Evening star., 1928-04-08
BY J. A. FOX,

ToHN SHoDDYSTUFF. merchant.
at whose poor stock the good
~ Housewives Of Citizenville look
sSkance, starts branching out
HUGE boxes. crates and barrels are
emptied and their contents placed on
his shelves Big banners are Haunted
over the doorway apnouncing safe
Curious shoppers become eager buyers,
for ShoddyStuff is offering what dlS-
cerning eyes realize are rare bargains,
at prices no other establishment IN
town possibly could meet. Dry goods.
wearing apparel, silks, perhaps some
ftlrS or ieWelry designed 10 intrigue the
elite of Citizenville. Anything and
everything; it's a field day for canny
purchasers,
Growing confidential, Shoddystuff
lets his customers in on the secret
that makes - tauS possible for him to
serve them. Ore of the biggest whole
Salers in the cuuntry-whoSe name. OF
course. he must keep in confidence-is
In financial straits and has to make a
quick turnover Of his stock for cash.
Rockbottom prices result he explains,
other Merchants Suspicious.
And other merchants, seeing their
own business crippled by his operations
can only stand idly by and take their
medicine with the best grace possible
under the circumstances, For while
they recognise the infallihle signs, they
cannot prove their wen founded Sus-
piciouS and know il is useless. and would
only draw SCOTS TO denounce Shodoy-
stun for what he really iS--a SliC&
specimen of one Of the boldeSt ana
NarieSt criminal elements at work to-
6ay-those who handle stolen property
the fences" whose legions are doing
q business placed by experts at $780,
o00, 900 annually.
Nor are prosecuting authorities any
better Of than the merchants, They
know ShoddyStuff and the rest of his
kind. but halting his activities is some
thing else again. for while his conduct
oStenSibiy is open and above-board.
there's BACKGROUND that is shielded in
IN almost impenetrable maze.
Behind him there may be two, three
or half dozen more fences" scattered
far and wide. through whom his stock
has passed before it ever reached his
hands Back of these are the thieves who
were the original procurers.
Difficulties Are Shown.
The only defensive weapon at hand
20 combat these is the laws of the
several States, and, say those who have
studied the situation. Just try to link up
The component parts of a criminal case
that will stand a test under these cir
cumStanceS. Where crime is centered
In one State, there are statutes that can
be invoked without trouble. Once let
It creep across the boundaries of another
State. or perhaps dozen more. and its
the end
Just how true this is, and how these
Interstate operations have virtually put
the perpetrators beyond the pale of the
law, Is Illustrated pointedly by Maxwell
s. Mattuck, counsel for the National
Association of Credit Men.
Recalling that a witness may not be
brought from one State TO another
against his viii Mattuck sets up as q
hypothetical case the theft Of silk in
New York. and consequent handling by
o fence" in San Francisco.
The New York authorities. he ex-
plains. cannot get witnesses from Cali
fornia to testify and lay the basis for
extradition proceedings against the
~fencer for disposal Of the goods. and |
the California authorities cannot pro-
ceed against him because they cannot
get witnesses from New York to testify /
rs to the theft
Interstate Law Sought.
That's the answer to the ~fencf" 1
problem. for. operating in bands Of /
nationwide ramifications. they become /
even more immune from punishment. /
II is in this situation that the Gov i
eminent has been asked to intervene /
with protective legislation that viii /
make the interstate operations Of +
fences" a Federal offense.
Pressing the appeal for action is the |
National Crime Commission, composed /
not OF group Of theorists but num- |
bering in its ranks such persons as
Charles Evans Hughes Frank o. Low ]
der. Newton d. Baker. Richard WASH |
burn Child, Franklin D. Roosevelt. ].
Weston Allen. former attorney general
Of Massachusetts: r. Trubee Dawson,
Assistant Secretary Of War. Gen. James
A. Drain. Hugh A. Frayne Of the Amer
fcsn Federation OF Labor. Gen Samuel
McRoberts. president of the Chapman
Phoenix National Bank Of New York:
Chester II. Rowell Samuel A. Levi
soian and Mrs. Richard Derby, daugtl-
ter Of the late President Roosevelt.
Back of these are the National As
sociation Of Credit Men, the American
Bar Association, American Bankers
Association. American Federation Of
Labor, American Railway Association.
and such other national groups as silk
men. garment makers, jewelers.. dry
goods merchants and surety concerns
10 name a few Of those represented
here during the past week at hearings
on the measure sponsored by Represent
stive La Guardia CRepublicanD OF New
York 10 bring fences" within the pur-
view Of the Federal Government.
Many Witnesses Heard.
Starting with Mr.. Baker Secretary
Of War in the Wilson cabinet witness
after witness came before the House
judiciary committee in behalf Of the
measure, telling an amazing story OF
organized crin1inality whose victims
are helpless before them.
There are organized gangs in the
United States that have names and
have a kind of lodge association,
Baker, acting chairman OF the Crime
Commission told the committee. They
have secret passwords and all sorts OF
intimate organizations. so that wnen
one Of their number is arrested in