Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-20

block Of Fourteenth street and Conte at
Sixth and H streets.
All three defendants are married
Rothgeb is 81 years old and lives at
5lRandolph street, Conte Is IS and lives
at 1414 v street, while Rayford Is 20
and lives at 1903 4 street southeast.
The headquarters detectives assigned
to the case, Sergts. Thomas Nally, Frank
Alligood and L. M. Wilson, were as
sisted In their investigations by q Burns
detective agent, Ben Gunner, who had
been retained by the milk companies.
COntainer Recovered.
Rayford told detectives that the Taxi
Drivers Union, with which he was as
sociated, was merely q sister organiza-
ton and had no interest IN the dis
pute among the milk drivers.
Conte admitted that he suggested the
plan to Rayford. I'VE bought a sub
stance with a very offensive odor," he
said, strong enough that no one would
dare use the milk II any OF It were
placed near the milk"
The men "cut" the gallon of disin-
fectant with kerosene. Rayford adj
mitted that on last Tuesday night he
drove with his wife to a point about
three miles on the other side of Acco-
tink, Va, and there hid the can which
had contained the disinfectant in the
woods. He later took detectives to the
spot, and the empty container was re-
covered
Detectives said today that a 5000
reward, offered by the Chestnut Farms
Dairy and Thompson's Dairy, would
go to the party who furnished them the
"tip."
Rayford's Statement.
Rayford's statement, as announced by
the police, follows:
well, 1t came about after a long dis
cussion over labor troubles In general,
our organization in particular. The gist
of our discussion was to the effect that
our international in this city was losing
members fast, due to the action of the
large companies. We discussed ways
and means of intimidating different scab
drivers in hopes that by this means we
would force them to become members
Of our organizations.
Various methods were suggested for
using the stuff that Is now used as a
disinfectant. A gallon of that stuff was
procured on Saturday night, November
is, 1880, at Sears Roebuck Co. by Conte
and myself, for which we paid some
thing less than 81. We got this with
the idea that we would be able to place
some Of It on the rat milk drivers cloth
flNnnd In that way we hoped to make
hind Be So offensive TO himself and the
public that he would realize what q rat
he was and Join our organization.
Ran into MIX Wagons.
with this in mind we got In touch
with Rothgeb, who was at that time
attending party on Webster street.
We drove around town in my sedan,
Conte, Rothgeb and myself hunting for
the worst rats on milk wagons. We ran
into two milk wagons just of Connecti-
cut avenue on Cathedral avenue. Roth
geb got out Of my car with the can,
and I couldn't see from where I was
what he did with it. He came back in
about three minutes with the can and
put 1t in the car.
IT kept the can until last night, No
vember ID, when I drove down to about
miles the other side of Accotink, where
threw the can in the woods. My wife
was with me when / drove to Accotink
That Is practically the end Of the
chapter.
@ What did you and the Others ex-
pect to accomplish by that?
"A. 1t would just make him late with
his deliveries, and we knew that he
would have to go back and get some
more milk, and to start up public senti-
ment against non-union drivers and
their f1rm. knew the wagons were
non-union, but did not know who they
belonged to.
q What interest does Rayford have
in the Milk Drivers Union?
"A. None at all. 1t Is just sister
Tells Of Dislnfectant.
Conte made the following statement
to the police:
'Rayford asked me of some method
that we could use to help organize the
milk drivers, as they were in bad way,
and he asked me to suggest some
method by which load of milk could
be destroyed without any possibility of
injury to anybody, some substance with
a very offensive odor, and I suggested
buying this disinfectant, as the odor was
so strong that they would not dare use
the milk If any of this substance was
placed near it.
so Rayford and myself purchased
q can of it on Saturday night. Novem-
Der is, at Sears. Roebuck g. Co, paying
less than 50 for 1t. / don't remember
the exact amount for the gallon, and we
met q man connected with the milk
drivers, the secretary of the milk
drivers, about / o'clock in the morning
of last Sunday at a place on Webster
street We were in Rayford's car. The
secretary Of the milk drivers and myself
were in the car.
I'VE cruised around in Petworth, then
cut over to Connecticut avenue until we
saw two wagons parked in front OF an
apartment house on Cathedral avenue:
Then the secretary got out Of the car
with one of the cans. We had two
cans. We had cut it in half with
kerosene. This Rothgeb, whatever his
name is got out of the car and poured
the contents of the can into both milk
wagons, then came back with the can
and drove away. We took Rothgeb to
his home on Randolph street. Then
Rayford took me home. That's all
know about It,"
Statement by Rothgeb.
Rothgeb's statement, as given out by
the police, follows
Saturday, November Is, at IL o'clock,
Eddie Rayford called me up and said,
Dutch, want to see YOU went
down to his office, at Fifth and II
streets. He said, Dutch, let's stink up
4 couple of milk wagons told him
was running our booth at the food show
and that would not get out until late,
and I was going 10 party on Webster
street. Rayford came up to the Webster
street house about ! o'clock In the
He had another man with
him called Connie, about 80 years old,
who wears eyeglasses. He Is q hacker
and drives Diamond cab. They are
HI a Ford two-door sedan that belonged
to Rayford. Rayford was driving the
car.
IT left the Webster street address and
went with them. Rayford was under
the wheel. I was next to him and the