The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-15
Wants POLICE
court PROBED
Humane Society Says Prose-
cutions Brought by 1t Are
Often Pigeon-holed.
MAY EMPLOY COUNSEL
At Meeting of Organization Walter
Stilson Hutchins Is Reelected
President.

The charge that steam roller tactics
have been used in the District Police
court to quash prosecutions brought by
the Washington Humane Society were
made yesterday at a meeting of the So
Ciety in the Highlands. and a resolution
was adopted calling for an investigation
of the Police Court.
This resolution was introduced py
Walter Stilson Hutchins, president Of
the society, and came at the end of n
long and heated discussion of the treat
ment of the society's cases at the hands
of the court. IL is the opinion of the
members that many of the cases that
the society has brought for violations
of the laws against cruelty TO animals
have been blanketed in the court and
that there is an organized attempt TO
throttle the society s>humanitarian ac-
tViticS. This has been shown especially,
1t is claimed. in the Arlington Hotel
cases of the society.
The resolution. beside authorizing the
investigation of the court. empowers the
committee of three into whose hands the
probe is placed to employ counsel and
incur all the necessary expenses of
carrying on the work. This committee
will be named later.
Not only is it felt that certain COndi-
tons in the local Police Court are in
imica to justice being done the efforts
Of the humane society. but that the law
regarding the suppression of cruelty to
animals is badly constructed. This law
which was passed III lS,l, does not allow
the prosecution of the soCiety's cases
hy the counsel of the society. They
must be prosecuted ny the prosecuting
attorney Of the court. In the law pro-
tecting children against cruelty there Is
no such clause and the prosecution may
be made by the socicty's lawyer.
The president and other officers were
elected yesterday and the reports of
the secretary and treasurer were read.
Those elected were: President, Mr..
Walter Slilson HutChins: first vice
president, Medical Director John C
Wise. l. S. n; vice presidents. Mrs.
William f. Chandler. Mrs. Crammond
Kennedy, Miss Harriet b. LorinE. Mr..
J. 3. T. Tupper: honorary vice prcsi-
dents. Rev. Or. Wallace Radcliffe. Mrs.
John r. Henderson. Mrs +. c. Halliday.
Mr.. August :. WorthinCtnn, Miss Ad-
Olson Mitchell Mrs. Charles \. Prouty.
Mrs. Edward Douglas White. Mr.. Henry
+. Rlount, Mr.. Nathaniel Wilson. Jus
tiCe Henry &. Brown. Miss Emily V.
Lindsey, Mrs. Florence Cairns: secrc-
tary. Mr.. John p Heap: treasurer. Mr..
w. Clarence Duvall: executive commit
tee, Mr.. Chester A. Snow Col. Archibald
Hopkins. Mrs. Ira f. Bennett Mrs r.
F. Smith. Mr. Il. Ross Perry, Mr. Frank
J. Lewis. Mrs. Alexander Sharp. Mr..
John r. Larner. Rear Admiral Charles
r. Clarke, L. 5. y, retired: Prof. Will
lam NJ. Davidson. pr. Taylor BOYD
Dixon.
The seCretary's report showed that
during 1872 ten police agents were en-
ployed and that they made 1924 cases.
securing LIS convictions ont of that
number. that there were 1.47O bands of
mercy organized with 1926 members
and that the society now has an even
500 members