Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-11
POLICE INQUIRY
TO OPEN THIS WEEK
Commissioners Expect to
Start Investigation of
Charge Against Hesse.

The District Commissioners are ex-
pected to begin their proposed inveSti-
CATION this week into the charges OF
Representative Blanton against the
Police Department and Maj Edwin Z.
Hcsse. superintendent.
The inquiry has been delayed thus far
because Of the desire Of the Commits
Sioners to have q complete transcript
Of all testimony before the Gibson Suo-
committee Of the House District COM
i.ittee' which has q bearing On Blan-
tons accusations. The committee al
ready has furnished the Commissioners
With transcript Of the testimony at
the hearing when NJ B!anton first mn
ioosed his attack CT the Police Depart
r.ens. but no additional information has
been received, although the committee
has held several subsequent hearings.
Discuss Charges Briefly.
The Commissioners discussed the
B!anton charges briefly at a board
meeting yesterday. BIZ: decided on no
course of action for their investigation.
It IS vet undetermined whether TO give
Mai. EeSSe hearing or allow him 10
writing
Edward Milton Taylor. suspended
police Officer, from n, witness stand
Yesterday met charges Of hi-jacking
liquor from tru,S on the morning of
Decenh,1 i6 last in thu vicinity Of
Maryland avenue and Fourteenth stree:
northeast with stoat t;c;ia;s 81 the
police trial board hearing. He dis
Claimed 81 knowledge Of the episode.
The board set Thursday foc continue
ton Of the ease, which VIII include re-
bQttal ana closing arguments O.!
counsel.
The beard spent the day listening to
an array Of witnesses with the prosecu-
ton presenting a picture OF Taylor's
blush green" roadster CT coupe halt
ing the rum-runnins truck under the
command of two colored men inbound
from Philadelphia and ordering them
20 reveal the secret Of the hidden COM
partment where the alleged liquor was
repoSing. The defense depicted Taylor
as q man who had baen injured In the
line OF duty and confined to His home
bv Sprained ankle al the time of the
alleged hi-jacking and produced wit
nesSes Of his own household 10 swear
that TAYLOR had not left his home dur
ing that period and that IT would not
have been physically possible for him
TO do so.
Three Refuse TO Talk.
The interesting spot OF the proceed
tngs was when Joseph Bowiding, coll
ored. Of 1906 c street southeast, one of
the prosecutions star witnesses, gazed
haltlngly around the rom for some
time and fixed his gaze on Taylor. who
sat few feet away. as the man who
t1s 10
and his companion had in charge for
the Christmas market.
The spotlight Of interest again flick
ere1 brightly, when George Jacobson,
Jack Rubin and Louis Butler. who are
accused OF violating the National pro-
hioitlon act, each took the stand In turn
and standing on his Constitutional
rights declined even to give his address,
on the ground that ii mipht tend to
inc-iminate him. Their attorney. E.
Russell Kelly, supported them in their
position.
At the outset. the board ruled that
SIX character witnesses for Taylor would
De sufficient, although his attorney,
Joseph Solomon. later had the record
Snow that five other character witnesses
who were ready 70 testify for his client
we're excused by the boards authority.
ne prosecution was in the hands of
Assistant Corporation Counsel Edward
". Thomas and Inspector Albert J
heacIey OF the Police Department sat
et his elbow.
Dr.. Eugene Barr was the first witness
called. testlfying that he treated TAYLOR
about December Is for a sprained left
ankle He said that Taylor reported
oack 70 the clinic at intervals and that
Lse oIacer nao hobbled in and out of
.ae Once. In answer TO query from
TIE prosecution, he conceded that II
would not be impossible TO operate an
automobile IN his condition.
Of Daniel L. Borden. police surgeon
Nsslned that he remembered the treat
men u Taylor only through the
records. as there are 30 or 20 a day re-
porting al his ONCE. He said that he
certainly saw Taylor and made the
ciagnos.s.
Repeats Former Story.
bo"loing gave substantially the same
testimony he gave before the Gibson
subcommittee, charging TavIor had
stopped the truck in which he vas
rang along Bladensburg road down
MARYLAND avenue 10 Fourteenth street
d O'Clock in the morning. Taylor, he
SAID. dressed in police uniform, had
swung MS car across the trucks path
1stA VoAU Inn SEc MS companion IL
,fef had any regard for their families
en0 future they had better nun and
scc<2 that he could not run very fast
ms, TIE witness said. Taylor had done
e:ET asking the colored men 10 omen
np the secret compartment. and had
taken cans that sn1eiied Ike alcohol"
from 1t. He denied some one had
pointed Taylor out 10 him al the last
tine Taylor's case Was called.
Harry Norris, colored, Of 4s Florida
avenue, readily identified TAYLOR In the
Nearing room rs the man who had
helc Up ihe truck and his testimony
corFoooyated that Of his companion OF,
me Truck He told Of picking Taylor
c1t a. No police precinct station
house from group Of policemen. On
cfoSS~ezannlnatiou Norris said he was
SHOWN q picture before he went inc the
room u identify Taylor and declared
aEaat ne never saw Taylor between De-
cfnoeF 10 and January Is In no. 4
precinct
Ernest Blrkhalter Of 1917 stree,
Ey1theast. VINO said he was the owner
81 ne truck IN question. explained that
ne Huck RAG false front behind the
Gf1fers seat. He conceded that 10
TIPS !lac been mace with the "whisky
.fAck aac that speclai body had
been h4!It for $500 and that sI7s was
ne price received for bringing down q
truck load CT booze.
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