Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-19
RACKET SHOOTING
LEADS TO DRIVE
ON CRIME HERE

/ CONTINUED From First Page)
station Of the Potomac Electric Power
| Co. nearby, told police he had seen a
dark green Chevrolet, which he took to
| be q coupe, enter the alley. Several en-
| ployes of q restaurant nearby declared
| the car was a roadster.
Cunningham was taken to the hos
| pital in taxicab by John w. Murray
| of the 14O0 block Of Girard street, and
George MeDonough Of the Tower Build
ing, Fourteenth and X streets. On the
, way Cunningham said he did not know
from q green Chevrolet roadster.
Refuses to Say More.
The wounded man later repeated this
statement to Lieut. w. II. Carlin Of No.
precinct, but would not enlarge on it.
Headquarters detectives picked up
four battered lead slugs from the alley,
where they had glanced of the brick
building. They were too battered TO be
identified.
Cunningham underwent blood
TRANSMISSION At Emergency Hospital later
and doctors expected to probe for the
Headquarters Detectives Howard Ogle
and o. W. Mansfield, with Detectives A.
d. Mansfield and Mostyn of No. l pre-
cinct, we're waiting at the hospital hop
ing to get q statement from the injured
man.
The injured man appeared to be
sinking rapidly late today and was
lucid only at increasing intervals.
Doctors who administered a blood
A. 49, <Ias .tvanr
q second later today in an effort to
further.
Cunningham, Ogle said, admitted the
shooting might have some connection
with "bootlegging" activities here. but
denied it had anything TO do with the
murder Of Day.
Days Slayers Sought
Police hunted throughout the city
yesterday and last night, but their ef-
forts to locate the two alleged slayers
| OF Day were unsuccessful. Detailed
descriptions Of the pair were brad
cast to the precincts and hospitals and
private physicians were asked to watch
| for any man applying for treatment
| for q bullet wound. This was done
/ in the belief that a shot fired by Day
may have taken effect.
| A watch has been placed on al
known hideoutS of gangsters in the city
and detectives expressed belief the two
men would be arrested today.
| The inquest into Days death was
postponed by Coroner J. Ramsay hewitt
today on request Of Capt. Edward j
Kelly, assistant chief of detective
Kelly told the coroner he wished tc
| arrest the two men wanteo in con.
nection with the shooting before hold
! ing an inquest. The date for the m
quest was set for Thursday al
| 1880 am.
VagTancy Law Outlined.
The vagrancy law proposed by Mai
Pratt, would permit the police to picl
up all persons found lettering arounc
speakeasies or houses of Ill fame, anc
1t would be mandatory on the courts
upon conviction, to sentence them Il
90 days in jail Professional gambler.
and bootleggers known to the police, HI
said, could be arrested under this law
| whereas so much evidence Is required
now before an arrest can be made thai
| IT Is exceedingly difiicult 10 make {
case
With such q law, Mai. Pratt pointed
out, the police could work with greater
| freedom in rounding up the unlawful
element and there would be fewer tech
nical loopholes for those arrested II
Escape Jail sentence.
Attacked In Congress.
The vagrancy law Endorsed by Mai
Pratt was introduced in Congress sew.
eraI years ago, but never came up fol
consideration, due to the opposition that
developed. It was attacked, he said, or
the ground 1t would deprive a citizen Of
personal liberty.
Maj. Pratt and other police oficiali
are grayely concerned over the recen
outbreak Of crime. but do not attribute
1t TO so-called 'racketeers" A fght
between several men last week, Mai
Pratt said, was described by some news
| papers as q beer war" but an inves
| tigntAon showed beer was not involved
The recent staying Of o man in Z
HpeAk-easy. he also declared, was blamec
On "racketeering." whereas the shooting
was the climax Of an argument owe
= craps game.