Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-04
SPECIAL BOARD
ACQU|TS POLICE
Avenue Patrol During Suffrage
Parade Gets Sweeping Dis
missaI of Charges.
EVIDENCE IS LACKING
TO ESTABLISH GUILT
Witnesses Fail to Estab blish Identity
of Many of Accused. and Alibis
Are Proved by Others.

Following close on the heels of the gen
eral vindication Of the police department
by the Senate subcommittee which in
vestigated the disorders alleged to have
occurred along the route of the suffragist
parade March 3, the specific charges
against individual men We're today dis
missed by the special police trial board
before which the cases were heard
Announcement of the result was made
by Gus A. Schuldt. assistant corporation
counsel. who acted as chairman Of the
trial board. The other members of the
board were Capt. Peck of the second pre-
cinct and Capt Elliott of the tenth pre-
cinct.
The principal reason set forth by the
special board for dismissing the cases is
that the evidence against the accused
policemen was not strong enough to do
away with doubt of their guilt in the
minds of the members of the board
In many cases the prosecuting wit
nesses failed absolutely to identify the
policemen against whom they brought
the charges. it Is pointed out
In some of the cases the men on trial
proved to the satisfaction Of the trial
board that they were not present on
Pennsylvania avenue during the parade.
but were stationed at other points in the
city In every case but one the identifi-
cation of the policeman was by his num-
ber, and doubt of the infalhbility OF
this means of Identification was raised
in the minds of the board members when
a positive charge against policeman NO.
1S2 was sworn to and filed with the
board. On investigation 1t proved that
no such number has ever existed In the
department.
Charges Withdrawn in Some Cases.
In some of the other cases the prose-
cutting witnesses voluntarily withdrew
the charges they had preferred. and
these cases were automatically dismissed
at the time for lack of prosecution. In
other cases where it was charged that
certain policeman had been neglectful
of his duty at some specified point along
the route of the parade at specified
time the accused men were able to IN
troduce much testimony to the effect that
they were at other places at that time.
In addition to these points In favor
Of the policemen. a large number OF
citizens testified in the defense of the
police. most of them being persons who
were In the crowd at or near the points
where the police were stationed; Iheir
testimony was to the effect that the
police had done all in their power to
keep the Avenue clear and the crowd
orderly.
The cases tried by the board also In
cluded charges against policemen for
alleged misconduct during the in
augural parade, March 4. h.
very few Of these cases, and all OF
them are included in the boards
sweeping dismissal Of the charges.
Those Vindicated by Board.
The men vindicated by the boards ac-
ton. who were represented by Attorneys
James A. O'Shea, James A. Toomey, Will
liam Earl Ambrose and c. a. Fowler. are
Capt. Mulhall. Sergts. d. 7. DUNCAN.
r. f. Lee and W. w. Easley and Privates
J. II. Lee, C.. P. Hinkle, j. r. Cur
rier. J. W. Mcdaniel. o. f. DuvaN. J. }.
Broderick, B. p. Batson. W. J. Claytor.
J. F. Hle William J. Lee, }. X. Curr1er.
Sanford Emanuel ID. l.. Embrey. {. r.
Ehlers. l.. c. Norton, William Haller. w.
NJ. Gilfoyle. F. j. Brenner. IL. w. Smith.
n. w Staples. w. +. Owens. X. r. West.
J. p. Much +. NJ. Dierkoph. w, l.. Carlin,
F. r. Emmert, Percy Elliott. Z. I. Gibson,
Philip Regan, w. 4. Hixson. John ii.
Davis, G. H. Moran. r. II. Johnson. r.
T. Talbert. &. f. Mansfield. Thomas No
Ian. Joseph Shipley. J. NJ. a. Mckim-
mie j f. Welch, J. r. Lintler. {. r.
samson. c. c. Wise. ]. E. Inman E. J.
Lawless. E. f. Gerald, +. J. Drummer.
H. w. Smith, W. +. Owens. a. Mellen
O. c. Clay, C.. T. Gibson. A. NJ. Haycock,
r. NJ. Howard. o. H. Coffin and 6. II.
Moran.