Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-12

rhe nrobable action of Mayor Smith in
,..iInu with that section of the report of
,ho Grand Jury which recommended the
str,al" Of superintendent of Police James
pobInson is the principal topic of discus
sion in political circles today.
what the result of the probe will be Ia
sr,ireIy in the hands of the Mayor. Inter-
Waved in Atlantic City, Mr.. Smith said
that he will ask for n COPY of the evidence
against the police chief and will confer
with Director of Public Safety Wilson on
the course to be followed.
The jury was in error in recommending
that he be tried before the Police Board of
inquiry because the law provides that
man must be tried by his superiors and
also because the Superintendent of Police,
who holds an appontive office, is not SUBJ
iect 10 trial. Whatever action is taken must
come directly from Mayor Smith or Director
wilson
There is Il feeling in political circles that
nothing may ever come of this section Of
the Grand Jays presentment The state
ment of juror, who said that several of
the Jurors wanted to censure Director of
Public Safety Wilson and Assistant Super
intendent Davis, Is regarded as significant
and as likely TO have an effect on the situa-
ton The remark of the juror Is taken as
an Indication that those in control of the
affairs of the police will not want to look
too closely into the dolngs of Robinson. for
fear such an investigation will act as a
boomerang.
JURY FOREMAN COMMENTS
Henry s. Bernard, who was foreman Of
the Grand Jury which 'probed the vice con-
ditlons, today assumed full responsibility
for the compilation of that summary of the
Investigation He also said 1t was he who
wrote into the presentment the technical
error which recommends a Police Board
trial for Superintendent of Police Rob-
inson
The young foreman declares any legal
mistakes which crept into the report were
due to his being n layman and not lawyer.
II did not request any legal advice from
the District Attorney" he said, because
news of'our deliberations was leaking from
the Grand Jury room to the newspapers.
! questioned the jurors closely and they said
they did not talk to reporters Therefore
we agreed that the news must be coming
out from either the District Attorneys
ONCE or from that of Judge Rogers"
In his efforts to maintain secrecy Ber.
nard said he carried the rough draft OF
the presentment in his pocket after writ
ing 1t.
The ''pollce board" detail Bernard re-
CARDS as trivial. "The Mayor can order
Robinson to be tried. He does not have
70 drop the recommendation merely be-
cause Robinson cannot be brought before
Police Board of Inquiry.
Il am confident the Mayor will do the
right thing. The Mayor and Director Will
son impressed us that they were on the
level Robinson said he alone ran the police
department. and was responsible for condi-
uons From what he testified we gathered
mat Robinson was the man and the sole
%i gliciai who ran the department. Assistant
director Davis told us he held a merely
eierical position. He made out warrants
ior the various bureaus. We couldn't get
after him for that
Both the Mayor and Director Wilson
pledged that they would clean up the polics
department. and see that II was run as It
highly.
We examined $50 witnesses and wanted
% land 90 others, men from whom we could
service ana we could not subpoena them"
According to the foreman. he wanted to
insert recommendation that only men
Earned In the law be eligible TO become
MAslstrates, but was opposed. IT under
stand one OF our members has aspirations
70 become Magistrate" he added.
CRITICISM DRAWS BACKFIRE
Charles Runner. clerk to the committing
magistrate at Central Station takes ex-
eeptlon to the criticism OF the Grand Jury,
ieVeled against the alleged laxity in Magis-
ua.es ohiees relative TO records OF war
rants issued
4 have been clerk here for two years."
sala Runner today. land prior to that
.lne had ten years experience as assist
ant TO other clerks. feel that the state
nleht contained in the Grand Jury present.
leht does grave injustice to me and to
we men under me. l am in a position to
pfOQQc6 nf FhA Gem
ual station within the last is years. They
Sle all indexed and are still on file, al
snough the Magistrates who issued them,
~ many Instances. are dead or have gone
~. OF ONCE. l will gladly show any per-
son. who has a proper right to look over
my records the books in which the records
are Kept, or II he desires to see them'
nn produce the original warrants. There
no iaxity or failure to keep records or
variants issued SO far as Central Station
e concerned"
MAYOR SMITH TO RETURN
Mayor Smith win cut his vacation short
-na De In his office Monday TO consider
Seuon on the various phases OF the report
Ans to reporters In the Hotel Chai-
.oase, , he said he intended to devote hlm-
eeit 10 the mastery OF the police problem
ana was resolved he would succeed.
every policeman and police official IN the
~ ol Philadelphia win be ordered ana
compelled to resign from any ana All
pelleieal clubs. and it Will go hard with men
ho persist In retaining their political
sonAeetions In the future. They must get
~ OF these clubs" the Mayor said. Tor
IN the associations formed there, l
saeve. that much OF the pernieioes IN
4@snes used 10 protect vice is born"
TO ABOLISH VICE SQUAD.
ne Vice Squad wiH be abolished
e9ia an outrage that policemen SHOULD
out upon the highways, iirt with women
So then arrest them. The sooner II 10
~3s4 the better for the Vice squad
mere viii Be no order men" n tne
+N4InE iIanarf tralIas' aGaunr smith from