The Washington herald., 1911-10-14
COPP TO DEMAND
AN OFFICIAL PROBE
Will Ask Investigation OF
Case by Congress.
VIGOROUS REPLY TO DE LACY
DISCHARGED Probation Officer of the
Juvenile Court Answers Charges
presses Doubt as to Whether
His Removal Is Valid.

Stating that there is no foundation for
| the charges preferred against him, the
Rev. Zed H. Copp, former chief probation
officer of the juvenile Court, who has
been removed because of INSTRUMENTATION.
declared last night that he will endeavor
to bring about a Congressional inves-
tigation of the tribunal
In a letter written on September 3,
Judge De Lacy named three specific
charges against Mr.. Copp, and requested
the probation officer to answer the COM
municatiOn by ! o'clock on September 20
Judge De Lacy charged Mr.. COpp with
failure to act as directed in the case of
son OF A Frey, OF 1857 Otis place. 'whn
was brought into the court charged with
incorrigiblity. with ''absenting himself
from duty under plea Of sickness,
which was. to say the least, very suspi-
cious," and with rushing into the news
papers in an endeavor to raise an issue
with the judge Of the court"
Mr.. COpp's Reply.
On October ,. Mr. Copp replied to the
charges. Thursday Judge De Lacy sent
letter to the probation officer. stating
that the court had carefully considered
the answer, and that II had found no
extenuation for his alleged misconduct.
Mr. Copp was notified in the letter that
for the good of the service he would no
longer be needed by the tribunal. On
the same day Mr.. Copp answered the
notification of his removal
y In reply" said Mr.. Copp in the letter.
Il have to say that I am not prepared
to acquiesce at this time in that 1 have
been duly removed according to law. and
hence hold myself ready to discharge
my duties as usual. returning to my
work when notified that 1 may do so.
John R. Dillon, for the past five years
assistant probation officer of the tribunal,
was appointed chief probation officer by
Judge De Lacy yesterday morning to fill
the vacancy caused by the removal OF
Mr.. Copp. Judge De Lacy has sent the
name of Mr. Dillon to the District courts
for confirmation.
The formal charges made by Judge De
Lacy were based on three counts. On
the first one Mr.. Copp was accused OF
disobeying the order of the tribunal by
failing to be present on May q last at the
Dennison School to make arrangements
for the admission Of 1. E. Frey, who had
been brought before the court charged
with incorrigibilty. Judge De Lacy said
he had received a letter from the father
of the boy complaining against the fall
ure of Mr.. Copp to be present
Acting under your direction said
SOpp, III dHS"SI " SlldIS
of Judge De Lacy. Il endeavored to
place the boy in school. arranging for
his admission to the Dennison School,
where, / am now informed, he was ad
mitted, but refused to stay, requesting
transfer to the Hubbard School, be-
cause it was near his home"
As to Banquet Charge.
In answer to the second count, charg-
ing the probation officer with absenting
himself from the performance of his
duties under pretense OF sickness, when
In fact he was not found at home when
called upon by an assistant probation OFF,
Ger. Mr.. Copp replied that he had never
been absent from his duties unless too
III to work. Judge De Lacy said In the
charges that on one occasion when Mr..
Copp had remained away from court be-
cause of a heavy snow, he was seen the
same night at a banquet as late as 1850
o'clock.
'I attended the meeting you mention"
said Mr. Copp, because I could step on
the car in front Of my house and of
again in front OF the place of entertain
ment without much risk of physical in
jury, the cars being heated"
In reply to the third count, charging
him with rushing into newspapers In
an endeavor to raise an issue with the
judge Mr.. Copp said:
THE story appearing In morning
paper in regard to the essay contest