The Washington times., 1911-05-08
POLICE HEADSNOW
FACE NEW CHARGES
Matthew E. Brien to Tell Senate Committee That Police
men Clark and elliott Were Broken" in Manner
t. Similar to Watts Removal.

Convinced that he has sufficient evil
dence to prove that high officials in the
Metropolitan Police Department have
adopted the policy of breaking" any
man serving under them who has the
temerity to give testimony derogatory
to the interests Of the department in
bringing about a conviction, Matthew
Z. OBrien announced today that he will
file new charges with the Senate Third
Degree Committee.
Instead of limiting the proof of his
claims that policemen are virtually COM
PEELED to perjure themselves to avoid
persecution by their superiors to the
single case of Patrolman ]. F. Watts,
Mr.. O'Brien says he will present to the
committee the cases of Patrolman A.
B. Clark and J. L. elliott.
He contends that the recommended dis
charges of Watts and elliott from the
police department are the results or
charges "trumped up against them, be-
cause they had the courage to appear
as witnesses on the opposite side OF
cases in which the police department was
interested. In other words, that they
did not give testimony which would aid
the department in procuring convic-
ton. Both the men claim that they told
the truth and that to have told another
story would have meant violation OF
their oath.
Substantiation Sought.
The filing of the new cases in sub
sanitation Of the charges made by
Watts will, so Mr.. O'Brien believes,
bear out his assertion that the Watts
case is not an isolated one.
Since filing charges with the Senate
committee to the effect that Watts
was virtually recommended for dis
missal from the police department De-
cause he went on the stand and tes-
trial charged with a serious criminal
offense, O'Brien has learned of the
cases of Clark and elliott.
Watts Hailed Before Board.
II was after Watts had twice appeared
as a character witness for Dolby and
was about to appear as a witness for
him a third time, that he was hailed be-
fore the police trial board on the charge
of appearing for duty in unfit condition.
This charge, according to the claims
of O'Brien, was 'trumped up to get
Watts off the force because he had not
endeavored to secure a conviction OF
Dolby by the Police Department. Evl-
dence TO prove that Watts was UNFIT
that one button was gone off the sleeve
of his coat and there was a slit OF half
an inch at the edge of one of his shoe
caps.
Representative Robert L. Doughton
and E. A Hayes, branded the proceed
ure against Watts as absolutely ridicu-
lous." Representative Hayes declared
that If he had had his way about 1t,
ne would have torn the shoulder straps
from the uniform of Capt Robert E.
Doyle, the officer who preferred the
charges against Watts.
Called the Case Flimsy.
There is no doubt in my mind" said
Representative Hayes, that Watts
was made to stand trial because he
did not testify as the Police Depart
ment wanted him to. l do not even
know Watts, but that procedure
against him was the most f1imsy and
absurd procedure l ever witnessed"
Despite the claims of disinterested.
parties that there was no case
against Watts, the police trial board
has recommended his dismissal from
the force, and the matter is now in
the hands of the District Commission
ers for approval An appeal has been
taken by Watts to the Commission
ers, and the testimony introduced
against Watts at the trial board hear
ing is being transcribed, preparatory
TO its consideration by the commits
sion. Mr.. O'Brien has made a written
statement to the effect the transcript
has been "doctored" and is a prejudiced
record.
While the transcript is being made,
the features in connection with the
trials of Policemen Clark and Gil
lott will be prepared by Mr..
Q'Brien , for the Senate committee.
He proposes to show that the
Police Department has done all in its
power to railroad elliott out of the
department by laying traps and pur-
posely leading him into them. He in
tends to prove in the case Of Clark that
the commission approved the punish
ment recommended by the police trial
board without even having the evidence
against the man before II.
Charges to the effect that such steps
were taken by the commission are
now on file in the District Supreme
Court. The elliott case is also in the
Supreme Court, a mandamus proceed
ing having been instituted to compel