The Washington herald., 1922-11-30
CROOKED BOND
PROBE DRAWS
NEW EVIDENCE
Lawyers Ready to Present De-
tailed Reports to Help Po-
Iioe Court Judges In Work
TELL OF LOST BUSINESS
Charges Of colIusion Between
Police, Bondsmen and At
torneys Now More Numerous

There will be no lack of evil
dence that certain policemen, de-
tectiyes and professional bonds
men are acting in collusion to
obtain bonds and counsel for
persons arrested when the judges
Of the Police Court begin their
executive session next Tuesday
night for a special investigation.
Complaints are coming fast When
the Police Court building opened
yesterday the general conversation
turned to the complaint made by
Attorney Royal A. Hughes about
the unlawful activities OF the police
and bondsmen.
LAWYERS" NO MORE.
One direct result of the COM
plant is that the bondsmen have
already been deprived OF one Of
their most important "privileges"-
that of passing themselves off as
lawyers and collecting two fees In
stead of one. They do not try this
in open court, but practice IL on
ignorant and unsuspecting prisoners.
Assistant District Attorney Frank
]. Kelly, who is in charge of the
prosecution OF alleged bootleggers,
has barred the bondsmen from his
office and will now consult only
with bona fide attorneys.
ATTORNEY DISGUSTED.
Kelly assigned no reason for his
action toward the bondsmen, but
those whose business compels them
10 be at the courthouse constantly
understand that he has become
alarmed and disgusted.
Proof that the bondsnen will not
stop their practices until they are
brought before the court on charges
wns had yesterday when one well
known bondsman. who suspected
that one of his clients. an alleged
bootlegger. had Jumped his bond,
proposed 10 the attorney for this
defendant that a brother of the
missing man pose as the real culprit
when the case came up for ar
raignment. This missing> defendant
u out on bond totaling 80, 500 on
TWO charges. This trick would saw.
the bondsman $4,000 as the court
would declare this amount forfeited
il the missing man failed to ap-
near when called. The attorney
promptly declined to enter into such
an arrangement
NEW COMPLAINTS MADE.
Several new types Of complaints
were voiced yesterday One IS that
certain policemen often deliberately
refuse to allow a person arrested to
telephone for his own attorney. BY
holding the arrested person incom-
municado, it is alleged, the police
are able to throw business to ia
N-orifa hopdSu1PO
ANOTHER complaint is that certain
lawyers are in alliance with the sus-
pected bondsmen.
SHOW FAyORITISM.
One lawyer well known about the
Police Court told a Washington
Herald reporter yesterday that only
the steadfast loyalty Of several or
his old clients who were arrested
last week prevepted another lawyer
from being forced on these clients
by a bondsnan.
This lawyer claims that the police
refused the request of these men to
telephone to him, informing them
that all they needed was a bondsnan.
who would attend to their cases.
Afr being held twelve hours. II is
claimed. the police sent for a bonds
man with whom they had an ALI
ance. The prisoners refused to ac-
cept the attorney suggested and
finally secured their own lawyer.
FREE CIGARS FEWER
One sure result Of the newspaper
expose of the bondsmen Is that GER
tain of these individuals, who al
ways distribute about a box OF
cigars daily. appeared at court yes
terday with empty pockets. Not
cigar was handed TO any one so far
as could be observed.