Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-07
W0MEN'S PRESENCE
BLOCKS INQUIRY
Police Witnesses Feel Hesitancy
in Giving Investigators
Full Details.
MAY CLEAR HALL HEREAFTER
Tucker Contradicts Krengel, and
Denies That Sergeant Wilt
shire Was Drunk.

"i the City Council will terminate
much earlier than developments in the
preceding sittings OF the inauisitorial
hody indicated. was the popular i'm
PRESTON at the close OF last nights
proceedings.
apart from the Hat contradiction Of
. lhe testimony of Detective Sergeant
Arengel by Patrolman G. l. Tucker,
VINO told the committee that Detective
sergeant Wiltshire was not drunk on
IN" occasion when Chief of Police
Nerner detailed Krcngel. Wiltshire and
-"eker 10 capture three yeggmen sup
posed To be lurking I'm the Shockoe
creek district and less important
Contradictions OF the testimony OF
preceding witnesses. nothing new was
elected
PRESENCE OF FIVE WOMEN
EMBARItAsSi;S WITNESSES
The presence OF five women In the
circuit Court chamber, which held a
crowd of about 300 men. was plainly
embarrassing to the witnesses. Most
ol the policemen examined were OBJ
Niously harasscd and !rnpeded In Civ
Ing their testimony by the conscious
hess of being heard By these women
out the sitting that at the close OF
ihe hearing the committee went into
executive session for the purpose OF
d"NisinS some means of removing the
restraint which had retarded TO this
timc the taking OF testimony. Legal
~ and under the resolutions adopted
'y the committee. the sessions are
open 10 any citizen, minors only being
excluded. 1t is understood that In the
executive session the committee WAS
50 advised by city Attorney Pollard
TO whom the problem OF getting rid OF
The women. 80 that the witnesses might
express themselves more freely was
submitted.
Chairman Barton II. Grundy was
finally instructed by the investigating
body TO caution the witnesses at the
next session. Friday night, that they
are 10 Ignore IN. presence OF women
who care TO attend. and 10 place no
more restraint upon their speech than
II they were tcstifyinG before 4 crowd
OF men
CoNFINE INaUIHIES TO
COURT RULES OF EVIDENCE
VI the opening OF the session. on
motion OF Councilman l.. III. FERGUSON
;hc investigating body decided TO fol-
low in the taking OF ali testimony the
common court rules governing the ex-
animation OF witnesses. Preliminary
sparrinS between City ATTORNEY Pol
lard. for the investigators and Robert
j. scott, attorney for Commissioner
Mccarthy. consumed three-quarters OF
an hour before the first witness was
called.
This first witness, Dr. NJ. l.. Andcr-
son. was distinct disappointment to
tho SPECTATORS L..
nothing whatever hearing upon the
Investigation. Detective Sergeant
krengel had met and conversed with
him casually at different times, and
mentioned something about the exist
cnce of gambling places in Richmond
Attorney Hiram Smith objected to
hearing from DR.. Anderson when the
character Of his testimony was made
known. lie argued that tho witness
could be used only to make state
mcnts "self-serving" TO Krengel and
that such were not competent testi-
mony. DR. Anderson was told to
stand aside.
TELLS OF INVESTIGATING
ROOMS OVER GOODIES STORE
Patrolman Harry r. Sweet was called
4 and sworn. Replying to questions by
Mr. Pollard. witness said he had been
private on the force four years and
q six days. lie was not at the office of
Chief OF Police Werner on the occa
sion when Commissioner Goode com
I planned, according to other witnesses.
against the interference by police Of
! ficers with Aunt Mary's" house OF III
repute. He told of pulling" different
= houses in East Main Street. In March.
1914. with Policemen Akers and Duke.
he had investigated the rooms over
Commissioner Goodies store on Main
Street. The rooms were rented from
Goode by Il woman who conducted n
furnished room house. The police
suspected the place. They went there
several times and inspected the reg
lister. AT no time did they find eyi-
dence upon which to make an arrest.
- The woman. widow, told them she
kept roomins house. and took only
respectable dodgers. Witness testified
that other officers and himself, believ-
INK that the place was not n respect
able rooming house. kept close watch
or II. on the occasion of his visit
with Duke and Akers, after inspecting
the register and talking with the
keeper OF the lodging house. they went
out. Goode walked out to the police
men and rebuked them for annoying
mis- tenant by keeping the place under
surveillance.
HAD SEEN GOODE RAISING
ROW IN SEGREGATED DISTRICT
Tho commissioners told the police
men that he could not rent the rooms
70 more desirable tenants because Of
hs locality, and that II they were
continually watching 1t. he could get
no tenant at all. The witness ad-
nitted that the police. including him
eli, had made every reasonable effort
% get sufficient evidence to pull" the
.onse. and had failed. He baaed his
sbnal opinion az to tho character of
he house on what the commissioner
ad himself related-namely, that tho
lace was difficult to rent out, and II
lould not be rented at all IL II was to
Continued on Ninth Page.) II