Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-27
JURY CLEARS POLICE
CAR IN DEATH CRASH
WITH FIRE TRUCK
Continued from First Page.)

ment statute, the Volstead act, but are
the decent people of Washington and
the country going to indorse a crusade
| of official crime and murder in order
that bootlegger may be caught and
| his liquor dumped into the Potomac
or down the threats Of thirsty officials.
Is any law on our statute books in
violate per Sc? If law cannot stand
| on it's own feet, it cannot expect the
| public to support it. There is nothing
sanctimonious about Volsteadism. A
law, like the individual, must be sane
tilted through or because of its own
| truth. and l defy even the devout and
sanity DIR. Wheeler to establish the
truth of prohibition as it now operates.
"All the liquor in the District today,
and there is as much, If not more.
than there was before prohibition, is
not worth the life of Lieut.. Callahan,
dead by the hand of cruel ia
naticism.'
Happily, sane and healthy reac-
ton to crooked and corrupt enforce
ment is setting in all over the land.
Even our most ardent drys are thor
oughly disguised with present condi-
tons. I know at least 80 Senators
who are now prepared to vote for any
wise constructive modification of Vol
steadism.
LAX, inefficient and criminal law
enforcement today has builded it's
superstructure on corruption from
within the prohibition unit and not
wholly from the operation of bootleg.
gers, speakeasies, saloons and hi
jackers. There are just as many hi
jackers among our law enforcement
officials as there are among the crimi-
nails of our underworld, and when
this fact is Thoroughly impressed upon
the minds of the voters there will be
more respect for general law, even
if there is less enforcement of spe-
cific law.
Maj. Hesse may enforce prohibit
ton at the point of pistol and wildly
chase bootleggers from now to dooms-
day, but as long as private gin and
beer manufacturers are permitted to
carry on unmolested and speakeasies
and rum-peddling roof gardens are
winked at by both prohibition and
police officials, Volsteadism will re.
main the farcical joke that 1t now is
and innocent victims will continue to
| pay the penalty"
Conflict appears between the Police
and Fire Department versions of the
accident. F'iremen witnesses aver
they failed to hear any warnings
given whatever before the crash. No
sound of a siren reached them, they
say. The hose truck just a minute
or two before the accident had STOP
ped at the side of the road facing
southwark. while firemen sought the
location of the blaze. Then it started
to turn back northward as the site of
the fire was discovered. Just as the
turn was being completed in Bladens
burg road came the crash that hurled
Lieut.. Callahan more than 100 feet
to fatal injury. All this, say the fire.
| men, without warning.
Police, on the other hand, maintain
stanchly that 1oud-sounding sirens
| cut through the stiffness of the early
morning on the deserted road just be-
fore the crash, giving plenty of
| warning.
"Siren Wide Open"
Eve had the siren wide open for
more than a mile before the crash"
Sergt. George Little, in charge of the
police liquor squad, reported to Maj.
Hesse. I'VE were making plenty of
noise, giving the siren all we could"
Stunned by the blow Detailing the
| Fire Department, officials and pri-
Yates in the ranks united in perfect
ing arrangements for adequate repre-
sentation at the funeral tomorrow.
A verbal order or Suggestion"
went forth from fire Headquarters
| notifying the fireflghters it would be
deemed fitting il as many as con.
venlently can would participate in the
funeral services at Sacred Heart
| Church. Sixteenth street and Park
road, tomorrow morning at 9 O'Clock
and attend the burial at Arlington
| cemetery. Arrangements were be.
ing made today to have a section of
the church reserved for the firemen
| TO attend in body. None is or.
dered TO do SO, it was made clear, the
entire matter being placed as a vol.
untary show of respect for a depart.
| ed comrade.
Firemen will carry the BODY of
/ Lieut.. Callahan to the grave. Capt.
| Il. IL. Nohe and Pvt. l.. G. Perry of
| No rs Engine Company. to which the
lieutenant had been attached; Sergt
j. l.. Werheim and Pvt. r. l.. Hunt.
secretary and president, respectively.
OF the Firemen's Association, and
Sergt. D. j. Norton of No. Truck
Company and Pvt. w. L. Atkins of
No. % Engine Company, close friends
of the deceased, will be the pail.
bearers.
Military honors will be accorded at
the cemetery. A short funeral service
will be held at the residence of the
deceased, 527 Harvard street, prior to
the church services. At the Sacred
Heart Church requiem mass will be
| celebrated.