| ing where entrance could have been
made so easily.
At another store, force was used in
| jimmying a door, but investigation
| showed that this was the only pos
sible way OF getting In. At still an
other store, entrance was gained by
complicated journey over an ad-
| joining roof and through rear win.
dow - the only possible means of
entrance.
Makes No Blunders.
All these instances indicate, Mr..
Parker said that a man OF excep-
tional skill is at work--a man who
can pick out these weak spots with
an eye trained by long experience.
who makes every move and every
minute count, and who makes no mis-
takes. The work OF an amateur or
even of a professional without ade-
quate training, Mr.. Parker believes,
can always be detected because OF lit
tie blunders, such as picking the more
difficult of two ways OF entrance.
In addition, according to Mr.. Parker,
the man, or the gang, working in
Washington Is expert in women's
clothing. In each case there has been
a leisurely and careful selection of
loot. The burglar has not burdened
himself with cheap goods. but has
taken only articles which can be dis
posed Of easily at good price. The
amateur would be unlikely to show
such judgment and would take some
virtually worthless articles. The man
working here, Mr.. Parker believes,
probably speeializes in women's
clothes, knows the exact value of
fabrics and the current styles, is
| aware of what will bring ready sale.
and is very unlikely to make a mis-
take.
He has advised all stores insured by
the company to bar their windows, but
this, he says, will be only a temporary
safeguard.
Calls Remedy Difficult.
"It is difficult to suggest a remedy y
| Mr.. Parker said, but it is essential
10 @oly hot fhnco i'm.
fnals cannot time so exactly the move
ments OF private watchmen and police
men, A system of staggered hours
| for visits to different localities and to
different parts of stores should be put
| into effect
These men probably can tell almost
| to the minute when a policeman will
| be at a certain box or when watch.
man will make his rounds. They
know exactly how long they have to
| work without any fear of interruption.
This advantage, at least, can be taken
away from them.
1.-The Baumes laws. without doubt,
| have scattered the New York Grim
inals. The experts are afraid to
operate In New York any longer and
have turned their attention to other
| cities"
Mai. Edwin b. Hesse, superin.
tendent of police. said yesterday that
the four recent robberies tend to give
| Washingtonians wrong impression
| Of the situation. The actual records
show, he said, that there have been
only FIVE robberies Of any consequ-
ence since November, and only IL in
the past Is months.
Hesse Expects Developments.
The police. he said, are concentrat.
| ing on the situation and expect i'm
portant developments in the next few
days.
| The following letter was received
Yesterday by W. n. Ronsaville, man
ager of the local branch of big in
surance company In New York, from
| William A. Thompson. vice president,
relating to the local situation:
I'm this mornings Herald Tribune
/ read a dispatch from Washington
telling of an epidemic of robberies in
York thugs, driven away from here
| by the Baumes law. The situation
i disclosed is very interesting to us,
for we have been predicting just such
results and your city is not the only
one which has reported similar con.
ditions since the force of the Baumes
law has been felt here.
| You may have noted that our CON-
pany has been quoted in the public
press as saying that there has been a
marked decrease In this company's
losses due to crime in the first six
months since the Baumes laws went
into effect The testimony Of the Pc.
lice Department here is the same. We
believe as time goes on the efficiency
of this legisla ton will become even
more evident and that it will result
definitely in driving TO other jurisdic.