Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-21
SAYS SOWELL SENT
HIM TO SEE JACOBS
Policeman Waller Accuses Chief
of Instructing Him to Hush
Up Witness.
PAID JACOBS SIS, HE STATES
Was Instructed to "Hush Up
Damned Jew" Who Was Get
ting Ready to Squeal."

1
the higher ups In the Police DEPART
ment were implicated In any Of the
sworn affidavits filed with him, Police
man Frank s. Waller. whose resigna-
ton becomes effective to day, positive
ly asserted last night that his affidavit
had Implicated Chief of Police j. r. B.
Sowell Waller said that this affidavit
was sworn to in the Mayors Office be-
fore Miss Verna I. Atkinson secretary
to Mayor Ainsle. notary public. and
that 1t was witnessed by member of
the Police Department.
When Informed that his name had
been mentioned in reports OF alleged
connection between members ofthe de-
partment and bootleggers. Chief of Po-
lice Sowell refused to make any state
ment.
His only comment was: II have moth
ing to do with this situation, and will
not say one word"
In his statement to reporter last
night Policeman Waller. who lives at
3l7 West Marshall Street, declared that
an attempt had been made to frame
him and make him the victim Of the
misdeeds of all the men implicated.
, When I realized that the officials we're
trying to ditch me I determined to
make an affidavit before tho Mayor.
and I do not understand why he was
willing to give out my name and with
hold the name OF Major SoweT I
fled this affidavit before Mayor AIMS
lie last Thursday"
WAS SENT TO SEE JACOBS
BY CHIEF SOwELL
Finally Waller said that he was de-
termined to make public the whole
testimony of the affidavit. Now get
this straight" was his warning to the
reporter; 81 am going to tell every
thing that / told in the affidavit. and
am prepared to testify to this before
the grand jury. My resignation was
handed in to Captain George Pollock.
secretary OF the Police Department. on
Friday, May 10. On the following
Thursday after had handed in my
resignation ] made the affidavit out
before Captain Ainslie. after it ap-
peared that was going to be made the
goat
THE transaction between Gordon
Smith. myself and Jacobs took place
on a rough night at the last of Feb
ruary. at the instance of Major Sowell.
1t was during the last of that awful
bad weather we were having.
IT met Major Sowcll coming out OF
the Lyric. and he told me to go down
and see that damcd Jew. lie is get
ting ready to squeal. and you have got
to hush him up at once 1t was such
a bad night that il Chief Sowell had
see him at once 1 would have put 1t
off.
ALLEN AND FRAYSER
WERE IN FRONT ROOM
That night I got hold OF Gordon
Smith because he knew Jacobs and ]
did not. and we both went up TO Ia
cobs's room and held conference In
the kitchen. When we got there. ia
cobs told lis that we had better keep
quiet, as Policemen Allen and Frayser
were in the front room. Our orders
had been positive to get the trouble
between Jacobs and Price smoothed
over that night. and Gordon Smith.
who was the spokesman, said that he
did not care II he was overheard"
Waller then related their attempt to
pacify Jacobs on account of a GER
tain quantity of liquor which he al
legged had been stolen from him by
Price. Jacobs said that the only way
10 keep him quiet was to pay him for
the liquor. Gordon and then got
in the automobile and we drove to
Prices farm which is on the Seven
Pines Road. On the way lost one Of
my chains. When we got there. Price
said that he had only s75. and the rec
ords Will show that I borrowed the
other s75-the amount which Jacobs
demanded to keep quiet-from n Ger
tain bank in this city. and the money
was turned over to Jacobs"
Waller then stated uneQuivocally
that he had driven Chief OF Police
Sowell on 1T least two occasions in
the citys car to the Price farm He
said that many of the members Of the
police force visited the farm often. and
that :hey knew of the presence of
whisky on rhe farm. and that this ac-
counts for the alarm of the policemen
when they learned of the possibility
Of the dispute between Jacobs and
Price being made public
GORDON SMITH DEMANDS
GRAND JURY inquiry
sweeping grand jury investigation
of charges that various members of
the Police Department are in colIusion
with Illegal liquor traffic in this city
will be instituted when the grand Jury
convenes the irst Monday in June.
These charges will be presented to the
grand jury by Commemorative Attor-
ney Wise 1T the earnest and urgent
request OF Detective Sergeant Gordon
Z. Smith.
IT was learned that less than twen-
ty minutes after he learned that his
name had beer connected with trans
actions with heads of tho bootiep
gang" Gordon Smith made this request
of Commonwealth's Attorney Wise.
asking for this Investigation as a-nar
sonal favor. He announced that II
was his sincere intention 20 20 to tho
bottom OF these charges and that ir
he were guilty he would not ask to
be spared. but that In this invcstiga-
tion in which he would clear his name
Of any sta.n-for the first time IN his
life brought in question--hc would
spare nobody.
81 have never done anything in my
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