Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-12
TRY LEUTENANTS
ON VICE CHARGES
Three Police Officers Face
Board as Result of
Souder Raids
CLERGY DOUBT MAYOR
Judge Martin Cites Christs
Example for Leniency to
y Erring Women

Three police lieutenants will appear
before the police trial board today TO
answer charges Of neglect Of duty, trace
able directly to raids which Al Souder'
hcsd Of the Mayors special squad and
HIS men made on three alleged gambling
houses Within the last ten days.
Political influence welded by Harry ~
Maclsey, Ware leader Of the Forty-slNtn
Ward. is said TO have been eXerted sue
cessfully to prevent Lieutenant John D.
Bisbing from appearing before the trial
board on similar charges.
The other lieutenants are Samuel Lit
lie, william DinloclSer and Jacob Buc"-
anan. Dinlocier and Bisbing are mem-
bers Of the trial board, and, therefore
Diniocker will have to be tried before
Il superior officer. VI is believed that
Captain McFadden will sit in his place
On the day the Fosdicls vice charges
were made public, Director Wilson called
all his police ueutenants and captains
and allowed them forty-eght hours 10
slirnlnate all vice from their districts.
The raids made BY Souder and MS
squad, which developed into the charges
agaihst the lieutenants. were made after
this time limit had expired.
Judge Answers Kenny's Criticism
"a certain Judge great Judge-aI-
most 1000 years ago, said, Go and SIN
no more"
This today was the remark Of Judge
J. Willis Martin. President Judge of the
Court Of Common Pleas No. ., when in
formed that Captain Nicholas J. Kenny
had accused him Of allowing woman M
mates Of houses Of iufame to go on pa
role when brought TO trial by the eiiofls
OF the police.
Captain Kenny was testifying before
the police trial board in behalf Of Lieu
tenant Howard Lawson. Of the Eighth
District. on trial on charges growing
out OF the raid Of Al Souder ana De
tectives on a billiard room at S22 Nortn
Eighth street, in which several men ana
a lot OF gambling paraphernaha were
taken.
Captain Kenny was referring to the
adjudication of such cases during the
tenure in office of Director of PUBLIC
Safety Porter.
Political collision with the under
world, that links the police in a chain
20 protect vice. Is charged in com
rnunlcation which the wartime commits
sion OF the lnter-Church Federation has
sont 20 Mayor Smith The clergynen,
however. fatty refused to heed his ap-
peal for u copy of their findings as a
result Ct a nine months investigation
Of conditions here. and say they will
intrust the clean-up Of the city 20 The
Federal authorities alone
While moderate in tone. tAe letter
hi % SO
and his administration for past eX-
periences ON the part Of the clergymer,
they say The detailed report will be
turned over TO United States District
Attorney Kane and Colonel Hatch. Oi
the marine corps. who is directing the
Federal crusade here.
TIere is the churoi1men's communica-
: tidn TO the Mayor;
Text Of Pastors Letter
Through the chairman Of our ware
time commission Of the Iuterchurch Fed
GRAFTON Of Philadelphia we have received
voar invitation TO appear before YOU
and report such findings as We may
have as the basis for the personal In
Yestlgaton you propose to make for
Yourself Of the vice situation In our city.
after due consideration by the com.
mission which met this afternoon (April
~, we, decline 20 transfer 20 you the
sAA1AhSb oNEhitu bA u NllA phbI Wi iohs
sources. Whatever may be your per-
sonal conviction and intention. our ear
Her interviews and past experiences dc
not warrant the belief that the impor-
tant work Of rectifying vice conditions
VIII be accomplished through your ad-
tninistTAtive and police officials They
know all that ye know concerning the
immoral and Illegal practices that are
going on In the various neighOOrhoods
Your police will do what really Is eS
pected Of them Each patrolman Is re.
quired to report all suspicious houses oi
Vice to his lieutenant and the lieutenant
60 the superintendent Of police. These
reports are your frst sources Of nfOrma
ton and can be readily secured by the
Chief Magistrate Of the city.
Further, you are employing specia
groups Of officers to Investigate yict
conditions. There are. however. sinister
political Influences at work among your
patrolmen and special officers whicl
Illustrate procedures for arrest and con.
fictions before Magistrate and other
e0urts. For this reason we do not deem
u wise TO place In your hands the de.
tailed Information which has been fur.
nished US We have but one ain1-tC
protect the sailors and soldiers in oui
midst from the constant solicitation "a
vice which exists In certain wards OF
our city. We will place In the hands
Of the Federal authorities assigned fol
protective and legal service In our city
our findings on the vice situation"
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