Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-24
I'd EDITION.
OFFICER BLOCKS TRIAL.
Mr.. Lowenstein Declines to Testify and
the Testimony Is Declared Closed.

| When the trial board, Captain Austin and
Lieutenants Gessford and Heffner, met thi.
morning to take up the charges preferred by
Ferdinand Lowenstein against Officer Sigmund
j. Block neither Mr.. Lowenstein nor his coun.
sci. Mr.. W. A. Cook. had received O reply from
the District Commissioners to their request tc
| have Mr.. Cook appear rs counsel. Mr.. Lowen.
stein appeared before the board. but declined &c
| give his testimony or produce witnesses unless
his counsel was permitted to be present The
board refused to admit counsel and Mr. Iowen.
| stein thereupon withdrew. The testimony was
| declared to be closed. and when the transcript
is made of the testimony the board wilLrmake
up their finding for review by the Commits.
sioners.
The members of the trial board explained to
Mr.. Lowenstein that his evidence would be re-
ceived as that of any other witness, and that
the appearance Of counsel was not necessary.
Capt. Austin explained to him that it was not
necessary for him,to have counsel, as he was
not accused of anything.
1t Will probably be several days before the
members Of the board prepare their findings to
send to the Commissioners.
ALETTER FROM Mr. COOK
At 1890 O'Clock Mr.. W. A. Cook addressed a
letter to the trial board inclosing the following
received by him from the District Commits
sioners in answer to his letter asking to be al
lowed to appear on behalf of Mr. Ferdinand
Lowenstein in the prosecution of the charges
and specifications filed by him before the Com
missioners OF the District of Columb ia against
Sigmund j. Block:
referring to your suggestion that the trial
committee has declined to admit you as coun-
sci for Mr.. Lowenstein. O witness in the inyes-
tigatlon OF certain charges against Mr.. Block,
now pending before that committee, and your
iequest that We direct said trial committee to
admit you as such, the Commissioners beg to
saw that they do not consider that they should
~ ya a in
MIR. Cook then says: From this answer it
seems that the Commissioners do not concur
with you as to the necessity of written order
being requisite to enable you to permit me to
appear before you for Mr.. Lowenstein. So I'M
Outstanding the answer l renew my request
and if not complied with 1 desire
such delay as respects the charges of Mr.
Lowenstein will afford me an opportunity
to present the request to the major Of police.
There is an additional consideration which in
duces me to ask for this delay for the purpose
indicated. Without waiting for me to receive
a reply from the Commissioners, or to hear
from me In relation to it, you verbally called
Mr.. Lowenstein before you, and. / am IN
formed, propounded to him various questions,
and placed on your record the answers given,
and endeavored to induce him to proceed with
the case and testify in my absence. l am
pleased that he refused to do so. So far as
have been informed without hesitancy (per-
haps without n written order from the Com
mlsSlonerS) you nave allowed MIR. Block to be
represented in the trial of the charges pre-
ferred against him by Col Vim. 2. Wood to
be represented by private attorney. And
it has been understood that the private attorney
would appear for MIR. Block in the Lowenstein
charges 1t was therefore, as well as for other
reasons. deemed proper that MIR. Lowenstein
should be also represented BY an attorney. 1t
is only in this method tina. the accuser could
be placed on terms of equality with the
accused This privilege, more, this right.
it appears. it is determined shall; be denied
Mr. Lowenstein. The inference. with candid
and disinterested citizens will necessarily be
that Mr.. LOwenstein has been deprived of a
full and fair hearing of his charges against Mr..
Block.
Trial boards. Commissioners of the District
of Columbia and others should have been con-
WINGED long ago that the citizens of the Dis
trict will condemn all One-sided and partial in
quiries into the conductIof accused members of
the police force, and insist in whatever methods
they can upon the most thorough and Just
trials And, perhaps too, upon open trials.
from which representatives OF the press-the
great modern informant and teacher of the
public-are not excluded. Modern civilization
does not applaud star chamber proceedings
The present must have future-one of cor
rection of wrongs and evils"
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