Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-24
1t. ECHTERMEyER
PAINTED AS MARTYR
Counsel at Trial Asserts He Was
Marked as Victim by
Superiors
RAPS POLITICS OF SYSTEM

Suspension of John Echtermcycr. for.
mer lieutenant of tho Second and ChriI-
tian streets station. was not warranted
according to J. Washington Loguc. his
counsel. who declared that those max e,
ing charges against him were actuatcd
by n desire "to get him AZ any cost.
Mr.. I.osuc made this assertion today
At the trial Of Erhtcrmcycr on charges
OF neglect of duty before tho police trial
board Of tho Civil Service Commission,
The case was heard by Commissioners
Woodruff and Neeld and Captain ~
Police Tempest.
Following the argument in hchalt o.
his client Mr.. T.ogue was granted p""
mission TO fIc with tho commission nr
abstract and analysis of tho testimony
in the case. This was The second hear
ing in the case. the first having been
held last week.
Among other charges against t.chtor-
meyer was ono TO tho effect thnl ne
failed to report tho existence Of alleged
disorderly houses in his district.
No Negligence by Lieutenant
In Supporting his contentious Mr'
r.oguc said there was no negligence on
the former lieuten8nt's part in this N
stances. rs he had been told to keep
hands of IN 50 far as suspected places
were concerned. Three months att'"
EchtcrmeyCr had received such An order
said Mr.. LoGuc. they dug down ior
something TO get him. They charge
neglect Of duty when he did tire very
thing they told him to do.
Don't let us consider ourselves n
medium by which anything can be car
ried into effect that will rot bear
scrutiny and test Mr.. 1oguc added,
"Don't let us find that on October II.
1910. Echtermeyer was guilty Of neg "ct
of duty when the oath of Superintendent
of Police Robinson. Assistant Superin :
tsndent Mills and Echtcrmcyer Mm$c,.
tell YOU that he was not guilty.
Regarding the charge that EcntC".
meyer did not break un the houses III
question. Mr.. I4oguP said that Assistant
Superintendent Mills admitted th"re
was not sufficient evidence agamSt
them.
Regarding another sDrrifcation in
the case TO the effect that the houses
under fire continued in operation after
arrests had been made in the district
nv the vice squad. Mr.. iogue said Nc
did not believe that the person wco
drew up this specification was serious
about il.
at takes a great amount Of disto".
non, he NetlhEtu, ~ AZ '.'H"' w. ''''''
up a charge in the specification on a
truthful report
Mr.. Logue then read t." letters. cue
was from Assistant Superintendent
Mills to Echtermeyer requesting the
latter to furnish the names ot persons
in the district who could give tcsti-
mony regarding the questionable L"uses.
The second letter was from Echter :
meyer showing that hc had complied
with the request.
''I.et the police department aud the
men rest confident declared Mr..
Loguc. that when An order comes from
q superior il Is rot - }" trirh 20
get them out.
Lays Fault to Eciitermeyer
Harry Felix. counsel FOR the police
bureau. said that Echtewneyer should
have reported the houses in his dtstrirt
when the quarantine on them ha0 been
lifted by the vice squad.
Echtermeyer was also charged witd
failing to report the arrest and con
viction of Abraham SchwartI. former
patrolman.
Schwartz. who was in troubl" frc
quently. was dismissed last week. on
charges Of attacking Or. Samuel Nor
ris.
Mr.. LosuC said that q report Of the
Schwartz case had been made By the
former lieutenant. The records show.
he said. that Superintendent OF Police
Robinson found the report at the Sec
ond and Christian streets station and
that it bore Il stamp showing that il
had been received at City Hall.
In the case Of Louis Nubbemeyer, of
the Third and De Lanccy streets sta .
tion. charged with attacking n girl and
robbing a prisoner his counsel said he
would enter plea Of not guilty and
was granted leave to file written an
cunr 10 tho f,h0rpps