The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-10
LONG ARM OF OMEN EXTENDS
lou. s. SHIPS ON HIGH SEAS

This Is the tenth of q series
OF articles oiving a graphic pic
ture of the tDGr against crime,
mitch each year costs the people
of this country IS billion dollnrS.
Written NTH the coopeT1tt0n
and approval of J. Edgar HP0Oer,
director of the Federal bureau
OF Investigation, the series er.
plains HON science has been en-.
listed By Omen to stamp out
criminal elements.
By A. N. WECKSLER
There was little indication that
within a few hours the good ship
Rose Murphy would be scuttled in
the Florida waters which she
sailed so peacefully.
The night was dark, and the
muffled voices of conspirators
were hardly audible to members
Of the crew who sailed aboard the
vessel in entire innocence Of the
dastardly plot that was to send
the Rose Murphy to the bottom
Of the ocean.
And, as a matter Of fact, most
of the crew members knew moth
ing Of the catastrophe which was
impending, Least Of all did they
suspect that the polished and
highly educated individual who
had shipped aboard as oiler on
the ship was one Of the ringleaders
in the conspiracy.
Known as the Professor
To the rest of the crew, he was
the professor, but to the master
and first and second engineers Of
the Rose Murphy. he was the
brains, sent down by the boss to
direct their work in sending the
staunch little vessel down to Davy
Jones' locker. ...
Bound for Primers Point, Va,
the ship carried 5000 tons of phos-
phate rock, and her lines cut a
trim figure with the new paint
that had been applied to brighten
up her looks.
Little did the crew know that
the painting of the Rose Murphy
had merely sealed her doom. They
we're ignorant of the fact that it
was just trick so that insurance
companies would issue a larger
policy covering the ship.
Now the Rose Murphy was sail
ing with an insurance coverage
of $4,000, and aboard her were
a trio of plotters who gloated as
the weather turned dark and
nasty.
Twelve miles south of Sand Key
Lighthouse, off the coast of Flor.
ida, the vessel began to list heav-
lily, and within a short time it was
apparent that the Rose Murphy
could not last through a night of
rough seas.
Captain Takes to LifebOat
The master OF the vessel, his
fellow plotters, including the pro-
fesSor, together with the other Of
ficers of the ship took to a lifeboat,
and were off in plenty of time for
safety.
The crew, none of whom had
participated in the plot, crowded
into boats, and in the rush, the
vessel, still containing a large num-
Der of the crew, listed badly at the
time the lifeboat took off. The
presence of mind of the steward in
cutting the rope which bound the
lifeboat to the side of the vessel
probably saved the lives of its oc.
cupantS.
After floating around until dawn
the lifeboatS succeeded in reaching
Key West, Fla.
The entire proceedings appeared
peculiar to members of the crew,
and when Omen launched an in
vestigation, the professor finally
talked. The Rose Murphy was
the last of several vessels which
were sunk in plots to collect in
surance.
Special agents found that the
professor was in the employ of a
ship owner who paid well to under.
l1ngs who had no scruples.
The plot to SclIttle the Rose