Page:The web (1919).djvu/192

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upon the different taxicab companies in the neighborhood, it was found that they had used a yellow taxicab to move their effects to an apartment several miles distant. A raid was immediately organized. Four men and two detective sergeants went to the new address, and the apartment was surrounded. One of the men saw a figure which appeared to be a woman, attempting to cross the area between the two buildings from one third story window to another, and he called to her to stop. One of the men inside the building, hearing the call, put his head out and found the subject on the window sill of the adjoining building in a very embarrassing position. It was not a woman, but the suspect, in woman's clothes! He was hauled in and put under arrest. In the meantime an analysis of the chemicals had been made and they were found to consist of materials for the manufacture of enough explosives to blow out another end of the postoffice building. Information was received from the League at New York to the effect that he was a very dangerous enemy alien.

This same District landed another good case. One morning a traveling man heard a little girl say to a small boy playmate, "We have a fine piano in our flat," and the boy finally answered, "That's nothing, we've got a German spy in ours." The traveling man turned a complaint in to the Department of Justice and in due course it came back to our district to be investigated. The operative had little to start with. Finally he asked a little girl if she had ever heard any boy make such a remark. By merest chance, she happened to be one of the children who had overheard the boy, and at once pointed out where he lived. The operative then went to the apartment and questioned the boy's mother, telling her that he was getting a list of boarding-houses in that district for directory purposes and, of course, asking her the names and occupations of all lodgers. He noticed that one of the names was German and after he had finished his list he asked her if he might see the accommodations. When he reached the German's room, he saw a trunk of foreign make. He opened it and found lying inside on top of the clothing a cartridge belt filled with loaded cartridges. This he noticed had seen much use and was worn smooth. He also found papers,