Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-14
|NFORMERS SLAIN
ASPLOT TO GET"
DETECTIVE FAILS
Two Police Aides Shot to
Death From Car as Third,
With Them, Escapes.
INTENDED VICTIM WAS
WITH WIFE AT HOSPITAL
r. J. Barrett of Fourth Precinct
Marked for Murder Over War
on Colored Gamblers.

open warfare between colored gam
blers in Southwest Washington and the
police broke out last night when two
colored police informers were shot to
death by a party of men in an auto
mobile who are believed to have been
searching for Detective R. j. Barrett Of
the fourth precinct to kill him.
The men killed were Clarence Harvey
and Edward Smith, both of 224 v street.
A third inforiner. known to the police
as Jessie" was with them when the
car slowed up at the curb and the yolley
of shots was fired. but escaped un-
scathed. The shooting occurred short
ly after a raid on an alleged gambling
establishment.
Following the murders, the police inn
mediately began roundup of all coll
ored persons known to be connected
with running of numbers" games.
based on the daily clearing house re-
turns
At noon today, 16 prisoners were being
held in six precincts. One Of them,
William Bradley, Is years old, 4406 Dix
street northeast, has flesh wound in
his left shoulder He told the police
that Harvey, one of the slain men, had
shot him about 10 o'clock last night,
but refused to divulge what they had
quarreled about. A revolver was found
beside his bed when he was arrested
this morning.
Runs Block BEFORE Falling.
At the time of the shooting, which
occurred at G street and Bears Gap at
about IL o'clock, Barrett was at
Providence Hospital with his wife, to
whom daughter was born. Later in
the night he joined detail of police
OF the fourth precinct and the head
quarters homicide squad and assisted
them in rounding up the 16 prisoners.
Although shot through the heart
Harvey ran a block before collapsing.
He was found lying face downward at
H street and Bears Gap with revolv-
er clutched in his hand Three of the
five shells had been exploded but po-
ice are not certain whether he fired at
mis- assailants or whether the gun was
discharged earlier In the night.
Smith dropped where he was shot
and was taken to Emergency Hospital
He died about three hours later Each
was struck but once. The bullet entersa
the upper portion of Smiths chest O. d
went downward through his lungs.
"Going Out to Get Barrett"
Police obtained their information that
the killers were looking for Barrett
through Merle Taylor. colored, of 213
In poolroom at "a M street southwest
last night when three colored men,
whose names he does not know, came
in. While there, they said they ''were
going out right now and get Barrett"
you better leave him alone" they
were cautioned by friend, but they
went out, got into a speedy car and
drove away. 1t Is one of these three
men, ploice think. who fired the five
shots that resulted in the death Of the
informers
Several witnesses to the shooting have
been found, but their stories differ One
account Is that a car, containing three
men was passing the entrance Of Bears
Gap on G street when they saw the
three men. They slowed down. Five
shot were fired and they sped away
The other version Of the affair is that
the slayers stopped their car and one
got out and called Harvey over to him.
Then the shooting began.
Charges Must Be Dropped.
The three informers had been en-
ployed almost exclusively recently In
obtaining evidence in cases of violations
of the lottery la why running the num-
ber" game, which police say is played
by out Of 10 colored men In the
southwest section of the city.
Harvey and Smith have gathered evi-
dence in more than so per cent Of the
liquor cases among colored residents
here, and Harvey in the majority Of
pending in Police Court will be dropped.
A party Of fourth precinct police had
just arrived at the station house last
night after raiding an alleged gambling
establishment when the news Of the
murder reached them. The place raided
was on the first block of NJ street south
west. Earlier in the evening they made
a similar raid In the first block of E
street and arrested two colored women
and man.
After the first raid Barrett was called
to Providence Hospital. The night be-
fore lunchroom in the 600 block of
third street southwest was raided. De-
tective Barrett led all three raids.
The fourth precinct officers working
on the case include Lieut. F.. M. Dent,
recently promoted from sergeant; Bar
rett, w. C. Curtis, M G. Thayer and
F. A. Truscott. The headquarters
homicide squad was under the leader
ship of Lieut. Edward j. Kelly.
Eldridge l.. Davis. colored, who was
held recently for grand jury action for
sale land possession OF liquor, was
arrested on a warrant issued on Har-
vey's affidavit. The charges will be
dropped Hart said.
A large number of cases charging vio-
lations of the lottery law whicn are
pending also will be dismissed