Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-13
DisorderIy Conduct Charged
Against Black and White
Company Employees.
MONDAY NIGHT ATTACK
RESULTS IN FAKE CALLS
Bricks Found by Police When Pleas
Are Sent In From Scenes
of Fighting.

Trouble between drivers for the
Black and White Taxicab Co. and the
Independent Taxi Owners Association
nared up anew last night when II
drivers for the Black and White Co.
were placed under arrest on technical
charge of disorderly conduct. Their
cases were continued until March IL
when they appeared in Police Court
this morning.
The bad feeling between the drivers
for the two companies has extended
over period of three years.
The latest development had its incep-
ton Monday night when Eugene Lands.
Black g. White driver, was taken from
his cab at Seventh street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue southeast and badly
beaten by two men described by him as
drivers for the independent company.
Stories Are Conflicting.
On the strength of his charges. police
OF the fifth precinct arrested John M.
Barker and John Shymansky, both
identifying themselves as drivers of in
dependent cabs
Conflicting stories are told of the
ARRAY. Police, however, say that
Shymansky tore Lands identification
card and that Lands then left his cab
to retaliate. He and Shymansky be-
gan fighting, police say, and Barker
joined in.
Lands went to the fifth precinct sta
ton house where he swore to charge
OF assault against Barker and a double
charge of assault and destroying private
property against Shymansky. The two
al s,,v k~{n 4Avv
we're arraigned in Police Court yester-
day. and were released under $500
bond each.
After the fight Lands and other
Black and White drivers told police
several of their fellow drivers had been
lured into outlying sections by fake
calls from independent drivers.
. Attacked and Beaten.
When the Black & White driver
reaches his destination, they said, he
has been attacked and beaten by sew
eral drivers for the other company.
The Independent drivers deny this
allegation, asserting the tactics ascribed
to them are employed by Black &c
White drivers. On several occasions,
they say. Independent men have been
beaten after they had been enticed to
remote spots in answer to calls from
rival drivers.
Word of Lands misfortune spread
rapidly, and an unusual number of
Black d White cabs were seen touring
the Southeast section of the city last
night, according to police.
Shortly before midnight the tele.
phone rang In the fifth precinct sta
ton and an excited woman informed
the desk sergeant that a score of taxi
drivers were fighting in front of the
District Jail.
The riot squad was called out and
rushed to the scene. When they ar
rived all was quiet and not taxicab
was in sight. They returned to the
station house.
Ninth Precinct Call.
A few minutes later a similar call
was received at the ninth precinct. The
precinct riot squad jumped into the
reserve car and raced to Fifteenth and
supposed to be in full swing. The
headquarters car with load of detec-
tives also was dispatched to the scene.
Again quiet prevailed at the street
corner.
Sergt. E. T. Dollhouse, temporarily
in charge of the fifth precinct. decided
the time had come to stop such doings.
A dozen policemen were sent to Eleventh
and East Capitol streets. where they
found approximately 40 taxicabs stand
ing idle. An examination of the cabs
disclosed. according to police. that
passenger compartments of several were
stored with bricks and sections of iron
pipe. The drivers were not to be seen.
The policemen looked around. how
ever. and in private car found IL
drivers for the Black & White Co. They
were taken to the station house and
charged with diScrderly conduct.
Those arrested were Albert Redmon,
william A. McCrairy, Paul Anderson,
John A. Jardine. Gustave E. Rett. Roy
Elmendorf. John F. Brooks. Samuel
Charuchas. Albert NJ. La Cevey. G. E.
Johns and Sam Emile. All denied that
they intended to make any trouble
whatsoever.
Officials Deny war"
Officials of the Black and White COM
pany deny knowledge of any war" be-
tween the drivers.
Harry Davis, manager of the Inde-
pendents. says the trouble goes back
at least three years.
He says that his company has never
been permitted to list itself in the tele-
phone book as THE Diamond Cab Co."
and that as a result. many calls in
tended for their drivers have gone
astray, eventually going to drivers for
rival concerns. This, he declares, has
aroused the independent drivers and
is primarily responsible for the trouble.
At present. he says. injunction pro-
ceedings to compel the telephone conn.,
pany to publish their name in the de-
sired manner are pending. If the court
suStainS their view. he SAYS. the trnnhle