The Washington times., 1921-07-12
COP MADE
ESCAPE IN
RUM RAID
lIeutenants Saw Policeman
Jump From Window-Sus-
pended Now, Gessford Says.

Information has been received by
officials of the police department
to the effect that Policeman ]. M.
Horton, a member of the depart
ment for eleven years, was seen
to leap from a window when a raid
was made on the home of George
Jason, colored. SO / street south
west, one night last week. Jason
was arrested and charged with sell
ing liquor. A few quarts of whis-
key were found at his home.
LIEUTENANTs SAW MAN LEAP.
When Lieutenants Stott and Emer-
son were about to enterf the colored
mans home, they saw some one leap
from a window. They gave chase, but
failed to capture the fugitive. One of
the lieutenants recognized the man as
Horton, and after the raid went TO his
home and suspended him. The fol
lowing day he reported TO Capt. George
II. Williams, commander of the Fourth
Precinct. and turned over his equip.
ment. Horton will have a hearing be.
fore the police trial board probably
next Saturday.
According to a high official of the
police department, the fact that Hor.
ton was on leave at the time of the
alleged offense does not In any way
excuse him.
"Once a policeman takes his oath to
uphold the law he is duty bound TO do
so. whether he Is on active duty or
not" the official said.
GIVES HORTON GOOD NAME.
Captain Williams said this morning
that Horton has a clear record dur.
ing the eleven years he has been
Oh the force. The captain also said
that he has been a faithful and ef.
flcient policeman so far as he knew.
Incidentally. Captain Williams said
this morning that the morale of the
men assigned to his precinct is ex.
oellent and that conditions in that
precinct are better than he has
known them in his thirty years sx-
perience.
Asked IL he had any knowledge
whether Precinct Detective o. w.
Mansfield and Policeman Thompson
engaged In a fistic fight in the station
house recently. the captain said the
matter had not been reported to him.
The rumor, however, that such an
occurrence took place is insistent and
emanated from a reliable source. II
is understood that an investigation is
10 be made by police officials.
GESSFORD DENIES FIGHT.
Major Harry l.. Gessford, chief of
police, denied all knowledge of the
alleged occurrence. Thompson IL
assigned to the duty Of running
down bootleggers and other offend
ers of the Volstead act in the Fourth
precinct Rumor also has Il that an
attempt to frame up" Thompson IL
being made by certain men in the
precinct.
It was freely admitted this morn
ing by Major Gessford that a pris-
oner escaped from the station house
although several policemen were in
the place at the time. The man WAS
arrested on the charge of being dis
orderly and when he was being
searched at the station house he
bolted and ran to the street. He
was closely pursued by several po-
licemen but succeeded in making a
getaway.
THEY'LL GET HIM YET-MAYBE.
The man is well-known to my
men," Major Gessford said this morn
ing. "It is only a matter of time
when he will he caught"
Captain Williams and the work
he has done In tho Fourth precinct
is highly praised not only by Major
Gessford, but by other high officials
of the department.
There Is certain unruly ele.
ment in the Fourth precinct which
gives us trouble now and then" the
major said, but on the whole we
are managing to suppress crime in
that section. I have no fault 10 find
with the way the precinct is being
managed"