El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-09-15
WHAT POLICE HEARING PRODUCED
OF INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC


ports Of protected vice in this city.
The hearing resulted the widespread circulation Of
and open statements to the effect that gam
bling, prostitution, bootleggng thaElng, ToooeIy, So
denoe games and other crimes and msdeneanors were beng
carried in Fl Paso with the knowledge ana pesu aoy
with connvanoe and protection Of the police department
and detective bureau.
Revelations made during the political campaign before
the first primary followed by other oecaratons and
the acting MAYOR and city council seeing the necessity Of
an inquiry deferred action only until mayor Davis should
return As the mayor came back ne announced ms
intention to 20 thoroughly into the reports The city com
mission and police commission arranged for joint hearing
to be held behind closed doors but at the mayors suges-
ton the editors Of the two daily newspapers were invited
to be present throughout all the sessions.
-Four entire days given to the hearing The
paper editors not put under any restrictions and
asked simply TO refrain ron printing detailed accounts OF
the testimony until the conclusion Of the hearing Wit
nesses and members Of the commissions Likewise
quested to retain testimony in confidence during the pen
dency Of the Investigation
All witnesses were PIT on oath and their testimony
taken down verbatim by court reporter as vel as ques-
copies have been made Of the Transcript One is for the
use Of the city council for the police commission, and
one for the neEspaPers The transcript makes quite
bulky package Of typewriter manuscript.
At the conclusion Of the hearing the mayor announced
that COPY Of the transcript would be placed at the dis
posI Of the grand jury now in session II requested BY the
foreman There is nothing secret about the record OBJ
vouy hearing could not have been held IN public but
the proceedings al carried on IN presence Of the news
paper men, and the record is available to any person
interested II contains little nothing Of news value and
The Herald does not intend to print It. at rate at this
The public s entitled to know what vent there, and
to know what ineEsnoes drawn BY the newspaper
men, present in the disnterested representatives
Of the public.
NE score Of the hearing was NORMALLY limited TO an
inquiry into reports Of protected vice graft It was
the intention to into general Investigation Of vice
conditions but merely disclose possible what counec
ton If any the police department might have with any law
breaker While this the INTENDED scope as each witness
told matter Of fact there was no disposition at
time to curb witnesses VINO desired % 90 Iurle mo
the general conditions. There ules Of evidence
applied and tie joint commission patiently listened to the
testimony Of al who came before II even though 70 Lge
extent Il beside the mark and not merely unsupported
hearsay but also Of sort involving the police department
only very remotely
fair and most consderzte IN al their questioning There
instance Of tagging anybody OF Of trying to con
official The object Of the mayor and al his associates
conducting the hearing TO get at the facts, and under
an the circumstances they went as far as they could oe
expected 70 60 N the erfort 70 1na cur II ll were l -
members Of the police department were protecting vice
Sncs there were no specific charges, and particular
Individual trial the power to summon witnesses
be obsyed at the option Of the individual Attendance OF
civilian witnesses could not be compelled he subpoena
amounted request but it gave individuals certain ae
gree Of protection and relieved them Of any possible crit
sa from those under Investigation considerable NUM-
Der Of persons subpenaed refused to appear and testify
The commission summoned citizens who thought TO
possess information It called before It the principal police
and detective officers and many subordinates Whenever
witness mentioned the Of another person one who
er15 r,sb1y -bgtsntiats statement that person was
summoned Nearly every person mentioned in any Of the
testimony ooToboratvs witness was called and heard
Beyond that the request repeatedly published IN
both newspapers authority Of the chairman Of the Ioint
hearing Dr. Brady Of the police commission that any and
all citizens possessing information OF ossrnE 70 be heard
before the board In response TO the repeated request
lust one individual cane forward Voluntarily Hundreds
possibly thousands who have been repeating the stories OF
police ooksdness failed 70 appear to tel what they knew
Thsss citizens Who have thus let pass fruitful oPPor
tuHy perform real public service By helping to asoer-
Ha-
refusing TO contribute information they have not fulfilled
the duty Of good citizen. Their abssntng themselves is
species Of eoward else it indicates that they have
no grounds for their criticisms and complaints
The hearing covered wide range Of subjects It dis
closed for thing thar the police department IS pretty
well houeycohsd with personal animostes and ealousies
perhaps more so than any other police department.
but too much 70 insure efficiency. Not only eLPolice
men men presumably with personal grievances came to
give damaging testimony hut some members Of the present
force under the persistent questioning Of the commission
revealed conditions which ought not to exist Il TO
hoped that Of these men VIII become the objects of
hostility on the part Of higher officials, for they did
helpful
One striking fact about the run Of testimony was the
auazuE ignorance, to call It BY polite name, Of many
members OF the police department Some officers Of long
service Questioned under oath profesesd entire ignorance
Of many things and places that common knowledge to
residents and comers and visitors and Of sle
mental facts about the city that many child knows An
other curious fact the remarkably poor memory Of
many Of the officers tssying- These men, who knew
little and forgot much did not look like mental defec
tves but they were not substandard they surely
ianorng under stem sense Of discipline As vel Try to
extract long cold iulep fr0 bunch Of bermuda grass
Try % extract information ont Of Of these officers
The trait may be admirable from standpoints but It
makes the job Of an investigator hard.
Reports ana records appear TO be deficient in
specs. Judging from the testimony there does not appear
20 Be- in the poc department. that minute recording
and eassng and tahulang Of criminals and suspects
that read about being the pride OF Scotland Yard
and = the French SPY system There sssms TO be good
deal Of trusting to very bad memories and relying sz
cssdingly poor eyesight.
The testimony revealed that 81 Paso has some very
efficient loyal and trustwory officers and some not 50
much In certain lines such the recovery Of stolen
automobiles the department is said to excel
As TO gambling officers stated that there was
nore here and lad been uors for long time Others