The Washington herald., 1916-06-08
The Capitals Police System.

The trial of member OF the Washington
police force on charge OF unlawfully entering
a dwelling disclosed conditions seriously affect
ing the rights of residents Of the Capital and
raised questions OF importance that we're not
answered by the decision exoneratng the police
man. The decision of Judge A. R. Mullowny.
OF the Police Court, is that, under some
circumstances not defined with sufficient exacti-
tude, it is lawful for policemen to enter dwelling
houses by force and without warrant in the
middle of the night. The accused officer and a
companion, it was shown, at ? o'clock in the
morning forced their way into a house, the
sole occupants of which were a terrified woman
and her daughter, child of years. This action.
according to the courts decision, was not un-
lawful, for the reason that to the technical eye
OF the law the status of the woman's home
as a private dwelling had been forfeited.
In view of the fact that the court took occa-
sion to condemn as unlawful the forcbc in
vasion of dwelling houses by policemen even
when obeylng the orders of the superintendent
OF police, clear understanding of when dwell
ing IS entitled to the protection of the law and
when 1t is not is necessary to both public and
police. 1t would certainly appear that the police
men who broke into a house occupied only by
"a woman and child in the dead of night es-
capped committing lawless act only by cx-
traordinarily good luck To trust policemen
to make for themselves the apparently fine dis
tinction between unlawful entry and the proper
performance of duty would seem to be danger
ouS mistake their part might entail serious
consequences.
Aside from the extraordinary circumstances
connected with the particular at issue, the
trial revealed the existence Of amazing police
system in the Nations Capital, which was de-
1aI II
witness stand sworc that the superintendent of
police on some occasions personally gave them
keys to. houses, and at other times told them to
get in any way" They ordered to break
into one house and seize some pictures that
their chief told them were there, suggesting the
activity of a combination of stool pigeon
and art censor. There was evidence also OF
the employment of spies to give signals for the
police to descend upon their prey.
Apparently the new police system OF the
Capital Of this free and peaceful republic was
modelled after that of Berlin. Here, however,
it is not only conducted without the sanction
OF the law, but is applied to petty purposes with
a minimum of intelligent discrimination and a
maximum Of offense. In Washington the peo-
pies morals arc being supervised by a corps
of uniformed and ununformed pcepng Toms
armed with assortment Of door keys or lad
ders for second-story operations. The penny-a
poker player is shadowed to his domice by a
troop of the citys guardians while the unofficial
housebrcaker operates elsewhere unmolested.
While the Police Court Judge exonerated
the policeman of the charge upon which he
was placed on trial. he denounced as unlawful
the system as described by the policemen who
appeared witnesses. What is the superinten-
dent of police going to do about it; or what
are the people of Washington going to do
about it?