Evening star., 1925-03-12
ole RAID
IS AIRED AT TRIAL
Policeman Charged With
Neglect of Duty Is Praised
by Superiors.

An echo from the raid on the Better
ole. 1915 u street, on the night Of
February. sounded before the police
trial board at the sixth precinct to-
day, when Policeman @. l. Hellmuth
WAS placed on trial. charged with
neglect Of duty.
Defense Counsel Michael Maneum
attacked the specifications of the
charge as being so indefinite as to be
practically fatally deficient, but
Chairman Wahly ruled them, suf-
ficient in the eyes OF the trial board.
The mornings testimony was taken
up with character witnesses exclusive
ly from the Police Department., who
testified that Hellmuth was an exceY
lent officer, always alert and ready
to perform his dut". as far as they
knew.
Dry Agents Testify.
Prohibition agents who participated
In the raid, next called to the stand,
painted the scene prior to the raid
at the Better ole as being noisy"
and "boisterous." w. A. Heddons,
who with four other prohibition
agents participated in the raid. said
that the occupations OF the patrons
Of the club that night apparently con-
ing and drinking. BY 1880 o'clock
that night, Heddons continued, In
toxication of certain of the patrons
was very noticeable" bxsins his be-
lief he said. on the fact that some
staggered and acted sbnormally on
the dance hoor. He said he noticed
especially the way they danced.
heard conversations on the dance
floor, and smelled the odor of al
cohol on some of the men who were
dancing He added that there were
talking and singing. laughing and
whistling among the patrons, and
which he was endeavoring to obtain
some evidence.
Comparing the Better ole to other
clubs, Heddons said that the group
of IS or 30 patrons there on the night
of February were more bo.sterous
than he had found patrons at any of
the other cabarets. Lewis J. Tut
another prohibition agent who was
present that night, told of a CONVEX
sation with Hellmuth there before
the raid. He said that he knew He'll
muth well and had worked with him
previously. and that Hellmuth told
him that ne would not be able to
make a buy" there. since the patrons
were all nice people" He said he
saw flask and four other contain
ers of alleged intoxicants and noticed
six or eight persons evidently intoxi-
Gated, who were unsteady in their
dancing. He added that in so far as
he knew the Better ole was an in
corporated club, but that he had call
ed up and made reservations, OBJ
tanned card for admission, but when
entering the place that night the card
~
were asked. He said he saw others
also admitted without cards.
Policeman Is Praised.
Among the character witnesses
who testified for Hellmuth were
Capt r. +. Doyle, who declared him
an excellent officer; Capt. Plem-
mons of the twelfth precinct, who
said Hellmuth was las good a police
man as L ever saw; Sergt McGin-
Miss of the eighth precinct, who also
termed him an excellent officer. and
Sergt Burke of the eighth precinct,
who characterized Hellmuth as the
best all-around policeman" he had
seen in 22 years on the police force.
In opposing the charges as drawn
In the specifications, Attorney Man.
gum pointed out that none of them
alleged Heddons to have had knowI-
edge OF violation of the law on the
night of the raid, and said that the
board could no infer that Hellmuth
knew of the vioIations unless he was
so charged formally. He also said
that the charges against Hellmuth
did not state what law was violated.
nor who violated the law. but added
that there was no objection to con-
tinuing even under such a defective
instrument, because the respondent
wished to have the matter clear
ed up.
More than twenty witnesses remain
to testify. Among them is Mrs. Nina
Van Wrinkle, lieutenant of the wom-
ans Bureau, who was at the raid.
and others who were present that
night.
Divisional Chief of Prohibition
Agents Harry NJ. Luckett testified
briefly concerning the raid, stating
that he found soft drinks for sale at
the Better ole that night. but did
rot remember seeing very much food
on the tables. He said "a men and
women had been placed under arrest
as the result of that raid.