Evening star., 1933-01-24
BANK ROBBER|ES
BELIEVED SOLVED
BYFOUR ARRESTS
Members of Barney NeufieId
Gang Questioned in Two
HoId.ups Here.
PLEAD GUILTY DURING
HEARING IN new YORK
D. c. Police on Extra Duty in Ef-
fort to Prevent Increase
in Crime.

With two Of the city's most baffiing
bank robberies apparently cleared up
with the arrest and conviction in New
York Of four members of the Barney
Neufield bandit gang, Washington police
today were hopeful of connecting the
robbers with at least one other bank
hold-up.
Announcement to this effect came
from Inspector Frank S. w. Burke,
chief Of detectives, as Maj. Ernest W.
Brown, superintendent Of police, dis
closed he intends to continue his plan
OF staggering the hours of patrolmen
so that Washington streets will be fully
protected during the most dangerous
hours.
Under Maj. Browns plan more than
800 policemen and detectives now are
working overtime In an effort to pre-
vent crimes. The police chief denied
existence OF any crime wave, but said
some OF the 800 officers are being de-
tained on duty after their regular 4
pm. quitting time. while others are
working after the midnight "off duty
hour.
Crime List Reduced.
The system. instituted last week end,
resulted in Is fewer crimes, excluding
homtcides, last Saturday, as compared
with the same day the week before.
The four bandits convicted in New
York, each of whom faces from 10 to
20 years in Sing Sing have been iden-
tif1ed as those who robbed the Georgia
Avenue Branch OF the Washington Me-
chanics Savings Bank of $9.93l last
June 10. according to Inspector Burke.
They have been tentatively identified
in connection with the holdup January
l6. 1882, OF the Eighth and East Capitol
Strets Branch Of the same institution,
Burke said. He added he hoped also
to pin the $25,000 robbery Of the Wood
ridge-Langdon Savings & Commercial
Bank last October IL on the quartet.
To complete Identification. he said he
would send witnesses to both robberieS
to New York to view the four men in
q lineup.
The bank robbers, who suddenly
entered guilty pleas during their trial
yesterday in New York on charges of
robbing the Seward National Bank g.
Trust Co. in 1880, are Barney Neufield,
35; Samuel Rubin, 80; James Foley, Al,
and Joseph Flynn, 26. In addition to
being wanted here, they are sought by
police In Newark. Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh for bank robberies.
Fight Extradition Here.
The guilty pleas were entered when
the men learned that Federal authori-
ties were attempting to extradite them
for the bank robberies here. Inspector
Burke, in an effort to obtain prior
made the case against the men a Fed
eral one, and in his opinion this move
resulted in the guilty pleas. Under New
York law, the four will be required to
serve their New York sentences before
local authorities can institute extra
dition proceedings. Inspector Burke
said he intended to ask United States
Attorney Leo A. Rover to obtain indict-
ments against the men so they could
be brought here upon their release from
Sing Sing.
Discussing the general crime situa-
ton, Maj. Brown said the protective
measures he had invoked were as a
preventive" rather than an acknowl-
SQRLQeut Oh a CTlule wave.
"Our experience has been that when
crime has been committed which at
tracts wide attention, like the pay roll
hold-up and murder near the House
Once Building last week. two or three
similar crimes follow closely upon II"
he said.
with this in mind, the additional
men were placed on patrol to prevent
en- been
fairly successful, not only in the matter
of prevention but in the solution OF the
crimes which have occurred"
Statistics Compared.
Police statistics for the first % days
this month compare favorably with last
year, he said. He cited reductions in
the number Of housebreakings from 1913
to 1877, in grand larcenies from 81 to
80. in stolen automobiles from 228 to
224, and in lesser crimes corresponding
ly. Slight increases were noted, however.
in robberies and larcenies from auto
mobiles.
Meanwhile, search was being con-
tinued by the detective bureau for the
accomplice of George NICK. Pittman, 33,
of William Simms, colored watchman,
during the safe-cracking early Sunday
at the Dickey & Sons feed and coal
establishment at Benning. Acting on
information from Washington, Balti-
more police yesterday arrested white
man in connection with the case, but he
was released.
Pittman originally told police white
man had been his accomplice, but later
changed the story and said it was a
colored man.
Speedy Trial Assured.
SPEEDY trial of the six men held in
conection with the pay roll murder. Of
Co. paymaster, last week, was assured
today by the district attorneys Office.
United States Attorney Leo A. Rover
stood, and promised to bring the men to
trial next month Indictments against
the men-Claud Myers, %, and Sewell
Workman, %, both colored, and Albert
E. Cash, 20, and Everett Blackwell, %,
for f1rst-degree murder, and Oscar Cash
and Clyde e. Templeton as accessories
are expected to be returned soon, 1t
was said.
Seventeen men, both colored and
white, ranging in age from l8 to 65
years, were brought into police head
quarters this morning after being ar
rested in the Benning freight yards.
All were fingerprinted, photographed
siid their records checked and they will
be held for investigation for at least
10 hours The arrests came as q result
Of q close watch maintained by police
on various railroad yards in and around
washington.
Agricultural Club Elects.
MONTROSE, Md, January "a (Spe-
ciaD The Montrose All Agricultural