The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-24
DETECTIVE
bUREAUH|T'
IN REPORT
Mrs. Van Wrinkle Shows She
Acted Under SulIivan's
Order in Girls Case.

Order in Girls Case.
Mrs. Nina c. Van Wrinkle. head
of Washington women's police,
appeared to be an easy victor to-
day following the tilt Yesterday,
when half a dozen high police Of
ficials and the District Commits
sioner in charge Of the Police
Department seemed bent on hav-
ing her suspended on charges of
characterization.
Cast in "Scrap."
Commissioner James F. Oyster,
Major Daniel Sullivan, Inspector
Charles A. Evans, Night Chief Of
Detectives Fred Cornwell and sew
eral others mixed in the scrap over
whether Mrs. Van Wrinkle. lieuten-
ant of police in charge of the
House of Detention, had disobeyed
orders Of her superior.
The orders in question involved
the release of two girls, fourteen
and sixteen years old, respectively,
from the house to the custody OF
their fathers who had come from
Brooklyn. N. Y. to get them.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle today trans
mitted to Major Sullivan a written
report setting forth her views In
the matter. :,
After the smoke Of battle had
cleared today, 1t developed that Mrs.
Van Wrinkle had disobeyed the spe-
cific orders Of no one.
Report Summarized.
Here IL in brief a statement of the
case as taken from written reports
to Major Sullivan and Commissioner
Oyster:
The two girls were taken to the
house Of detention at 1880 o'clock
yesterday morning by two headquar-
tiers detectives. Shortly after s
o'clock their fathers arrived to claim
them.
Mrs. Edna johnson, night super
intendent of the house Of detention.
declined to release them, after being
ordered to do 30 by Night Chief of
Detectives Cornwell.
Cornwell appealed TO Inspector
Evans, who has general supervision
over the House If Detention.
Mrs. johnson was called again
and told that Inspector Evans had
ordered the release OF the girls.
Mrs. Van Winlsle Was called by
Mrs. johnson over the telephone.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle told her to hold
the girls until she Mrs. Van
Winkie) could communicate with
Inspector Evans.
Following Sullivan's Orders.
Calling Inspector Evans over the
telephone, Mrs. Van Wrinkle called
his attention to the fact that she
was acting under an order from
Major Sullivan. promulgated March
i, In which he placed her In charge
Of the Police Bureau Of Missing
Persons, and that she did not feel
tho girls should be released until
she had talked with their parents,
had seen the girls herself and given
them clothing.
',fIe inspector EvanS gave me
NO instructions" Mrs. Van Wrinkles
report to Major Sullivan says.
This office Is here to be helpful
to these girls and not to handle
them like so much baggage" the re-
port continues.
The father Of one of the girls,
Mrs. Van Wrinkle reported, demon
strated his willingness to cooperate,
but the father of the other con-
tinued to be insulting in his remarks
and attitude.
Inspector Evans asked Mrs. Van
Wrinkle to see him as soon as she
came downtown. She says she
called her car, came to the House
of Detention as carly as possible,
had the girls prepared for the jour
ney home, placed them in her own
automobile and sent the girls and
their parents to the Union Station.
Accuses Detective Bureau.
"All of this inharmony was in
cited by the detective bureau" says
Mrs. Van Wrinkles report.
The policewoman chief further
"details in her report how, when a
girl. was released last week "by
orders Of the force" She escaped
her aunt Is appealing to the police
to locate her.
IT regard our work here as
sacred trust; we are stewards for
the people and as such we intend
to stand for what we believe to be
for the best interest of girls COM
mitted to our care" Mrs. Van
Wrinkle declared.
This Is not a question Of We
tacity, IT is a question of principle"
she added.
May Settle Differences.
The late rift In the department
and the subsequent investigation
probably will result in settling once
for all just how far the detective bu.
reau can go In giving orders at
the House Of Detention.
Mrs. Van Wrinkle declared that but
for the agitation Of the detective bu-
reau yesterdays affair would have
been settled and the girls would have
been returned to their homes with.
out publicity. These sort of cases,
she said, are being handled daily, and
20 long as the detective bureau does
not interfere, they are handled to
the satisfaction of both the girls in
Volved and their parents or guar
dams.
There was no indication today
from either Commissioner Oyster or
Major Sullivan that Mrs. Van Wrinkle
would either be suspended or repri-
handed.
Benefit Film Tomorrow.
Tho aecopd Of the Rova' Cluh