Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-18
THREE MEN TAKEN
AND AUTO SEIZED
| ON SCREEN CHARGE
Trio Involve Fourth, Who Is
Arrested on Rum-Pos-
session Count.
POLICE SQUAD FINDS
LIQUOR HIDDEN IN SAFE
Raiders Arrest Four After Labor
ing With Sledges to Batter
in Doors.

Police of the Eighth precinct seized
large touring car equipped with a
smoke screen and arrested three COL
ored men in the rear of 1927 Second
street early this morning. The arrest
OF the three men subsequently led to
the arrest of another colored man and
the seizure of 800 quarts of alleged corn
whisky at 127 Thomas street.
Three of the arrested men, Thomas
Dorsey, 10, of the TOO block Harvard
street: James Rodney, 46 of the Thorn
as street address. and Percy Thomas,
"a, of the 2700 block of Georgia ave-
nue., were held at the Eighth precinct
station on charges of possession of a
smoke screen. The fourth man, Charles
Logan, As, also of the Thomas street
address, was charged with illegal pos
session of liquor.
According to Policemen w. F.. Burke,
w. r. Latin and William McEwen,
who made the arrests, the three men,
who are said to have joint ownership
OF the smoke Screen-e equipped automo-
bile, were in the rear of the Second
street address preparing to dismantle
the screen when taken into custody.
At the station house the three, police
said, implicated the fourth man and
furnished them information which led
to his arrest and the liquor seizure.
Find Liquor in Safe.
Sergt. o. j. Letterman and his squad
yesterday afternoon labored for two
hours with sledge-hammers and chisels
in successful attack upon a safe, in
which dozen quarts of liquor were
concealed, on an upper floor Of O. bust
ness house in the HOO block of Twen-
tieth street, after those on the premises
declared they did not know the COM
bination. When Sergt Letterman and
c. j. Moystn entered the place, accord
ing to their report, they say bottles
were placed in the safe and the door
slammed. While telephone messages
were being sent in an effort to locate
an individual who knew the combina-
ton. Sergt. Letterman dispatched a
member of the squad to the office Of
United States Commissioner Needham
G. Turnage. who issued a warrant giving
authority to make the search.
Then the hammers and chisels were
brought into play. The knob refused
to bulge under the heavy blows and
the attackers turned to the back of
the safe, cutting through several pieces
of steel and concerted construction be-
fore reaching the compartment which
held the bottles.
Four Are Arrested.
Four men were arrested on charges
of illegal possession of intoxicants.
They registered as Christian Schweitzer,
%, of '1400 block of r street; Paul
Burriss, %. Forest Glen, Md; William
James Ryan. IS, of the 1900 block of
Twentieth street, and Bella Stephen
Feeney, 43. 1900 block of Twentieth
street. Bond of $500 was given for the
appearance in court of each.
Receiving information of a still in
operation in a house in the TOO block
of Corcoran street, Sergt. Letterman
led his squad there yesterday afternoon
and when woman answered the bell
asked where the still was located.
Presumably believing the callers knew
all about the still. the young woman
promptly responded down in the base
ment." The raiders found the still, and
when a young man, reputedly showing
evidences of having done a lively piece
OF sprinting, appeared few minutes
later he was arrested.
Paul Frederick Roberts was the name
he gave. He said he was % years old
and an occupant of the premises raided.
The still. "a gallons of liquor and 20
barrels OF mash were seized. the raiders
destroying the mash. Roberts was
booked on charges of manufacturing
and possession and released on a bond
OF $500 for his appearance in court.