The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-04-02
Testimony to Show That Com
missioners Entered Disorder
ly Houses Admitted
Well and Mccarthy
Brought Into Case
Their Names Added to That
of Mr.. Goode as Member
Alleged to Have lnterfered
With Officers

The appearance on the witness
stand last night OF Detective-Sergeant
r.. l. Krengle, chief witness against
the three accused police commission
ers In the councilmanic investigation
OF the Police Department. started a
legal fight over the scope the fnves-
tigation was to take.
The result was a victory for City
Attorney Pollard. the committee de-
cided to allow testimony as to the
presence of commissioners IN disorder
" houses Sergeant Krengels testf-
monv then proceeded with the result
that Commissioners Well was added
to Commissioner Goode as member
alleged 10 have frequented such
houses during their term OF ONCE
In addition Commissioner Mccarthy
was for the first time brought into
the case by direct testimony as one
Of thoss 10 interfere with policemen
in the discharge OF their duties Fur
Their testimony involving Commissioner
3oode was also recorded, The Com
merc:ai Hotel was brought into tho
inquiry as an alleged gambling resort
SO far. these three commissioners
are the only ones against whom aiie-
cations have been made by any wit
aesses.
Werner Resumes stand.
Debate over the admission OF evil
dance as TO the moral character OF the
commissioners, examination Of Ser
geant Krensle by City Attorney Poll
lard. and an extended quigz OF the same
witness by counsel for the commits
sionsrs. executed for the purpose %
discrediting the veractty of the witness
consumed the greater part of the three
hour hearing last night Chief Of Po-
lice Werner, who had expressed de-
sire to be recalled, occupied the Witness
-na!r for brief period. during which
lime It Was settled that testimony re-
iaelng 10 no other period than thu
present term OF any commissioner or
police of1cer could be adduced.
Sergeant krsngis WAS put through
severe grill by ATTORNEYS Scott and
smith for the commissioners His re-
cord was raked with fine tooth comb
ana testimony he had given In police
and Hastings Court was extracted
from him tn an effort to attack his
veracity. witnesses 60 attack his tes-
simony In this regard win be put on
the stand later. In addition his re-
peated sale OF teweiry 70 James Stewart
VIII be used against him.
Scope OF Investigation.
Sergeant Krensers testimony was
the most important OF the session. Be
sides corroborating part of the testi-
rronv of Chief OF Police Werner
70 that testimony and testified also
against Commissioners Well and Nc
Carthy. TX was when CRY Attorney
Pollard read from report No, of tho
Vice Commission the testimony wit
ress had given that body in regard to
Commissioned Wells alleged practice
Of freQuentfnv disorderiy houses that
the fght over the scope the invessi-
CATION Is to take and the nature Of
the testimony to be permitted began.
Mr.. Pollard had put hts question and
Sergeant Krengel had started to make
his reply wnen Mr., Scott. OF counsel
for the commissioners. arose and OBJ
fected.
Mr. Scott declared that the commit
zee was empowered by Council TO in
Quire only into the official conduct OF
the members of the Police Department
and not into their private character.
He quoted the law and backed II with
fnnumerable authorities TO show that In
Investigating public officials and to re-
move them the testimony must not be
only such as to affect his private. but
also his ofliciAl conduct.
TT II necessary to separate private
character from of1lciAl conduct" he
quoted. "By the very terms OF this
resolution" he said. ''you arc restricted
to the of,iciAi conduct OF the men under
charge. Visit to a dieorderiy house is
not an Official act" He then described
what constitutes oficial misconduct.
saying that IT consists OF interference
with suhordinates in tho discharge OF
their duties and SO forth.
Pollard Replies.
In reply Mr.. Pollard read from the
city charter showing that officials can
10 removed at any time for good
cause" by vote OF two-thirds the
members of the Council.
'It 10 abhorrent,' he said ito con-
esd that any man VIGOROUSLY corr
rupt and totally disregardful of the
: laws of man and God cannot be In
vestigated and removed from office
as a stencil In the nostrils of all law
abiding citizens. / cannot concede
that It is your duty to retain in office
a man whose moral character Is no.
toriously corrupt
The argument continued for soms
time, Murray Mcclure, OF counsel for
the Vice Commission, taking part.
The final result was the adoption of
q motion allowing City Attorney Pol
lard to proceed upon his original line
Of questioning.
Sergeant Krengel then proceeded
the question as to the testimony re-
lating to Mr. Well being repeated.
Krengle: 1t Is fact.
Pollard: And you made that state
ment?
Krengel: l did
Pollard: How long has Mr. Well
been guilty of these acts?
Krengei. It has been n continuous
performance in the house named and
in others. I saw him enter house
recently in an intoxicated condition.
Pollard. Have you ever raided that
house?
sssss's KrenEea: Yes; assssss = As'..a7