Evening star., 1924-03-11
PROBE RUM CHARGE
|NSECRET SESSION
House Subcommittee Deter
mines Bootleg Story With
out Foundation.

In executive session this morning
the subcommittee of the House Dis
trict committee, which is investigaat-
ing carrying of firearms and boot
Logging in the District of Columbia,
when arrested several days ago with
n half gallon jug of liquor said he
was House office building employe
and had procured it for a member of
Congress. Police Sergt. Thomas 7.
Dalahouse, who arrested Dorsey, was
also witness.
After the hearing members of the
committee said that the testimony
showed that absolutely nothing had
been developed connecting any NOM
Der Of Congress or any employe Of the
House Office building with boot
Logging.
Michael J. Dowd. a precinct detec-
tive, testified as to the difficulty of
Enforcing the prohibition law in the
District, in that police officers are not
allowed to serve their own warrants.
but these warrants are issued on
complaint to the United States COM
that they are directed to the ONCE of
the prohibition unit for enforcement.
Attorney Simcnton, for the prihi-
bition unit, was also a witness, Mrs.
Frank L. Greene, wife of the Yer
mont senator who was shot down
near Pennsylvania avenue by a pro-
hlbitIoner, officer who was chasing an
alleged b0otlegger. will be q witness
at the hearing Saturday.
Have Stormy Clash.
The executive session followed a
stormy clash in the subcommittee
which is presided over by Represent
atiye Z. ". Gibson of Vermont Rep
resentative Beers, republican, of
Pennsylvania, said when Dorsey was
called as a witness that he did not
think the committee should develop
anything brought out in unguarded
testimony before subcommittee
which would reflect on members of
Congress or on conditions in the Ma
tional Capital. or that would interfere
with prohibition enforcement.
Representative GaSque, democrat
South Carolina, supported Mr.. Beers
in his argument. Representative
Texas, declared to the committee that
as soon as they stumbled across any
evidence which would do any good
an effort was Immediately made to
Sfdetrack II. lie SAID he didn't pro-
pose to sit in on any "whitewash'
committee, and started to walk out
of the meeting. He was called back
and compromised, saying that if the
subcommittee would develop testi-
mony without fear or favor he would
be willing to remain.
Letter From Sullivan.
Previously, Inspector W. S. Shelby
administrative assistant to the super
intendent of metropolitan police, read
a letter written by Maj. Sullivan to
the Commissioners, recommending
more drastic legislation restricting
the sale and carrying of firearms In
this it was emphasized that other
weapons were just as deadly and dan
gerous as pistols and revolvers.
Maj. Sullivan's letter showed that
during the past several years many
attempts had been made toward en-
actment of legislation dealing with
restriction of gun toting.
All of the bills introduced were too
limited in scope, he said, in that they
attempted to deal only with pistols
and revolverS. and made no effort to
restrict the sale and use of other equal
ly deadly and dangerous weapons.
During the calendar year 1923, there
were thirty homicides in the District,
n