Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-02
TEA HOUSE GANGS
ARREST imminent
Suspected Trigger Man" Is
Caught in Philadelphia.
Vice Probe Progresses.

Arrest Of the other members of the
band Of gunner who raided the Old
Colonial Tea House early last week,
killing one man ard wounding five
other persons, seemed imminent today,
following the capture in Philadelphia
last night of an alleged gangster who is
said to have acted as the trigger man"
IN the Bladensburg shooting
Meanwhile, Department Of Justice
agents were continuing their investiga-
ton CT a vice ring of which the Mary
land road house Is alleged to have been
a part.
With white slave" charges placed
against four men including the man
ager Of the tea house and two others
who were In the place at the time of
the gun battle, the Federal operatives
were endeavoring to uncover evidence
against similar establishments In all
parts Of Maryland, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania.
Cornered by Detectives.
The reputed trigger man" Peter
Abbott, IS, was captured after two de-
tectives cornered him in a house In
Philadelphias "tenderloin" district. Ac-
cording to dispatches from PhiIadel-
phia, he surrendered only after one of
the detectives oTerpowered him, throw
Ing him to the floor.
Abbott, resident of PHILADELPHIA,
was arrested at the request of Balti
more police, who have been participat-
ing In the three-cornered Investigation
OF the shooting. He Is charged with
the murder OF Grover Amick, Washing
ton gas station employe, said BY his
friends to have been an innocent BY
stander. charge OF robbery also has
oeen lodged against Abbott.
TWO girls were in the house with him
out they escaped while he was tussling
with the detectives. A search was he
gun for them Immediately, in the hone
they might be able to throw some light
on the vice rings activities.
Sought Since Last Week.
jeremiah ]. Crowley, chief of Prince
Georges County police, when notified of
Abbott's arrest, said hes the man
we've been looking for since the latter
part of last week"
Although the chief said he was not
sure what steps would be taken next
In the investigation, it was announced
that Sergt. William Feehley of the
Baltimore Detective Bureau had been
sent to Philadelphia to take Abbott into
custody. Steps toward extraditing him
were not expected, however, until after
his arraignment in Philadelphia.
In the meantime. Lieut. Cornelius
Roche, also of the Baltimore Detective
Bureau, and Constable Andrew Gasch
of HyattSville we're continuing their eff
forts to learn the whereabouts of the
other members of the bandit gang.
The men held on white slave"
u,o,,pd od
proprietor of the tea house; Cisberto
Renzulli, alias Chester Clark; John j.
Bartlett alias Felix (Man O. War; Boo
chicchio, and William Hancock: War
rants charging them with conspiring to
violate the Mann act by transporting
women from Washington and Philadel-
phia to Bladensburg were sworn out by
Justice Department agents.
Two Guarded in Hospital.
Levitt and Bartlett are under police
guard at Casualty Hospital, where they
are being treated for wounds received
in the shooting. Hancock, who escaped
injury, is lodged in the county Jail at
Upper Marlboro, while Renzulli is held
in Philadelphia.
Renzulli was arrested after County
Policeman William Clifton traced tele-
phone call for Levitt from Philadelphia.
Cleared of suspicion in connection with
the shooting and released by a magis-
trate yesterday, he was Immediately re-
arrested by deputy United States mar
shall.
Nicholas Tronco, arrested with Rem
zulli, but later ordered released by Chief
Crowley, is being held for further in
vestigation, at the request of Justice
Department operatives.
Warrants Out for Six Women.
Warrants for the six women under
bond of $500 each as witnesses to
the shooting we're sworn out by Justice
Department agents yesterday, accord
ing to j. Edgar Hoover, director of the
department Bureau of Investigation.
Five Of the women were at liberty, but
the sixth, Mrs. Verne Edwards, "a, still
is confined to Casualty Hospital.
Some of the others were picked up
Immediately, Hoover said, and efforts
were being made to ascertain the where
abouts of the remainder The object of
the warrants, he explained, was simply
to hold the women as witnesses in the
investigation, as well as in the gun
battle.