Evening journal., 1913-11-05
LYNN WANTS
POLICE AID IN
PROSECUTIONS
Deputy City Solicitor SaysDe-
partment DseS Not Give
Him Necessary Help
COMMISSION WILL
INVESTIGATE COMPLAINT

At the meeting OF tue Board Of Police
Commissioners yesterday afternoon q
was received from As
sisfent City Solicitor Johp " Lynn rel
stivc 40 what be believes TO be the las
methods followed BY the police officials
IN making arrests. IN not obtaining al
pertaining TO the arrest
that would enable the city solicitors OF
'icc to properly prosecute cases.
In his letter Mr.. Lynn sets forth that
be has been compelled 70 drop many
.ascs on account OF not having Tho
,roT witnesses. The letter follows'
IN the course Of my duty rs pros
ecu ing officer OF the municipal
court I have in several instances
been greatly handicapped In the
prosecution because Of the failure OF
the police officer who investigated
tho matter to get all the Informs
ton that was obtamablc. IN some
ir.t nees IL was in my opinion pure
earclossness, IN others II was per-
haps lack OF judgment. The cf-
feet many, times has been TO post
ponc the case until the informa'
lion could be often and IN others
it was too late TO get the informa-
tion al all and acquitted of the de-
feudant naturally followed.
would suggest that all officers
be instructed that when they have
made an arr it or have inNcstigat-
Cd facts which result IN an arrest
that they furnish 20 the captain on
duty or house sergeant the informa-
H.. ar.f all a..
resses who know anything about
the matter 80 that such witnesses
may properly be suhpocnaed. And
i would further suggest that the Of
fccrs be instructed when the facts
arc being investigated hy the prose
cutting attorney for the city that all
information 10 the officers posses
sion BE- given TO him promptly
whether they be in favor Of the
State or in favor Of the defendant.
also desire 70 call your atten-
ton 20 the fact that In many eases
whcrc subpoenas have been return
cd non est. that is that the Wit
u,sses cannot be found. the officer
undertaking TO subpoena the Wit
NESS usually gets some information
as to the whereabouts of such wit
nesses. This information. think,
should be noted on the suhpoena 80
that I NAV furnish II to the court
when the case u called and contin-
uance Is requested In many in
stances and indeed in most in
stances. there Is no memorandum
made on the s0bpocna TO show why
IA rs returned non est and the diih'
). rnltv ] have in gases where the oti-
s. ar sho. Attempted 10 subpoena the
es witness n noe present and no mem
ornnjum Is made ON the subpoena,
la 10 ascertain from any officer
anound the police station the tsetr.
The facts nav have been given by
lhe officer TO the captain or desk
sracant who was on duty al night,
but the captoin or desk sergeant on
dav duty knows little or nothing
about II. Indeed. Il seems TO mo
that there should always be some
body close az hand who could give
Inc some information about all The
arrests that are made. I am luak-
ing this complaint directly TO the
commission because in my Judgment
the remedy cnn only be found IN
some regulated system.
Yours very truly,
John L. Lynn.
Assistant City Solicitor
Following the reading Of the letter
ir. Bowers requested Chief Black g
i've his own. views upon the subject
nd he replied that the two captain
lrcady had becu instructed 10 do wha
iIr lynn requests Chief Black sal
hat Nj. Lynn had never made an
omplaint before and he knew nothin
lhout the trouble he was having, rt
'hicf said that the duties had been tho
,uehly explained 20 the men, relative
'hc obtaining OF information and notir
II on the papers in connection with q
case. The ohiei said that IL always h
been the custom to do X and is done
great many cases. although there M
Lave been a few eases in which it b
been neglected.
At the suggestion of Colonel Wicke
sham the matter was referred to Chi
Black to find out just what instructio
bad been given to the men relative
The matter