Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-23
i. S. IS EXTENDING
WAR ON CRIMINALS
New Measures in Campaign
to Curb Gangs Initiated
During Past Month.

Continued From First Page.)
murderers of a policeman seeking to
shoot their way to freedom with a
$4,619 stolen pay roll Of the Mendoza
Fur g. Dyeing Co.
May Adopt Police Radio.
Dozens of patrolmen doing clerical
work volunteered today for extra duty
after their regular working hours and
we're assigned to precincts where the
danger Of more hold-upS and gang war
was deemed greatest.
High police officials held conference
late today and Acting Mayor Mckee
called for a meeting with Police Com
missioner Mulrooney on Monday, when
they viii seek TO devise new methods OF
combating crime.
They also will discuss the commits
sioner's recommendation for an ap-
preparation of 100000 to buy short
wave radio sets for installation in police
stations and on rowing police cars.
Capital System Is Cited.
Although Is carloads of cruising
police marksmen recently were equipped
with powerful shotguns and given orders
to shoot to KILL" they have no way OF
keeping in communication with head
quarters.
As a result they knew nothing of last
nights carnage until long after the two
19-year -old bandits had slain Patrol
man Walter j. Webb, who was guarding
the pay roll, and had started on their
ride of death, spraying dunn dunn bullets
indiscriminately at men, women and
children In their path.
Police ofiicials argued today that radio
equipment like that in use in Chicago,
Philadelphia, Washington and other
cities would have made it possible for
the shotgun squads to have been ordered
to the scene, with probable saving OF a
number of the lives lost.
The City Board of Estimate may
consider the appropriation at its Mon
day meeting.
Six Slain in 3OO-Shot Battle.
More than 300 bullets were fired be-
tween the time the reckless bandits
grabbed the pay roll, killed the officer
guarding 1t, kicked his body out of the
way and started their flight, and when
they were cornered nearly an hour later
and exterminated by police bullets.
The six persons slain were the Lopez
girl, whose face was splattered with
lead as she sat on her mothers lap in
an automobile: the policeman protect
ing the $4,619 pay roll; a motor cycle
officer who took part in the chase and
was hurtled dying from his machine
as q volley Of the deadly dum-dum
bullets struck him; the two bandits
and the man who drove their taxi cab,
believed by police to have been a
confederate.
Tracing the case back to its incep-
ton, police learned the young bandits
had been friends since school days;
that both had been out of work for
a year, that the family Of one owned
q six-story apartment house and that
the youths had made elaborate plans
for their big splurge OF crime.
Bandits Use Dum-Dum Bullets.
Bullets taken from the body Of
Edwin Churchill, slain motor cycle
ofiicer, were examined by balliStic ex-
perts, who said the bandits had made
them into dum-dum missiles by filing
the steel jackets. The result was that
they tore large. jagged holes as they
struck their marks
While plans were being made tonight
for the funeral OF the two slain police
men, which viii be attended by Is police
officials and a delegation of 90 patrol
men. 1t was announced the widows
Of the two victims would receive $500
outright, $50 a month for eight years
and half their husbands salary evs1y
month as long as they live.
In addition the concern whose pay.
roll was stolen and later recovered OF
the floor of the taxi sent $500 to each
of the widows and started a subscrip.
ton for them among employees.
Second Staying of Child.
The wife of the man who drove tn
bandits cab faced nothing but poverty
! however. Police said they had proc
the chauffeur carried a gun and hat
| attempted to use it, His widow, In
dingy fiat containing little furniture
said he had hardly been able to carr
enough to keep her and their two small
children from starving and she was GER
tain he had never committed q crime
The slain policemen'S stars, on
| pierced by a death bearing bullet, wer
placed today IN case at headquarter
along with those of six other officer
killed by gunmen's shots since Febru
airy. Five men involved IN the slayini
OF these policemen were killed, eithe
| by the dying officers or fellow member
| of the force. Three alleged police killer
are awaiting trial, while two others ar
| in custody. The Lopez child was tn
second child slain by gunner in the las
| two weeks.