The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-20
CQuNC|lMEN HEAR
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UUUUUIlWlU ulHt
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be allowed to exercise their rights
. and examine the evidence to make
! verbatim copies of such parts OF It
as they felt ought to he published.
The Witnesses Quoted.
! The witnesses quoted by the Vice
7 Commission are Chief of Police wer-
ner, Captain r r.. Sowell and Ser
geant krenRie and Officers Sweet
Galbraith, Goldsby ana Campodonica
/ The statement of each OF the officers
was taken by two or more members
/ OF the Wee Commission Several Of
these witnesses were recalled after
their first exa mination and question
ed further as to certain important
details. One striking fact about the
evidence IS that while the different
police officers relate different Incl
! dents and experiences, all lead to
similar interference by the same
three com Issioners to prevent the
police from raiding protected places.
and tell OF personal conduct OF a
eCr0what similar and shameful char
acter on the part of the three COM
/ miSsioners who are criticised
The evidence with reference 70 the
I association OF one or another Of
these commissioners with certain
dens OF vice il not confined 10 the
testimony of any one officer prac-
tically ali of them bringing in effect.
the same charges. Likewise there is
little variation or difference OF view
among the police officers as 10 the at
titede OF the three commissioners
toward the nonenforcement of the
law and The protection OF evil resorts.
particularly a number OF such with
connected in way that Is most dis
creditable Perhaps the most dam
! aging testimony go far as the Off
cial condist of the three commits
sioners is concerned is that Of Chief
Werner, who was one OF the last OF
the police witnesses heard by mem
bers Of the Vice Commission.
Sweeping Arratg nmenf.
Major Werner is only quoted to the
extent OF two or three sentences, but
these constitute a sweeping arraign
ment OF the commissioners under
criticism. He declared that his en-
tire force. including the captains,
sergeants md patrolmen. had been in-
terfered with by the commissioners,
and espe cially so by Mr.. Goode.
Captain Seweu and officers CAL
braith and Krengle all declared that
the moral conditions In Richmond
Nj u
during the lest six or eight years. and
that immoral houses had been opened
all over the city. Captain SoweN
said that 10 commissioner ever spoke
TO him about ndt enforcing the law
against immortality.
While representatives OF The Viz
gilman took copious notes from the
summary Of evidence. including many
of the instances in which police com
-. aSQndiateI 04rFCtiE
with the keepers OF immoral resorts
Ii does not feel that It is best. GER
tainly for the present. TO give this evil
dence in detail
Thomas and Parker Good Mem
The statement as to the personal
habits of members of the Romeo
Board were shocking. Officer kren-
gle. whose testimony was prooahly
more sweeping than that of any OF
the others. sr oke very highly of the
conduc, of Commissioners Thomas
and Parker. and declared that If the
entire board was composed OF sucn
men the police would have been abie
to close every immoral house IN
Richmond.
Police officers in their testimony
| told OF numerous incidents illustrating
how the Police Commissioners hamp-
ered them. how they moved them on
were made TO fear that the board
would take their jobs away from them
II they didn't pay atteHt1ur1 ttt-fffe
! warnings and threats made by the
commissioners.
Feared Would Lose Their Jobs.
Officer Gaibraith told of how he
| had been moved OFF a certain beat
! because he pulled" an immoral
house He declared he did not mind
| being moved from the beat; what he
minded was being moved for such a
| cause He declared he had to think
/ about taking care of his wife and
children and could not afford TO lose
/ his lob. He feared that when he
made another such raid he would be
| fired" he testified.
| Detective krengfe. when he had
been recalled by the Vice Commission,
told It's members that the Police
! Board tied the hands OF the police
! completely. If We had a board COM
! posed OF such men as Mr.. Thomas and
| DR.. Parker We would get results. He
! cited an incident in which the name
| of Commissioner Mccarthy figured as
I interfering with him in his efforts to
suppress vice. and declared. Some
j times we don't know what is our
: duty
I Leaman's prediction" Correct.
| Policeman Sweet told Sf interference
/ by Commissioners Mccarthy and
| Goode in having him removed from his
! beat ut such time as he was securing
evidence that would lead to the clos
I ing of the Helena Club. conducted by
| man named Botto on Main Steet.
/ near Twenty third.
Policeman Goldsby was. told by
! Commissioner Well. he testified. not to
2 no fnn actiye arpnnd a certain MIA