Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-22
ALL PUT UNDER BOND
TO AWAIT A HEARING
Eighteen Men Accused Of Violating
the Law Against Circulating,
Obscene Pictures.
Other Charges Of Grave Character,
It Is Said, Are Likely to
Be Developed.

The eighteen men, fourteen OF whom
are said to be employees of the United
States government, arrested yesterday
on a charge of violating section 312 OF
| the penal code. in that they are alleged
to have exhibited, published. sold or
manufactured obscene pictures or lit
erature, are to be given hearing in
| the Police Court Saturday. February 5.
All of the defendants are at liberty.
In most of the cases each was released
on $1,000 bonds, but several OF the
younger defendants gave $500 bonds
| each. Assistant United States Attorney
Ralph Given. in charge of the prosecu-
tions in the Police Court, said he con-
| tinued the cases two weeks in order
| that he could collect all evidence in the
several cases
More than $50 obscene pictures. eighty
unavailable pictures and about 500 type
written pages of literature are said by
| Maj. Pullman to have been collected
by the police in the raid.
Maj. Pullman's Statement.
| In a statement regarding the raid
Mai. Pullman stated the investigation
as to the alleged traffic or exhibition OF
the alleged obscene matter was brought
about through report that married
| man employed in one Of the depart
ments had in his possession and had
exhibited to relatives and to friends
| both pictures and literature of char
acter falling under the ban of the law
| This was early in November, and the
| investigation followed.
Police Department men were assigned
to the investigation, and it is stated
were being sold, distributed or exhib-
| tied in several of the government de-
partments.
The Investigation of the ownership
circulation and exhibition of obscene
pictures and literature had three by
products" according to the statement
| of Maj. Pullman.
Discoveries by the Police.
Perhaps one of the most important
developments was the discovery" he
said, that one of the men who had
been making Photographic copies of
obscene pictures was also making
Photographic counterfeits of United
States one-dollar silver certificates and
two-cent postage stamps.
1.-The second important development
of the investigation was the discovery
that many of the postal cards sent into
the United States post office and held
because they were classed as unmail-
able matter have been stolen from the
Post Office Department and were sold
by persons into whose possession they
came.
The third important side line of the
investigation, and which is of great in
terest to the administrative officers of
the various bureaus, Is the discovery
that operators of Photographic ma
chimes and stenographers have been
using government materials. apparatus.
stationery and copying machines, and
turned out large quantity of the OBJ
scene pictures and literature which has
been gathered as evidence by the police
department.
Counterfeits "Good Imitation=.'
although 1t is doubtful if the coun
terfeits could have been passed easily
in the day time. because of their de-
fects. they were good enough i:nita-
tions, 1t is said, to be passed at night
on persons who were unsuspecting or
careless in examining money. Elk
hibits showing both counterfeits of the
silver certificates and two-cent stamps
are in the possession Of the police au-
thorities
has been carried on with the knowl-
edge and support of both the United
States Secret Service and the bureau
Of Investigation of the United States
Department of Justice. While it was
not necessary to call for the active
assistance of either bureau. the heads
of both branches of the government
have been kept informed about the
progress of the investigation"
The penalty for conviction of viola
nf n 10
a fine of not more than $4,000 or i'm
prisonment of not more than Ave
years, or both.
List Of Those Under Charges.
Those arrested and their places of en-
ployment. as given out by Mai. Pull
man, are: Samuel Scher, division OF
publications, Department of Agricul-
ture; w. II. Richards. appointment
clerks ONCE, Department Of Agricul-
ture; c. K. Krams, appointment clerk 6
office. Department of Agriculture; II. T.
ONeal, Secretary's Office, Department OF
Agriculture: J. p. Slattery. bureau of
animal industry, Department of Agri-
culture: Ii. Y. Atwell, bureau of chem
istry. Department of Agriculture; j.
II. Slice, bank redemption division,
United States Treasury Department;
John Sweeney. National Museum; John
w. Bell, patent office, Interior Depart
mines, Interior Department; Cloyd L.
Riley, bureau of mines, Interior De-
partment; Edward L. Cooley, interstate
commerce commission; J. H. Latimer.
insecticide board. Department Of Agri-
culture, and George Ager. Navy De-
partment.
The others arrested gave their names
as John j. We'll. 1928 I'd street, bar
tender; Adam Weigand. SAP Morton
street. a bartender; Herbert Summers.
303s NJ street, a clerk, and Henry
de Gay, 604 F street, a stonecutter.
Embarrassed by Similarity in Name
John, T. Sweeney, a clerk in the ap-
pointment clerks office, Department of
Agriculture. explained to the police
today that he was not the John
Sweeney" as published in the news
papers arrested in the raid yesterday.
Mr.. Sweeney>said he was employed at
the National Museum two years ago
and that he resides in Alexandria, Va,
and had been caused much embarrass-
ment by the publication of the names.