Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-20
Commissioners Expected to
Adopt Recommendation of
Traffic Aides:
ACTION DUE TOMORROW
TO CHECK "DEATH CARS"
Legislative Help by Congress to
Cope With Situation Likely
to Be Asked.

OF traffic criminality in Washington
was taken this afternoon when thr
Commissioners traffic board met ana
took Immediate action on Il recon
mendation of its legal member thai
the fine for fleeing the scenes of an
accident he raised from $40 to $500.
Suspending its regular routine So
that attention could be given to the
pressing "death-car' situation, the
board not only approved the recon-
mendation of Assistant Corporation
Counsel Ringcold Hart that the per-
atty BE- raised, but adopted. IL is
understood. a specific tentative amend
meut to the present traffic reguls
tions. so that the board Of District
Commissioners may act at once o..
II, at its meeting tomorrow.
Whole Board Approves.
While Maj. w. H. Holcombe, chair
man Of the Traffic Board. refused &
mako public the exact wording of til
proposed regulation, il was Indicated
that il would incorporate the sugges-
tious made by Mr.. Hart in q formal
letter I" Maj. Holcombe. The tenta-
tive amendment was drawn UP by NJ.
Hart.
whole board, cunsiSting OF Maj. Hol
combe. Mr. Hart and Inspector Alber.
j. Hcadlcy, il charge of the Traiiis'
Bureau. The regular business before
the board today was location of hack
ing stands. but. because OF the seri-
Gus nature of the traffic murder
wave that has shocked the city. th"
members agreed to suspend the regU-
lar order.
That the Commissioners Will lose
no time in adopting the new regula-
tion was assured today by their con
current announcement that they were
heartily IN favor Of taking the most
drastic steps that the law Will pey
nit.
See Need of Drastic Rule.
Commissioners Oyster. Rudolph and
Bell agreed that the traffic situation
! In Washington called for drastic ac-
tion and announced their Willingness
TO take any steps recommended by
/ the Traffic Board.
Under the present regulations Il
traffic criminal viz. a driver who
speeds away after running down p
pedestrian or eolliding with another
car. can be fined a maximum of onll
$40 for fleeing from the scene. The
$40 limit has had the advantage
from demanding a trial by jury, as
he could do Were the fine $50 or more
No Jail sentence can be imposed
under the present law. according TO
an opinion bv Assistant Corporation
q Counsel Hart. In his letter to Chair
man Hoicombe Mr.. Hart pointed this
fact out and said that he favored
asking Congress for a new law mar
ing a Jail sentence possible in sucIt
M Jn1 CT aft
the boards action today that the mat
ter of urging Congress for new and
more adequate laws to cope with
present conditions was one fer tne
Commissioners to take up. Il Is be
/ lieved the Traffic Board will recon-
mend to the Commissioners that a.
appeal be made to Congress Tor leg
islative aid.
The startling conditions existing in
the courts as n result of the con
ttnuous demand of traffic violators
for jury trials was brought forcibly
to the attention of officials today
when it was learned that. although
cases are piling up daily with great
rapidity only one afternoon a week
is available for their trial by jury
Routine Cases Delay.
; While two of the four days set
aside for jury trials each week are
supposed to be devoted to District.
of Columbia cases. the large number
of liquor law violations has led to
! the District foregoing one of its days,
giving federal cases three days for
! Jury trials. The one day now occu
! pied with District cases cannot be
used wholly for jury trials, however.
as routine cases must be disposed OF
! first.
; Thus there is, in actuality, but a
| few hours that can be devoted each
week to the trial Of traffic
! criminals" and as one case often
that the headway made in the courts
into its large docket of traffic cases
; in which defendants demand jury
J trials is almost negligible.
; This state OF affairs was verified to-
day by Assistant Corporation Counsel
Hart. who has had long experience
with the Police Court through his
+; former assignment there as a prose
cutor
Sees Matter Grave.
This stagnation of the docket il
serious traffic cases is a grave mat
ter, to which careful consideration
must be given" Mr.. Hart stated. "It
Is a forceful argument in favor Of
| the agitation for another Judge to as
sist in the disposal of these cases"
/ While the precinct forces of tha
police department were out today to
protect the public from other reck
less drivers, virtually the entire de-
tective personnel, under Inspector
Clifford l.. Grant. was continuing its
! widespread hunt for the four death
car drivers stiT at large. They are
seeking the traffic murderers" Of Miss
Margaret Hefiin, DR.. William A.
| Pethel. Joseph Powell and William
T. Riley, all of whom were struck
down by speeding cars whose drivers
failed to bring them to halt
Detectives did, however. succeed in
| Identifying the driver of the truck
which knocked down ]. L. Richardson
| of 312S p street, at Vermont avenue
| and X street, and which continued on
| it's way after the driver Is said by
| witnesses to have glanced back at the
| PROSTATE form of the victim. Head
| quarters Detective James Springmann
| located him through Virginia taS
| number taken down by 4 spectator,
and last night he went to Mclean
Va, and conferred with the drivers
| attorney. John C. Mackall. The name
| ~ he drivar 1yhn In a houf