Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-20
DEFENSE SHARPLY
ATTACKS KRENGEL
Detective Sergeant Willy Says
Reference to Gambling
House Was Joke.
GOOD BILL FOR MCCARTHY
Commissioners Gordon Says Ac-
cused Man Is Best Informed
Member of Board.

testimony supporting tho charges
contained In the Vice Commissions re-
ports against Police Commissioner.
We'll. Mccarthy and Goodc was bat
tered down TO such an extent at tho
close Of the session OF the Council
committee Investigating the Police De-
partment last night that the impress
sion prevails among those who have
followed the inquiry closely from the
beginning that the accused men may
reasonably entertain high hopes for
either clean bin of health or very
tender treatment at the hands Of tho
investigating body
This favorable aspect Of the case
for the accused commissioners can he
changed only by surprising develop
ments the City Attorney, who is guild
ing the committee In the quest for
evidence to sustain the charges. hav-
ing announced that his list OF Wit
nesses lis exhausted and tha, he has
IN reserve for possible use only re-
huttal or sur-rebuttni testimony
kRENGEL'S STATEMENT AS TO
'hMbIING COSTRADICI'ID
Features Of the session were testl-
inony given by several detective ser
Ecants. contradict!nR Detective Ser
Rehnt Krcngcrs story OF Dctcctiv. Ser
gcant John +. WHY'S knowledge OF the
existence Of "A gambling house in which
all the members of the Legislature.
lot of members OF the city Council and
other prominent citizcns' might be
found mia wing
poker and all sorts Of gambling
games; the vindication OF Detective
sergeant Wiltshire. whom Krenyel
"worc was drunk az IA billed Owl" on
the night or February -, II being
shown from the testimony Of Captain,
oi Detectives 4. !. McAnhon. Desk Ser
pcaht j. i. Jetcr, of the First Police
District and Detective Sergeant For
rest c. Bailey that Wiltshire had no,
drank enough. ii he drank anything az
all that night, 70 excite even their
suspicion, and the testimony OF Police
commissioner W Douglas Gordon.
VINO informed the investigators that
while he had been frequently in yiol.n;
conflict with Mccarthy during the eigh,
years they served together on the Po-
lice Board, he regarded Mccarthy as
being the best Informed man on tn.
board with reference To Police De-
rhrtment affairs ana the practical and
effective operation OF n. polio. De-
partmcnt
WEIL-kNOwN roLICE
CHARACTERS ON STAND
The hearing took on "A picturcsu,.e
phase when Attorney Hiram VI. Smith.
IN his cagerness TO further Giscredi,
krcngel. called to the witness chair
several "characters' with whom the
police are familiar. including Mark
Ridley. colored. whose place has been
several times rdided on suspicion that
cocaine was dispensed there and
i-ac'nda Davis. also colored. who adj
mitted freely. ''Yassah. | guess | done
been In court for everything "A pusson
can be arrested for except murder"
The Testimony OF tho negroes fur
nished amusement for the several hun
dred spectators. but probably awaited
nothing toward Strengthening the de-
Tense.
Police Sergeant Bailey. the first Wit
ness chiIed' told or seeing Detective
Sergeant Wiltshire az early as sac
o'clock on the evening Of February 1s.
He saw no evidence OF Wiltshire
having taken drink. Desk Sergeant
j. p Jeter. fortysix years a member
OF the department. testified that wit
shire spoke to him when the sus-
pected yeggman who was arrested bv
wiltshire and two other officers was
hrought TO the station, and he had no
reason TO believe that Wiltshire had
been drinking. Captain Of Detectives
McMahon, the next witness, testified
10 having seen Wiltshire at 1890
o'clock. saying that the sergeant was
perfectly sober. "If he had beep
drinking 1 would not have allowed him
TO stay on duty said Mcmahon.
Willy SAYS REFERENCE
TO GAMBLING WAS JOKE
Then came the detectives giving tes-
timony which tore to tatters the charge
made BY Krengel against Detective Ser
gcant willy There were present when
the incident related by Krengel oc
CURED Detective Sergeants Krengel.
WHY, Kellam and Atkinson. Kellam and
Atkinson corroborated the version told
by WHY and contradicted the Krengel
version.
Willy told the committee that he en-.
tered the Jefferson Hotel lobby with
Keilam and found Krengei and Atkin-
son sitting there. With Kellam he had
been TO- Gilbert's Hotel to meet a citt-
zen who had complained to him OF be-
ing robbed In a gambling house some-
where down town. The citizen had
promised to give him evidence upon
which to make an arrest. The man
failed 10 keep his appointment, and the
two detectives left the Gilbert for the
Jefferson. With the disappointment
fresh in his mind. willy hailed the two
detectives In the lobby with: Who's
game to pull gambling house where
all the members OF the Legislature. the
,,atI,
people are playing?" He was speaking
in jocular way. having no informa-
tion upon which to make n raid. The
other detectives In the party disregard
ed his remark. but Krengel answered: "I
am game. What is it?" Witness said
he suggested to Krengel that they start
out on the raid Immediately. "I can't