Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-13
Al HOLD-UPS HERE
SINCE JAN. | SET
MARK; IDLE BLAMED
20 in Corresponding Period
Last Year, Say Police, Scor-
ing vagrancy Law.
RESULTS EXPECTED
FROM NEW LEGISLATION
Soup Kitchens Attract "Floaters"
and Suspects Are Kept
Under Watch.

Police officials checked up TODAY and
discovered that since January there
have been Al hold-ups in Washington,
compared with 20 in the corresponding
period Of 1880.
The increase is attributed to the I'M
employment situation, which police
point out has brought to Washington
many strangers in search Of work as
well as undesirable "f1oaters," who
oftentimes resort to robbery when pam
handling proves Improbable. In fact,
police officials pointed out that a great
majority Of the hold-ups this year
were perpetrated by the unwelcome
visitors.
The police records show there were
50 hold-ups in January and II thus
lar this month. In January last year
there were Is hold-upS. and February's
total was is, one less than reported for
this year.
Characters Under Watch.
The entire police force, at the direc-
ton of Maj. Henry G. Pratt. superin.
| tendent, is making an unusually stren-
| uous effort this year to keep suspicious
characters under close observation.
The department, however, it was exc
planned, Is handicapped in driving such
persons out Of Washington because of
the lack Of a stringent vagrancy law.
Even the old lettering act, which
| was made Ineffective under a decision
| OF the Court of Appeals, it was pointed
out, would be helpful in meeting pres
| emit conditions. Under this act the
police could arrest suspicious characters
for lettering on the streets and in this
way either put them in Jail or keep
them away from Washington. But the
| only weapon now in possession of the
police for curbing the activities of pam
| handlers and "floaters," it was said, is
| the somewhat toothless vagrancy act,
| under which the police have found it
difficult to get conviction unless a
known vagrant has committed some
overt act by violation of a law or police
| regulation.
New Law May Help.
Maj. Pratt believes that the proposed
| new vagrancy law now pending in Con-
gress would be of valuable assistance to
| the police at the present time in Kidding
Washington of the undesirable "fioaters"
before they have an opportunity to COM
NIT robbery. The principal victims
OF the existing vagrancy law, however,
are women Of bad repute, who are
caught soliciting on the street.
Establishment of So-called "soup
kitchens" although serving a useful
and commendable purpose, police de-
clare, are at the same time having the
effect of keeping some of the unde-
sirableS in Washington, who otherwise
would move on to another city.
Police are of the opinion that some
of these men do not want work and
will continue to linger as long as they
are given free food and can pick up
enough money by panhandling to pay
for their lodging.
One official of the Police Department
cited a personal experience in support
of this opinion. A man claiming to be
out of work appealed to him one day
for money for food. He was given 81
and, through the influence of the off,
cial, found temporary employment. A
few days later he returned and asked
fer SIS more. saying that he had given
up the job because the work was firing
on his fingers.