Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-06
U. S. Attorney Laskey, His As
sistant and Maj. Pullman
Confer for Several Hours.
MRS. STOUT'S ASSERTIONS
ARE BEING INVESTIGATED
No Policemen Formally Questioned
as Yet-Nature of Witnesses
Testimony Is Not Learned.

VI NhieSu otdeSo AttolllSy I~dShSy
today regarding the charges OF
grating lodged against certain
members of the police department
The conference was participated
in by Mr.. Laskey, who returned
this morning from a two-day trip
to New York; his assistant, S
McComas Hawken, and Maj
Pullman, superintendent of police
| Just what transpired at the confer
ence could not be learned. 1t was
stated, however, that the charges were
gone over carefully. Later Maj. Pull
man said the investigation by the
United States attorney Is progressing,
He said no formal investigation of the
matter has as yet been begun by the
police department. The officials of the
department and the District Commits
| sioners are awaiting the outcome of
the investigation by the District at
| torney. which they believe will bring
out all the facts.
| Maj Pullman also said no member of
| the department had been formally
\ questioned regarding the matter.
Nature Of Testimony Withheld.
Whether any testimony had been de-
| veloped as to graft, except that given
| by Mrs. Margaret Stout. could not be
/ learned. 1t was said at the Office of
| the United States attorney that a num-
Der of witnesses had been summoned
and had given testimony, but moth
| ing would be revealed as to the ma
| ture of the testimony.
Mrs. Stout, who Is under sentence of
| two years at OccoQuan on a charge of
| conducting disorderly house. and who
| made the charges of graft after she
| by her bondsmen. who feared, 1t is de-
clared. that she was about to leave
| the city, pending an appeal of her case
| to the Court of Appeals, was at the
United States attorneys office late yes
| terday afternoon and again this morn
| ing. Mrs. Stout remained only for a
/ short time on each occasion.
Wants Quick Action.
Mai Raymond w. Pullman is ex-
tremely anxious to have the charges of
| graft disposed Of as speedily as pos
sible. An early disposition Of the
charges he thinks is due the men at
fected. the entire department and the
community, and members Of the force
not involved in the accusations agree
| with him.
las we pass along the streets in the
performance Of duties," said a police
man to a Star reporter this morning.
| people point an accusing finger and
With the Margaret Stout charges dis
posed of, he added. a different con-
dition will prevail and people not in
| volved will not be stared at and talked
about as If they were grafters.
| Discussing the investigation with a
Star reporter this morning, Mai. Pull
man said the investigation is in the
| hands Of the district attorneys office.
| That office. he said. is much better
| equipped to conduct the investigation
| than Is the police department. The po-
lice department has no lawyer con-
nected with it, he stated. and certainly
the trial board could not be expected to
bring out what Mr.. Laskey and Mr..
| Hawken are obtaining.
While his idea this morning was
that the cases should first be heard by
| the grand jury, II sufficient evidence
to take them before that body Is OBJ
tanned, he said he might have trial
| board charges made out at any time.
Just what Maj. Pullman is doing in
connection with the investigation he
| he already has started a quiet investi-
cation to ascertain If certain state
ments made against his men can be
corroborated.
Defers Police Inquiry.
II am keeping in close touch with
the United States attorneys Office" he
said, land am cooperating with Mr..
Hawken, who is conducting the in
vestigation. The Commissioners have
authorized me to hold a hearing for
any men involved in the charges made
| by Margaret Stout last Monday. After
| a conference with Mr.. Hawken the de-
cision was reached to defer for the
present any Independent investigation
| by the police department.
| There Is no desire whatever to
duplicate the investigative work being
| done by the United States district at
torney's ONCE. and the evidence which
now Is being developed by Mr.. Haw-
| ken makes 1t appear that whatever
action is necessary can be taken with
out an independent investigation by
the police department of the Margaret
Stout charges.
whatever bearing on other graft OF
any kind, this information should be
| brought either to me or to the United
| States district attorney, and will be
Investigated Immediately by the proper
office"
| Maj. Pullman said he agreed with Mr..
Hawken that the disclosures do not
| show any wholesale graft to have been
| taken by the police. only petty 8ra1t
| Is alleged in Margaret Stouts state
ment.
Mrs. Stout's Story.
Mrs Stout without any hope Of re-
ward, told her story, said Nal. Pullman.
and her statement demanded that an
investigation be made. She had done
| everything she could to shield Klein
dienst, and when the end came she
probably felt that she had been thrown
: overheard. Her statements were made
| to Mr Hawken. who was summoned by
Chief Justice Covington to hear what
! she had to say.
"Mr. Hawken has made excellent
| progress in the investigation" Maj
| Pullman said. He wants to learn all
and want to learn all. Thus far only
| petty graft has been mentioned and II
/ was confined to a few"
| What number of officers has been
| mentionedr' Maj. Pullman was asked
a Star reporter suggesting a rumor that
| nve names had been given by Mrs
| Stout.
ITO be frank" responded Maj. Pull
| man, 81 haven't counted them"
The chief Of police said he was anx-
| ious to learn If there were any other
persons alleged to have accepted hush
money" II any members of the force