Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-09-26
POLICE COMMISSIONERS.


at the meeting Of the Police BOARD
last Saturday night. ~
After long Investigation lneo Tue
robbery OF the china store OF mr..
Oscar Carter. sos King street, August
% the commissioners arrived at the
conclusion that in the absence OF posi-
tive evidence they would dismiss the
charges against the accused policemen.
Lieu. Belts and Frank Sampson
we're the police cited before the board.
A letter written by Mr.. Carter con-
corning the robbery was read. Lieut..
Rettis told the commissioners that Mr..
Carter reported the robbery to him
August 26, shortly before O'Clock IN
the morning. Mr.. Carter, he said,
asked for Chief Goods, and went up
starts in search OF the chief. 1t was
after he came downstairs, the witness
said, that he made the report OF the
robbery to him.
A memorandum of the robbery,
Lieut.. Belts said, was written down by
Policeman Gill. Shortly afterward
Policeman Sampson called up police
Headquarters. Lieut.. Belts requested
him to come to the station house for a
warrant. When Policeman Sampson
arrived he detailed him on the case.
Halt an hour afterward, he said, 70
liceman Sampson telephoned him that
he had made an investigation. Witness
said the police afterward arrested a
white yonth, who admitted the rob-
berry.
Policeman Sampson corroborated
the statement of Lieut.. Belts. He
said he went to the store that morning
and saw Mr.. Carter and made an in
yestigation. Afterward he telephoned
to Lieut.. Belts at headquarters. He
went to the store half an hour after he
had been detailed to do SO. He en-
phatically donied that it was not in
vestigated until twenty-four hours after.
Chief Goods said he did not see Mr..
Carter until the following morning
after he had reported the case to Lieut..
Bcttis. Policeman Sampson, he said,
told him he had been to Mr.. Carriers
place.
Witness met Mr.. Carter the morn"
ing following the latter's report Of the
case. He informed him that no one
had been to his place to investigate the
robbery.
The chief said he at once began an
investigation and upon arriving at
police headquarters h.. %"s told that
the case had hrca investigated by
Policemen Sampson.
Lieut.. Belts also told witness that
Policeman Sampson was detailed on
the case and had investigated it. Sus-
picion, he said, rested on the white
youth arrested for the robbery. He
told the police to pick up the lad.
Commissioner Bryan called for the
police record of the robbery. 1t was
brought before the commissioners. 1t
was observed by Commissioner Bryan
that the dates of various other things
were not in rotation on the books.
Chief Goods explained that at that time
the men were busy with the hremen's
convention and reports were not enter
ed up until after the convention.
After considerable delay Mr.. Carter
appeared before the board to testify.
He said that, that having had the case
as promptly he thought
it should he, he wrote the letter to the
That afternoon he said,
Policeman Sampson came by and he
called him.
He claimed that he never saw Police
man Sampson that day until he passed
his place in the afternoon. So far as
witness knew, he said, Policeman
Sampson did not come into his place
of business to investigate the case.
Witness said the policeman remark
ed: Don't say anything and we will
catch him"
At tho time Mr. Garter was testify
ing Lieutenant Belts and Policeman
Sampson wore present. Mr.. Carter
said Lieutenant Belts had told him
that Chief Goods was out at the time
he called to report the robbery. !.
Lieut.. Belts said that he was no
liar" Mr.. Carter again asserted that
If Policeman Sampson was in his
store that day he was not aware OF it.
Lieut.. Belts again said he objected
to being called untruthful, and that
he could prove his assertion. In the
meantime the debate began to wax
pretty warm. Mayor Paff, who was
presiding over the meeting, raped for
order.
Policeman Gill corroborated Lieut..
Belts statement, adding that he made
a memorandum of Mr.. Carter's re-
port, that Lieut.. Belts afterward
posted in a book kept for that purpose.
Lieut.. Belts, he said, afterward told
him that the case has been inyesti-
gated by Policeman Sampson and that
Sampson reported to him.
The investigation will inaugurate a
new method at police headquarters,
which will mean that records in the
future will be mere explicit. Commits:
sioner Bryan, ordered that general
desk book be used, in which all events
occurring during the day all be kept.
including the arrest OF prisoners and
other things. All other reports then
can be transcribed from this book.
This method will do away with the
old system in vogue Of recording names
of prisoners brought into headquarters
on slate with slate pencil.
FELL THROUGH A TRESTLE.