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January 31, 1925. Washington, D.C. "Police raid on gamblers' den. E Street between 12 and 13th." National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.
It's really hilarious, the four guys hiding out to the left. There a shady character in the door, someone in the window above, the somewhat obvious guy standing on the ledge and then the guy hiding behind the column.
There's one guy in the picture without a hat, arrest him, he's the culprit.
Nobody tipped off the press? You'd think there'd be a few Speed Graphics popping away at that Jazz Age perp walk.
[Who do you think took this photo? - Dave]
Nicely-Nicely and good old reliable Nathan, 20 years earlier:
"If the size of your bundle you want to increase,
he'll arrange that you'll go broke in quiet and peace."
And, most appropriate since it's in a lunchroom:
"There's and awful lot of lettuce for the fellow who can get us there."
It looks like there may be even more culprits that escaped the dragnet. Look behind the door of the Delco building, the second story window of the Delco building and possibly peeking around the column of the Cohen Hughes building.
Despite the big show on the sidewalk, several people in the crowd are obviously focused on the photographer. Makes you wonder if he was hanging out of a window too.
With your lunch, just deserts are served.
General Motors entered the refrigerator business at the start of WWI, anticipating that the government might ban the private ownership of automobiles as an austerity measure during the war. There is an interesting discussion of this in Alfred P. Sloan's classic "My Years with General Motors."
I've always heard that Washington was thoroughly Southern and segregated, but the folks in this scene seem to be mixing without much regard to race, and everyone appears to be equally well-off, as far as clothes are concerned.
When I look at this picture, I can't help but hear Louis Jordan and his orchestra singing about the fish fry getting raided!
Shoulder to shoulder, blacks and whites enjoying the spectacle together. Couldn't even do that in a movie house.
Looks like the guy in the second floor window is taking one more look before his getaway.
in that paddy wagon.
Strange to see a "Sales Branch" in a major city, since the Delco 32-volt battery-charging generator catered to a rural market. The New Deal's REA finally put an end to that business in the late '40s.
[The store sold refrigerators, not generators. Frigidaire was a subsidiary of Delco-Light. - Dave]
The onlookers seem to be enjoying this immensely. Probably thinking "There but for the grace of God or throw of the dice go I."
You could launder your winnings next door.
Looks like the Kingfish, Andy and other members of the Knights of the Mystic Sea are in big trouble.
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