Evening star., 1939-10-08
Lost or Stolen Goods
TOBe Sold at Auction
Large Amount of Business
p Transacted by Department
After Court Orders

a city-wide sensation, has never
been solved. and the victims per-
sonal effects are still held as evil
dence for possible future action.
One Of the oldest evidence arti-
cles' in the department is a piano
stool used by prowler as the
blunt instrument" in the murder
of woman in her K street home
in 1901. Tucked away on a shelf
in the storehouse for 80 years, it
still is held in case the culprit is
ever brought to trial. To date no
trace of the murderer has been
| found.
The department still stores great
variety of guns, rifles, revolvers,
shotguns and all manner Of firearms.
both ancient and modern. which
would start a ballistic expert num-
bling to himself, said Pvt Steve
Goggins. assigned to the chief clerk S
Office, who has charge of the store
house. The weapons are kept in a
locked room with small arms packed
away in wooden bins and rack on
the wall housing rifles of every de-
scription and caliber.
Firearms are destroyed in aver
age yearly lots of 1900, Pvt. Goggins
said. Included in the recent batch
broken up were the guns used in
the Milton "Milsie" Henry murder,
also a sensational case, in April,
1882, and the pistols figuring in the
double murder of Bryan Mcmahon
and Samuel Molnicov in hotel on
E street five years ago, as well as
arms used in other murder cases of
lesser note.
Much of the recovered property,
however, is claimed Immediately
and the department releases it as
quickly as possible, said Sergt. Ray
mond r. Price, head of the filing
section, who has been in the prop
erty Office since 1925.
Storage Department.
Storage space for this tremendous
! business requires more than 10000
square feet in three buildings, not
including the auto yard Four floors
of an old apartment building at 468
Indiana avenue, adjacent to head
quarters, house small articles Of
slight value Rings. jewelry, silver,
cash and other items of worth are
kept in safes in the property Office
and in a basement room of the
headquarters building, which is also
the storeroom for liquor conf1scated
in police raids.
The old May Building. behind
headquarters, is the warehouse for
bulky objects such as furniture,
while mobile equipment-automo-
biles, pushcarts, wagons-and boats
are held at the auto yard, South
Capitol and G streets.
EVictions, raids on gambling houses
and property of mental cases con-
tribute large additions to the COL
lection. All personal papers, letters
and pictures are destroyed if not
claimed within the time allotted
for settlement. Unclaimed property,
whether lost, abandoned or stolen,
can be sold at auction or destroyed
after six months. Property with a
claimant, if valued at less than $100,
must be held for a period of one
year. All unclaimed estates, If
valued at more than $100, must be
held indefinitely or until claimed by
heirs.
Property of mental cases, pro-
viding the patient is under treat
ment, is held until the court ap-
points an executor to dispose of it.
If the patient is discharged, or dies,
the department advertises in daily
newspapers for a period of 80 days.
If no claim is made at the expira-
ton of that time the property can
be sold or destroyed.
Sold When Perishable.
Perishable goods. such as food
stuffs (other than lots which are
tagged as evidence property, are
Immediately sold to the highest