Evening star., 1928-03-15
GIBSON TO DROP
PROBE OF POLICE
Subcommittee Head Says In.
quiry viii Be Put Up to
Commissioners.

After hearing few witnesses who
already have been subpoenaed it will
be necessary for the Gibson subcom-
mittee Of the House District committee
to leave further inquiry into conditions
III the local police department to the
District Commissioners. Chairman Glib
son announced at the opening of the
hearing this nroning.
The committee. he said. hopes to have
its report completed by May /. and
finds itself too pressed for time to con-
tinue the exhaustive investigation of
police affairs. but 1t will turn its data
over to the Commissioners.
Following this announcement the COM
mittee went into executive session. with
Jerry Matthews. local attorney with
offices In the MunSey Building. appear
ing before 1t IN connection with a mat
ter OF alleged protection to gamblers.
over which much mystery was preserved
Mathews Remains Silent.
After leaving the room Mathews said
that he had promised to remain Silen.
about the affair until the committee
decided what action 1t can take.
TO furnish the names OF various clients
who claim TO have been defrauded ous
of considerable sums by the use q!
loaded dice at gambling establishment
near the District line in Maryland
which they claim has a measure of pro-
lection from both District and Mary
land officials.
Just before Mathews entered the
room William Ficklen. 1903 Ninth
street. testified as TO alleged lax en-
forcement of the prohibition laws in
the neighborhood of his home. where
he claims half-doZen bars are running
wide open. He said that he believed
they were Receiving police protection,
Il can buy half dozen bottles righ,
now" Ficklen told the committee.
After the testimony Of Mathews the
committee turned TO consideration Of
trafiic law enforcement III the District.
Explains Traffic Plan.
Thomas F, Murphy. member of the
staff of the Bureau Of Efficiency. who
has studied the traffic law system here
under the direction of the committee.
explained a plan evolved by the bureau
which he believed would be much more
efficient than that now In force
This plan included schedule OF
minimum fines assessed III Traffic Court
for minor otfenSeS. such as overtime
parking. which had been reviewed by
the judges, Murphy proposed that a
copy OF this schedule be tiled at each
precinct station and that the amount
Of collateral taken from each offender
be made to coincide with it,
AT the same time he proposed that
the policemen execute und oath an
affidavit concerning the otfenSe which
would be filed with the court. This,
he claimed. would do away with the
necessity OF the policemen appearing
i'll the corporation counSel's office and
swearing To an information against
each offender whose car he has ticketed
There has been frequent complaint. he
said, that policemen are kept of their
beats by the necessity of appearing iii
the corporation co,lnSsl'S Office and In
Traffic Court.
Is Fer Cent Are Minor Cases.
A check shows, Mr.. Murphy said.
that - per cent Of the traffic eases
are for minor oifenSes for which the
person charged merely deposits coll
lateral and does not appear i'll court.
lie urged that In cases where the Of
fender wished a court hearing he ap-
pear before the Judge and have deti~
mite date set fos the trial OF the case.
rather than waste the time Of HIM
self and his witnesses waiting around
for the case to be called
Mr, Murphy said that at the time of
his investigation there We're 10 900 out
standing warrants against persons who
had failed to appear In court and that
the Offenders had reasonable certain
" that the warrants never would he
served because OF lack of time Ry re-
lieving policemen from the necessity Of
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