Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-14
NEW TRIAL BOARD
T CLEARS OFFICERS
Dismisses Charges of Neg
T Iect Against Lieutenant
and Sergeant.

The new police trial board, sitting
today at the sixth precinct for the first
time, heard evidence against private
charged with intoXication and a lieu
tenant and a sergeant charged with
neglect Of duty
! Lieut.. j. E. Bowers and Sergt J. r.
Hood, both of the thirteenth precinct,
were alleged to have failed to arrest
Policeman j. H. Turner on August IL,
Fwhen. it was said. they found him in an
Intoxicated condition in an automobile
IL the mud at Third and Quackenbos
streets The board dismissed the
Echarges upon motion nf Attorney Der.
trand Emerson, jr.. who represented the
two officers.
Turner was convicted by the board
about month ago.
Evidence Insufficient.
Attorney Emerson pointed out that
the prosecution introduced no evidence
that Turner was drunk at the place
alleged, and that their own witness,
Police Surgeon N. H. r. Brandenburg,
testified that Turner's conditions could
mot be noticed by any one passing on
the street unless particular attention
was paid to him.
Policeman w. F. Fey of the ninth
precinct was accused of being intoXi-
Icated while on duty and failing to con-
lstantlv patrol his beat on the evening
of September 3. He was suspended at
that time b. Acting Lieut. Colman r.
Brown.
Sergt. j. S. Johnston testified that
he waited for Fey on his beat about so
minutes. and then, when the officer
failed to appear, left word at the sta
ton house for Fey to meet him at a
patrol box at Third and G streets north
least. Another SIS minutes elapsed, he
said, and then he communicated with
Acting Lieut.. Brown and requested him
TO come to the patrol box. According to
the testomony of both officers, Fey
reached the box sometime later. He was
escorted to the station, where he was
Intercepted by Acting Lieut.. Brown
and suspended.
1t was brought out by the testimony
of both Fey and the accusing officers
that Fey had requested that a doctor be
summoned to examine him, but that no
physician could be reached.
Testimony Conflicts.
Both Brown and Johnston told the
board that they smelled liquor on Fey's
breath. Several witnesses were pro-
duced py the defense, however, who tes-
titled that the officer was not drunk at
the time and no odor of alcohol was
about his person.
Fey explained that the reason he did
not meet Sergt. Johnston was that he
was investigating an alleged alterca-
ton in the neighborhood and that he
misunderstood the instructions to him
from the station house.
The case of Policeman Frederick
Schenck of the sixth precinct, charged
with conduct unbecoming an officer, was
slated to be heard by the board this
afternoon.
At the session today the board was
composed of Inspector Louis j. Stoll,
who acted as chairman, and CaptS.
Thaddeus Bean and Guy E. Burlingame.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Walter L.
Fowler appeared in the role of prose-
cutor.
Three Dismissals Urged.
Three policemen were recommended
for dismissal from the force by the old
board at its last regular session yes
terday All three officers were con-
victed on charges Of intoxication and
one on additional charges of assault and
using profane language.
All leftover business of the board
was cleared up with the exception of
the case of Policeman Edward M. Tay-
Tor, accused Of hijacking a truckload
of liquor on December Is.
Those dismissed from the force were
Policemen James H. Wood of the ninth
precinct. Joseph E. Mullen of the sew
enth precinct and Lawrence G.. Miller
Of the fourth precinct. Charges against
Policeman E. w. Daniels of the fourth
precinct and Policewoman Helen SIAM
berger of the Woman's Bureau. were
dropped because of insufficient evidence
Policeman Wood was found guilty on
charges of being intoxicated on August
% and with driving an automobile
while in such a condition and having a
collision. The decision of the board was
reached despite the testimony of DR..
Thomas E. Mattingly, who examined
Wood. that the officer was suffering from
an overdose of headache drug and was
not drunk
Convicted of Assault.
Policeman Miller was convicted on
charges of assaulting brother officer,
being intoxicated and using profane Ian
guage. The three offenses are said to
have occurred on different dates. Mil
Ter, in the hearing of the assault
charge, said that he acted in self-de-
tense.
Mullen was convicted of having been
intoxicated on the early morning of
August 8 and of assaulting Sedgewick
Pearson, colored, of 2610 P street. Null
len was found when the patrol wagon
arrived, it was testified, on the ground
WITH Pearson standing over him with
me officers baton in his hand.