Evening star., 1923-12-06
Ruby, Packard, Fowler, Ev.
ans and Estes Accused of
"Unbecoming Conduct"
FIRST THREE HAD BEEN
SUSPENDED ALREADY
Companions Involved During In.
quiry Into Accusations Made
by Police.
Five prohibition agents attached 10

the Washington office-Ralph f.
Ruby. Clark II. Packard, George
Fowler. jr.. Linton S. Evans and
Joseph Fl. Estes-today were dis
missed from the prohibition unit by
! Commissioner OF Internal Revenue
Blair for conduct unbecoming a gov
ernment officer"
| The dismissals included three agents
Ruby, Packard and Fowler, against
! whom charges of irregularity had
been made by the Metropolitan police.
and two additional men. Linton S. Ev-
/ ans, son of Detective Sergeant Harry
Evans Of the Metropolitan police, and
Joseph II. Estes, against whom evil
dence was discovered in investigat-
! ing the first three.
Disnissals of Ruby, Packard and
Fowler follow their suspensions in
| October. and are effective as of the
date of their Observation-Disclosures
| and Ruby on October 4, and Packard
| on october Is. Evans and Estes dis
| missals are effective yesterday
December 5.
Blair Announces Move.
Announcement by Commissioner
Blair was made in one brief para
graph of few words, which gave as
the only reason for separation from
the services conduct unbecoming
government officer"
Action favorable to or dismissins
| them had been expected in the cases
| of Ruby. Packard and Fowler, but
| the additional dismissaIs of Evans
icfi
prise, as 1t was not generally known
| that these two agents were being in
vestigated.
Commissioner Blair acted upon the
chief of the special intelligence unit
| internal revenue bureau, who has
been thoroughly going into the sit
uation, not only as relates to the
also all clues, leading away from:
such charges.
| No further action by the govern
ment against the FIVE men dismissed
said today at the Treasury, but 1t was
definitely made known that the investi-
| cation will Continue"
| Police Exonerated.
| What direction the investigation
will take from now on was not in
dicated. The fight between certain
members of the local prohibition
forces and the police led to charges
and countercharges. and to exonera-
tion of the police from charges made
against them by the prohibition
| agents.
| Asked If further investigation by
the government into the cases meant
| a possibility that the dismissed
agents might be arrested and arraigned,
i 1K,re - nr,-a. ill
Neither was there any indication
as to whether the investigation might
be driving against more members
of the Metropolitan police, against
whom prohibition agents made coun-
ter charges.
Evans Ranked High.
| Linton s. Evans, one of the dismiss
ed agents, was formerly assistant
| chief of the fourth division, general
prohibition agents, in this city and
at one time, during the absence OF
the chief. he was acting chief, in
charge of the entire division. Later
he was transferred TO Baltimore, but
within the past few days had been
ordered back to Washington. At that
time 1t was Officially said he had been
ordered back here for a new assign
ment."
| Dismissal of the five prohibition
agents here brings to climax one OF
| the most spirited and bitter fights in
local law enforcement circles since
the advent of prohibition.
The controversy began simnerinE
months ago, and for a long time was
kept under cover. although 1t was
| known by those close to both the
police and TO the prohibition agents
that there was bad feeling.
In the last week of September the
storm broke with a communication
from Commissioner oyster to Prohi-
bition Commissioner Haynes attack
ing the prohibition agents and charg-
ling them with serious irregularities.
| At the office of Commissioner Blair
it.was said that the commissioner had
no comment to make on the state
ment.
Prohibition Commissioner Haynes
was in his office today, but II was
said that he was tied up lin confer
ence' all morning, and probably
| would not want to discuss the dis
missal OF the prohibition agents, any
way.
Text of BIair's Statement.
The full text of Commissioner
BIair's statement today in announcing
dismissal of the agents is as follows:
ION recommendation Of Elmer L.
| Trey, CHicl VI lHc SPCSIni ihlCiiSOhSO
unit, Commissioner of Internal Reeve
nue. David H. Blair today dismissed
from the service of the prohibition
unit Prohibition Agents Clark IL,
Packard, Ralph f. Ruby, George Fow-
ler, jr.; Linton S. Evans and Joseph
H. Estes, all of whom were assigned
to the Washington, d. c., offices. The
dIsmissals of Ruby, Fowler and Pack
ard follow their suspensions early In
october as the result of an investiga-
ton made by the special intelligence
unit Of charges against them prefer
red by the metropolitan police depart
ment. Their dismissals are effective
as of the date of their suspensions
/ Fowler and Ruby on October ( and
Packard on october Is.
| aIn the course of the investigation.
| evidence was discovered which led
also to recommendation for the dis
missals of Evans and Estes, which
are effective December 5. Tine gen
eral. charge. against the revenue
agents is conduct unbeconing a gov
ernment officer.
Oyster Is Pleased.
Commissioner oyster today eA-
pressed qualification over the thor
l