Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-21
.HESSE BACKS Use
Of PAID |NFORMERS
Holds Offering of Rewards
Aids Police in Enforcement
of Many Laws.

Use of paid ''informerS" in obtaining
evidence against liquor law violators
was vigorously defended today by
Mai. Edwin E. Hesse, superintendent
of police, with whom members or the
district attorneys staff have requested
a conference next Wednesday to dis
cuss the situation growing out of the
campaign conducted by the Citizens
Service Association.
AS a result of the confessions of
Charles D. Davis and Jesse D. Hall.
dry squad informers who pleaded
guilty to perjury in presenting evi.
dence in a case, the District attorneys
office will put up squarely to the Po-
lice Department, it is understood. the
question of eliminating paid inform
ers in such work.
Dissension Is F0reseen.
1T don't see why an exception should
be made in liquor cases." Maj. Hesse
declared today, "when the Police De-
partment offers rewards for informa-
ton leading to the arrest of other law
violators" Just because false in
formation is sometimes turned over,
Maj. HesSe believes, is no reason why
the policy of using paid informers,
which has been followed a long time,
should be dropped in view of the pres
ent situation.
1t was evident that the question,
when 1t comes up at the conference,
will find the district attorneys office
and the Police Department on opposite
sides of the fence. Maj. Hesse, while
opposed to elimination Of the paid in
former in police work, nevertheless be-
lieves that every effort should be made
to maintain sharp lookout for agents
who might try to frame up" evidence.
The conference with Maj. Hesse was
requested by Raymond Neudecker, and
it is understood that the District at
torney'S office also will be represented
by Capt Harold circuit and Davis A.
Hart. A serious situation has resulted
from the false evidence turned in by
the two dry squad informers, as a re.
suit of which is is possible that a score
Of cases based solely on evidence OBJ
tanned by the pair will be nolle posed
as soon as the District attorneys Office
can review them.
IL Cases Postponed.
Twelve cases of alleged violations
Of the liquor laws scheduled for trial
yesterday were postponed at the re.
quest OF Maj. Peyton Gordon, United
States District Attorney, because evil
dence against those accused was
obtained by Davis and Hall. Mean
while, Maj Gordon's staff was busy
today examining evidence of about 80
other cases worked up by the two dry
informers, but no further step was
taken today to drop any Of these.
In the opinion of Maj. Hesse 1t
would be great mistake to eliminate
the paid informer in police work,
since the rewards offered for informa-
ton have been helpful in the past in
tracking down criminals.
"a law Is a law" he added land IL
the police pay for information leading
to the arrest Of one class of criminals,
there Is no reason to exclude the en-
ployment of such methods in detect
ing liquor law violators." He declared
that it is customary to pay rewards
for bringing about the arrest of auto
lists who violate the traffic regulations.
G. G.. Hinckley. secretary of the AS
ISOLATION Against the Prohibition
Amendment, in commenting on the
situation, issued the following state.
ment:
predicted Difficulties"
1--WE predicted at the organization of
the Citizens Service Association that
they would get themselves in bad
Here are these great moral reformers,
who were going to make Washington
a paradise by the use of informers,
disowning a man they previously
claimed as one of their own. There
is no calling so despicable as that of
an informer.
Their willingness to use informers
and to encourage decent citizens to
become spys Is evidence of one of
two things--they are either childishly
ignorant of the requirements of good
citizenship or they know that prohibit
ton is a lost cause. which requires
terrorist methods for even a pretense