Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-15
EXPECT PROMPT ACTION
ON PENDING REPORT
Objection Made to Wholesale and
lndiscriminate Censure OF
Police Department.
sTARKE QUITS VICE pRoBERs
Says His Resignation as Chairman
and rs Member Went In Day After
lie Was on Witness Stand Before
COUNCIL Committee.


Predictions made yesterday at the
City Hail that the report Of the com
mitiee that investigated the Police De-
phrtment will either he permitted to lie
tabled in the Board of Aldermen indef-
nit.iy or rejected by that body were
pronounced unworthy OF serious con-
sIdoration last night by well-informed
men in official circles and other promi-
nent citizens.
They argued to the contrary that
"'tion on the report would be speedy
pointing out that public interest In the
outcome or the inquiry that extended
oEe' period Of five months and one
IA! ana cost the city $1,000, exclusive
on inc cost OF the Vice COMMISSIONS
INQUIRY to which it was a sequel. de-
~" NV" me immediate attention Of the
municipal body.
The report. as might have been ex-
Pccted. evoked both commentator and
adverse criticism. But ii was genera ily
conceded that the findings of the in
EeStiSators sustained in all essential
FEATURES the REPRESENTATIONS made bv
inc Vice Commission in that bod,,s ro
ports 10 Mayor Ainslie. The findings
disclosed that vice conditions In Ricb
mond and the laxiiy OF the vested an
tnorities of the city in exercising n
proper control over those conditions
were substantially what the Vice Com
MISSION reported that II had found.
OBJECT TO WHOLESALE CENSURE
OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
conservative citizens objected to the
report OF the investigators OH the
Srounh tnat IT covered too much range
IN the matter o! condemnation These
critics contcnded that censurc should
not nave been pronounced against the
whole membership OF the police force
directing attention TO Tie far, tb,t
there are certain veteran members of
the force whose duties for many vears
past have been such that they we're nor
IN actual contact with either sources
or information concerning the segre-
gated district or the district itself
These members OF the force, Il was
argued. some Of them screeants and
some privates. We're not in position IN
know of violations Of the law against
me social evil or TO aid in the CLOSING
Oh houses outside of the segregated
district or TO enforce the Law against
illegal liquor selling i'm the dis, rio,
Hence the objection stated 10 tho CON.
surfing OF these police in common with
others OF the force who had the kno,vI-
edge and power to move toward tho
suppression OF vice
Members of the Vice Commission de
cined TO discuss the rerort of the in
'estigators for publication. When Ash
toh Starke. who served as chairman
during the inquiry into vice conditions
was approached on the subject he said
nave no comment whatever to
MAKE on the report. ] am not associ :
| a'ed with the Vice Commission. Tho
Gay following my statement In the vii
ness chair before the Council committee
! 81 nriY
membership on the Vice Commission
heV. j. j. Gravatt. D. D., was chosen
oeheVc' TO succeed me in tho chair. -
VICE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN
DECLINES TO Make COMMENT
Dr. Gravatt was asked for an ex-
preston on the report. He replied that
ne hao no statement to make for pub
licaton. He declined to comment in
| any way on the findings and recon-
ihehdations or TO venture a prediction
as to the ultimate outcome of tba
report now before the Board of Alder
men.
Murray NJ. Mcguire, counsel for the
vice Commission. was likewise rett
cent. As attorney for the commits
SION, he said. Il would not care to
speak Tor that body or to issue state
ment unless directed by the commits
sion To do so in my professional ca
pa city"
Mayor George Ainslie, who is CEN
tured III company with Chief OF Po-
nee Werner and the police force for
failure to obey the order given by
the Board of Police Commissioners for
the closing Of houses OF i'll repute out
side the segregated district and the
suppression of the illegal sale OF LIQUOR
In the district was another prominent
figure in the silent company yester-
day. Before the sun crossed the
10 Nod
interviewed By a large and disappoint-
ed squad of news writer's. Finally he
beat, 1T" for home. after telling his
secretary she need not expect him ba ok
until Tomorrow.
Chief OF Police Werner emulated the
example set by the Mayor, refusing to
give voice to the thoughts within him.
The chief animated that he preferred
to wait for developments and note the
progress OF the report through the two
branches of Council.
FIVE COMMISSIONERS GET
CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH
Even Police Commissioner Thomas.
one of the five members of the Board
of Police Commissioners who are not
mentioned in the report, held his ST.
lcnce. The other four police commis is
sioners who did not come within the
wide sw coping range of fire of cen
sure are Commissioners w. II. Parker
W. Douglas Gordon, j. f. Bradley and
II. VI. Eoykin
II is a somewhat remarkable fact
that very small percentage OF the
multitude that figured in any way in
the Investigation escaped getting a rap
from the long club swung by the in
vestisators when they finally rose from
their deliberations. OF the sixty-two
witnesses examined In the eleven sit
tings held by the prohers, about half
a hundred bear the imprint OF the club.
This is explained by the fact that the
Overwhelming majority of the wit
Department.
The Vice Commission has not been