Evening star., 1925-06-24
D. c. POLICE ADMIT
WORK IN MARYLAND
Hill Again Writes Fenning
When BWIingame Tells
of Dry Chase.

Fuel has been added to the flames
In the controversy between Repre-
sentative John Phillip Hill of Mary
land and Commissioner Fenning of
the District over the alleged participa-
ton of District police officers in en-
forcing the dry law in Maryland. The
controversy, which has been marked
by three letters from Mr.. Hill and
one from Commissioner Fenning in
reply, sent before he left on his vaca-
tion, was enlivened yesterday when
Capt. Guy r. Burlingame of No. II
precinct took the stand in a Baltimore
liquor hearing and told United States
Commissioner Supplee how he and his
squad chased three carloads of boot
lesgers into Maryland last week.
They travelled for miles like an ex-
press train" he said, and only stopped
when the leading car turned over
a bend in the road, caught fire and
burned up.
They arrested Roland Brawner. col
ored, and seized whisky from the car
before ii was destroyed, he said.
we We're not invading Maryland" -"
Burlingame said, I'VE have enough to
do TO police Washington
Il had gone out there TO look over
the roads and pick out the routes the
boOtleggerS took.
The three cars flashed by us and
we gave chase. None of them had
lights and they travelled more than
go miles an hour"
500 Fine Imposed.
Rrawner was held for trial on a
charge of interfering with dry agents
based technically on the efforts of the
bootleggers to crowd the pursuers off
the road. Brawner later pleaded
guilty TO two charges of transporting
liquor on other occasions and was
fined 500 by Federal Judge Soper
Capt. Burlingame'S testimony led
Representative Hill to write his third
letter to Commissioner Fenning. in
which he requested that he be in
formed by what authority can any
of the members of the Washington
police force. maintained for service
exclusively within the District of Co.
lumhia, operate either in Maryland
or Virginia." ="
The letter follows:
I'm reply to Your letter of June 90
I wrote you yesterday asking certain
definite information about the report
that members of the metropolitan
Police Department of the District of
Columbia had come into the State of
Maryland to exercise local police func-
tions under the guise of Federal pro-
hihition agents.
Questions Evans Statement.
"a statement Of Mr.. Charles A
Evans. chief inspector Of the District
Of Columbia police, made today is to
the effect that the members of the
Washington police force, commissioned
as prohibition agents. have a right to
operate in the District. Virginia and
Maryland The members of the Dis
-,-ia = !, 10
of course. have a right to operate in
the District in all breaches of the Dis
trict or Federal laws appliable to
Washington
Il cannot. however. understand un-
der what legal theory members of the
Washington Police Department can
operate as prohibition agents in either
Virginia or Maryland. The statement
Of your chief inspector of police shows
that there are members of the Wash
ington police force who consider that
they have the right to operate outside
of the District.
Il desire to ask therefore, first by
what authority can any of the Wash
ingtOn police force, maintained for
services exclusively in the District of
Columbia, operate either in Virginia
0r Maryland, and second, how many
members of the Washington police
'orce does your chief inspector con-
slider to have such extraordinary
powers to operate in Virginia and
Maryland?
Hill Wants Action.
There exists in the minds of many
people at the present time an entire
confusion between the functions of the
District of Columbia government. act
ing as a local government, and the
powers of the Federal Government
itself. When | was United States Dis
trict Attorney it was very clearly un-
derstoOd in the Department of Justice
that the local police in Washington
had no authority to come into Nir-
ginia or Maryland under any preteXt
whatever, and / feel that this is of
vital Importance in the question of
proper enforcement of all law. Will
you kindly. therefore. give considera-
ton to the statements of your chief
inspector in answering my letter of
June 22?'
Mr.. Hills letter, quoted above, fol
lowed by one day another letter Sug-
Resting possible congressional action
If his first communication is not salts
factorily answered.
Reply Is Asked.
His second letter to Commissioner
Fennlng was as follows:
i Od 'i'iN iSt llit t1ltI you nave SlNell
out no information as to the number
Of members of the Police Department
who are engaged in enforcing the
liquor laws. I did not ask You for
such information, and am not inter
ested in such information. | assume
that the District police are engaged
in enforcing all laws of the District
including the prohibition laws.
What I asked you was whether
District police, appointed and paid as
officers of the local District of Colum
hia government, had been appointed
Federal dry agents and had come into
Maryland in connection with violations
in the State of Maryland of the Fed
eral prohibition laws.
Requests Answer.
Il note that you say that the Met
ropolitan Police Department, under
your direction. is endeavoring to the
best of it's ability to enforce the law
] do not doubt this and hope that ii
is entirely true, but I am distinctly
interested in whether or not any OF
the members of the Metropolitan Pc
lice Department have come into the
State of Maryland and assumed, as
members of the Metropolitan Police
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