Show iA A Washington f By RODNEY DUTCHER WASHINGTON June 12 The 12 The po po- lice Ice of Washington collect doors Lately they have accumulated a dozen of them Its It's a strange hobby but just as stamp collectors do not bother with the common cent 2 ones and coin collectors do not go in for modem modern pennies and nickels the police donot do donot donot not concern themselves with ordinary ordinary nary doors such as yours and mine The doors in hi the collection at headquarters headquarters head quarters are stout thick affairs and when they are not make entirely of steel you are likely to find that they really are arc two doors clamp clamped cd together together together to to- gether with a heavy sheet of steel in between Each one usually has four or o. five large bolts and more often than not there is a little hole or barred grate through which it appears appears appears ap ap- ap- ap pears that someone might have wanted to be looking at you Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times It takes four coppers to carry one of these doors GET DOORS FRO FROM I SPEAKEASIES The police say they get th the doors from speakeasies and gambling joints those being the only kind of doors In which they are interested They also advance a quaint theory that the barriers were constructed and installed in order to keep the palice police pollee po po- lice from coming into those places and if anyone were to become so 50 unmannerly to resist attacks made with axes and crowbars A threefold purpose inspires this door collecting After a door is re removed re- re moved mo there is no longer longcr any barricade barrio barn cade against the police Also the I proprietor even 1 If he has escaped arest arrest ar ar- rest est is likely to be discouraged for even if U he makes himself another special special special cial door he Is 15 likely to lose that too And finally the reason the police I treasure the doors at headquarters is iSI that they can use them In court as s evidence tending to show that there 1 must have been something funny about a place that had a door like I tl a 1 l PATRONS ATRO S INCONVENIENCED The raids in which the doors are acquired have been drawLing draw draw- Ling ins crowds in the heart a of Washing Washing- ton ion and are seriously inconveniencing lug ing patrons of ot the more pretentious drinking and gambling places They followed a series of shootings which seemed connected with the capItals capItal's underworld and revealed the exIstence existence ex of a rather surprising number of Joints right in the middle of the town The coppers it appears must buy liquor or participate in gambling In order to get a 3 warrant for such a place Everyone knows who the coppers coppers cop cop- pers s are arc so that has been very dIf dlf dif dif- But three detective sergeants started out visiting places plaes and col lesting doors They found that if it they stayed around long enough demanding de manding entrance they were usually admitted Even if they weren't they had the satisfaction of knowing that they had frightened the operators Into dumping their liquor down the sink TAKE 45 MINUTES TO CRASH IN INThe INThe INThe The proprietor of one club got into the habit of at making a a. speech like this to his guests Gentlemen it seems that the law lawIs lawis lawis is without I can assure you that It will require the law at least forty- forty five minutes to burn through our new Iron door even If It uses a blow blow- blowtorch torch Meanwhile before we proceed proceed pro proceed to dump all refreshments are arc on the house You may drink as ns rapIdly rap- rap rapIdly rapIdly Idly as you OU like gentlemen and no holds barred If the law finally invades invades in in- vades us I trust that you will give your jour names as Bishop Cannon Andy Clarence True Wilson and other similar names that may occur to you As a matter of fact when the law finally entered and tool too away the thedoor thedoor thedoor door the seven customers present all gave the name of Smith Sometimes It takes nearly an hour to chop or crowbar a door from 1 its ts moorings There Thero is a question whether the recent series of raids will result In man many Instances of or convictions convictions convict for law violation but life Is b be becoming becoming coming a n. bore for many of the gents gent who have been doing business behind be be- behind hind closed doors |