Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-07-02
How Clever Society Burglar Was Trapped
By Smart Detective Work

were. Of such prominence that they
called the Commissioners. Donald
Richberg, one-time NRA administrator
and more recently prosperous law part
ner 81 former Ambassador Joseph E.
Davies, was one. DR.. Joseph r. Palkin.
who Is Commissioner John Russell
Young's dentist, was another who COM
planned, and for time the Commits
sioner was afraid to get his teeth filled.
No Senators or cabinet officers prem
ises were violated, although Treasury
Secretary Morgenthau had a close call
Mitchell spent two days looting the
home of q neighbor, Scott Appleby,
real estate man whose establishment
resembles legation, If not an EN-
bassy. The burglar passed over the
politicians to call lin absentio) on
Washingtons leaders of finance and
commerce. He had an account In the
National Savings o. Trust Co., but that
did not spare its president, Bruce Baird.
His house was ransacked.
Other Victims
Mitchell robbed another bank presi-
dent, Harry Meem OF the Washington
Loan a. Trust. He took everything he
could comfortably carry away from the
home of the late Charles Lully owner
of Harvey's Restaurant, and he cleaned
out the house of Clarence Grosner,
president of Raleigh Haberdasher. He
took an honorary police" badge.
among other things, from the home of
James Colliflower, fuel merchant and
civic leader. Harry Brimer, president
of the Good Humor Ice Cream Co.. was
another victim.
The Commissioners were putting pres
sure on the police for results. More
than 40 headquarters and precinct de-
tectives were working on the case. In
surance company detectives also were
busy, as most of the victims had been
protected by burglary insurance.
Williams was one OF the precinct de-
tectives working on the case, neigh
daily briefing of the brain trust" at
headquarters. His partner was Pvt. Ro-
land Kirby. 1t might be termed Will
liams' first case, as it was current when
he was made a detective at No. 8, and
he worked on it from then on.
Williams spent weeks in antique shops,
trying to find Chinese eurios taken from
the Mems household. He would de-
scribe them as to dynasty and explain
that he needed them to fill out his
collection. He didn't find thing
He worked five month on the case
before he got the break" He was on
his second day OF porting over the reports
of nearby Maryland and Virginia pawn
shops and records of the sale of old
jewelry and gold in Washington, where
it is illegal to accept valuables in pawn.
These reports are sent to the Washing
ton police periodically. The reports had
been examined by other detectives, and
not one of the articles reported stolen
was listed. Williams became interested
in the purchase of six pairs of gold cuff
links by an F street jeweler. The seller
was listed as Mitchell, 1927 w street
NV"
Il noticed the entry" Williams said,
because six pairs of gold cuff links are
quite few for one man to turn in, and
although the seller was described as
white, the address is in colored neigh
borhood."
He called at the address-no Mitchell
He checked the address in Northeast
and Southeast-no Mitchell. He turned
the w upside down and checked 1927
M street all around-still no Mitchell
You know" he said, when a crook
gives an alias, he will use his own first
name with another last name When
he gives a false address, he will give
the right number and the wrong street
I decided to check 1927 right through
the alphabet Of Washingtons streets
The next one called on was 1927 N
street NV.
Chats With Burglar
"A man opened the door. I asked for
Mr.. Mitchell. Here he is, he said, turn
ing to man right behind him.
1T was too sudden for me. wasn't
prepared to talk to him. 1 thought he
saw that I was policeman, so came
right out with that, but I didn't say
anything about the cuff links I told
him I was looking FOR a colored man by
the name of Otis Mitchell in q grand
larceny case. We had quite chat.
think left him at ease"
Williams went back to the car and
drove away with his partner. The man
did not look like burglar. He leased
the house, he had told the detective
and ran it as rooming house The
number 1927 and the name Mitchell
might be coincidence. Besides, Will
liams and Kirby did not even know that
the cuff links were stolen.
1t was about o'clock in the after
noon. Williams and his partner began
making a round Of the victims, show
ing them the cuff links. They made four
calls without result. About o'clock,
Kirby went home to dinner; Williams
kept on. He called. on Harry Meem
The banker picked out a pair Of links
with gray mother OF pearl facing.