Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-03
|II'ERMEYER E
ACTING CAPTAIN
lce Lieutenant in Down
Own Station Advanced
in Rank
! lENALTY" A PROMOTION
o( Of the Men Yet Suspended
Mayors Talk Called
"Hot Air"

rar from being suspended. as Mayor
( Smith intirnated and as was reported. Police
4 LIeutenant John F. Echtermeyer, OF the
(. 4eoohd and Christian streets police station
Z today Is an acting captain. He has a desF
IN Boom 225. City Hall
Mayor Smith left for Atlantiat,ty on the
i: - train of the PennsylvansS Railroad
Si Before boarding the, train he said that
Y th4rs was nothing new in the "investiga'
4 {ion'' ne was making Of vice conditions In
v this city
Asked whether he didn't think It was
strange to have Lieutenant Echtermeyer
Z pefforming the duties of an acting police
X captatn after being ordered to appear be-
4 fore the police board, the Mayor replied:
" s'Lieutenant Echtermeyer Is only an act
(. inr captain during the absence of Captain
N McCoach Next week Lieutenant Echter-
< meyer will appear before the police board
on charges. He hasn't as yet been sus-
! pended. ! didn't appoint him an acting
4 captain. His appointment as acting cap
Y tain is something you will have TO speak
10 Director Wilson about"
lieutenant Echtermeyer is replacing Cap
tain David McCoach. and for today at least
hasT charge OF the whole section Of South
Philadelphia
None of the five other members Of the
police force, scheduled for trial before the
4
\ rambling raid in South Philadelphia, has
oetn suspended today.
M The suspension order was reported and
widely circulated following another clean
\ up" promise given out by Mayor Smith
In an interview last night.
II mean business and want the police
20 know IT," Mayor Smith said at that
time after threatening further action
against the police.
Nf rSt~n.<or vvneop today said that
lice lieutenant or policeman who fails to
\ rid the city of vice would have TO suner
the consequences. He also added tnat
Lieutenant Echtermeyer and the Ave police
men would come up for trial before the
police board next Thursday.
.If the men are found guilty of neglect
of duty they will suffer" said the Director.
IT believe in giving the public a square
deal
SHIFT OF POLICEMEN
a On the night that the Young Mems Re-
4 publican Club, Eighth and Christian streets,
Y was raided, two policemen from the district
commanded by Lieutenant Echtermeyei
( were shifted for three hours to the central
part OF the city It was learned from
police official that this was done because
the two policemen were known to be friend
! ly with gamblers who frequented the club.
After the raid the two policemen were or
dered back to- their station.
Veterans Of the police force in all are
ecn1ewhat puzzled.
Although, naturally, none would permit
R his name to be used, they said openly that
+ they failed to understand Just what the
(, Mayor was about
m looks as though It was a case of
& punishment to come preceded by promo
ton" one said with a wink In reference
& 10 Lieuttnant Echtsrmeyer.
Calls MASHt tTALK HOT AIR"
Another said the Mayors talk on cleaning
up the vice situation was nothing but
bosh and hot air."
Super.ntendent Robinson said today that
lieutenant Echtermeyer and the other mem
3 bers OF the force mentioned by Mayor Smith
would be brought up for trial. but ad-
mitted that as yet he had not received
copy Of the charges on which the necessary
specifications must be drawn.
They had not been suspended, Superin-
fendent Robinson said. He refused TO say
whether or not they would be suspended
IN the near future
Lieutenant Echtermeyer himself would
not discuss the charge made against him
relative to gambling in his district.
Does it look as though I was sus-
pended" he asked in answer to a question
On that point.
GOLD BRAID ANSWERS QUERY.
The gold braid on the acting captains
uniform answered the query In Itself.
II am here in uniform. and intend to re-
main here until further notice." he added.
Z But how about the notice In the news
papers about your suspension and the
Mayors criticism of the conduct of the
men under your" he was asked.
"Oh. don't believe everything you hear"
he replied II am getting sick and tired
Of reading falsehoods. have no fear what
ever of all this gossip. have done all in
my power to keep my district clean"
At 1922 a. m a big touring car drove up
70 City Hall. Mayer Smith, tanned from
Atlantic City's breezes, was in the car.
It is possible that another chapter TO
the present 'vice investigation" will be
enacted before the day is over.
Those slated for these were:
Police Lieutenant John f. Echtermeyer,
Sergeant Charles Roney and Policemen Will
Ham Bozarth. Anthony Isola, Frank Mar
tinelli and Frank Jaffe.
They have been ordered before the police
board for trial on charges preferred by
Director Wilson. The action was taken fol-
lowing raid on an alleged gambling es.
tablishment early yesterday by Former Cap
tain Of Detectives Souder at Eighth near
Catharine street. Thirty-fve arrests were
made.
IT Is known. according to the police. that
the vice squad has been ordered disbanded
and that Charlie Lee, head of the squad.
hss been assigned back to duty with the
Branchtown station.
In reference to the policemen ordered
for trial. Mayor Smith said that they must
have known OF the existence of gambling
n their district Residents in the neigh
0orhood said the gambling establishment
DoG been In full swing for some time.