Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-21
"Gangdom" in Washington.

There is something more than the
mere accident Of coincidence in the out
break of violent crime here that moves
statement denying the Capital City's
equalization to organized gangs and as
surfing the peaceful citizens that gang
dom Is not threatening to turn Wash
ington into a smaller edition of Chicago
Commissioner Crosby is dealing with a
public state of mind that. for reasons
too numerous and apparent to describe
has come to think of revolver as q
rod" girl as a MOL" q few
rowdies as a mob" an assassination
as the act of putting man ION the
spot" a betrayal to the police as q
"squeal," and perhaps has reached the
conclusion that there is such a thing
as "the ethics Of gangdom" and sees in
the cheap and ostentatious floral dis
plays at a bar fy's funeral "a solemn
last tribute from the boys"
Naturally, every crime is therefore
examined for what have been accepted
as the orthodox manifestations of gang
warfare" And those who figure in the
crimes, being humans who go to
the movies and avidly read sensational
literature, are only too willing to assume
a role that has been surrounded with
a gilded glamour. The danger that con-
fronts the police is that the actors may
like their roles too well. AS gangsters
do not live on the business of shooting
each other, the duty of the Washington
police Is to break up the real oppor-
tunities for their livelihood here before
. state Of mind becomes a state Of fact
In this connection, three of the recent
shootings at least bring up a matter
that always comes as puzziing after
math to crime. The descriptions of one
Of the victims have been notably candid.
He made his living as a guard at a
gambling establishment and he met his
death in speakeasy. The gambling
establishment and the speakeasy have
been maintained in defiance Of the law.
The gambling establishment IS beyond
the geographical limits of the District
of Columbia, but its patrons and its
employees and its reputed owners live
in the District. The place may be out
side the jurisdiction Of the Metropolitan
police. But has there ever been any
complaint to the Maryland authorities2
Has any effort ever been made by the
Federal authorities in Washington to
seek the permanent closing Of a
notorious breeding place for ''rackets"
and crime In the Capital?
The speakeasy where the fellow met
his death has been padlocked-after the
crime. Why was it not pad1ocked be-
fore the crime? How many other
speakeasies are running in Washington
and waiting to be padlocked after some
amateur gangster has been shot In a
drunken brawl?
Another victim Of a mysterious
shooting has been as candidly described
as police informer who also seems to
have been known as hi-jacker. Did
his work as police informer give
him privileged status In other fields?
Did the police not learn Of his alleged
hi-jacking operations until after he was
slain?
A few weeks ago public horse
whipping, so well arranged in advance
that the photographers and reporters
were present. occurred as the out
growth of a labor union feud. The
principals were arrested. Horsewhip-
ping, at least Is not recognized as a
form Of recreation that can go uncon-
trolled. But a young assistant United
States attorney, assuming for the mo-
ment the role Of judge and jury, threw
the case out and refused to prosecute
on the grounds that the whole thing
was deliberately arranged for the pur-
pose Of airing labor row. According
TO the theory here advanced, a per-
son may shoot a neighbor in hope
that by that act he may "air" in
court his complaint against the others
dog, but the prosecutor win refuse TO
be inyeigled into the trap thus pre-
pared. That may have actnated the
shooting yesterday, which seems to
involve a labor row" in the same
union.
Commissioner Crosby Is right and in
telligent citizens agree with him that
the nasty record Of recent crime here
II studied. shows an unhappy sequence
of otherwise unrelated events, and does
not portray the work OF organized
gangs. But Commissioner Crosby and
his police force have far more diff
cult task before them than the mere
wiping from the books Of unsolved
murders by the arrest Of the murderers
That task Is to fight the complacency
which fosters the development Of breed
ing places for crime and criminals, X
remove the cause Of gang organization
before the results Of gang warfare car
show themselves.
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