Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-11
Suspended Officer Takes
Stand After Pleading Not
Guilty to INSTRUMENTATION.
GIVES SKETCH OF HIS 40
YEARS IN CITYS SERVICE
Defense Declares Intent to Be Dis
respectful Was Not Shown in
Letter to Major.

Capt. Robert E. Doyle, suspended
commander of the eighth precinct
took the witness stand in his own de-
fense at his trial this afternoon before
q police trial board to answer the
charges of inSubordination and disre-
spect to a superior officer preferred by
Mai. Henry G. Pratt, superintendent OF
police, because of his outspoken de-
fense of Policeman Robert j. Allen.
The veteran police oficer sketched
briefly his nearly 40 years of service on
the police force and his enviable rec
ord. which only once in this period has
been officially blemiShed. That was
back in 1892, when he was fined SIS by
q police trial board for eating a sand
wich in lunchroom in violation OF
police rules.
Capt. Doyle also related the sundry
details leading up to his report TO MAJ
Pratt in defense of Allen and pointed
out that when he submitted the docu-
ment personally to the superintendent
of police he told him that he meant no
disrespect to him or the department
Moreover, the accused ofhcer said ne
does not now mean any disrespect To
Mai. Pratt or the department he rep
resents and never intends to be dis
respectful.
Capt. Doyle lost his first skirnish with
the trial board, when it refused to en-
tertain a motion to dismiss the charges
against him.
Denies DiSrespect.
The veteran police officer made the
move to have the charges dropped
shortly after his trial began. Most OF
the morning session was taken up with
arguments between his counsel and
Robert e. Lynch, assistant corporation
counsel and trial board prosecutor, over
the motion. The trial board. however,
ruled at the conclusion OF the discus
sion that a prima facia case had been
made by the prosecution and that the
charges could not be dismissed.
The motion for dismissal was mace
by Doyle's attorneys, Chapman ".
Fowler and T. Morris Wampler, on the
ground that the police oficer meant no
to the defense of Policeman Robert j.
Allen for threatening to investigate the
United states attorneys office tor al
legged failure to prosecute an lmVeSt-
ment broker indicted more than yeaI
ago. The defense cited various legal
decisions to support a contentlon tnat
intent to be disreSpectful Shouiu ps
shown before Doyle could be prosecuted
on such charge, although their cIent
admitted that he had no such purpose
in mind when he wrote MAJ. Pratt
THE prosecution countered with an
argument that the Police Trial Board Is
not q court, but disciplinary body
Call Character witnesses.
Cant. DOYLE rested his fate in the
game three police officers who last week
convicted Policeman Allen and SEN
fenced him to be dismissed from tne
force. Although the accused of1lcer mao
the choice of selecting half dozen
other officers, he announced at the OUT
set of his trial that the same board
which tried Allen was acceptable to him
This board is composed OF Inspector
Louis ]. Stoll and Capt. Charles T. Peck
of the eleventh precinct and G. z. M
Lord of the thirteenth precinct.
Capt. Doyle showed no visible signs
of nervousness when he faced the trial
board and entered plea OF not gulity
to the charge that he had been IN
subordinate because Of his support OF
Policeman Allen. Stripped OF his
uniform for the first time in 40 years,
the accused officer wore natty blue
thin-striped suit and appeared uncom-
Portable in it.
An amusing incident was statement
bv Attorney Wampler in referring 10
Doyle's report to Maj. Pratt, on which
INSTRUMENTATION charges were baSeo,
that the police superintendent had
asked for something and he got IL.
Capt. Doyle cannot be disrespectful 1or
doing what he was asked to DO"
WampIer Scores Allen.
"When the superintendent of police
asks a man to comment does he mean
false conment?" asked Attorney Wamp-
Ter. capt. Doyle found himself In a
situation not to be enyied by anSpooy;
He knew the dismissal OF Allen mao
heen recommended--and I agree that
II should have been recommended. Capt.
Doyie was I'D against a proposition OF
Inhurdening his mind or WhlteWaSnlng
the matter in a perfunctory manner. :,
ssIt took a red-blooded man--lt tooK
n man of courage to face the pubic
and say what he really thought abou'
that bag of wind-Allen. Capt. Doyle
said what was IN ms mino Tegs.oIesS lar ,aS
of what the public thought. II ne nae
not done so he would have been an
unfaithful officer"
Mr.. Wampler argued that it made nc
difference in this case whether Doyle't
opinion of Policeman Allen was right
or wrong. He contended that the cap.
tain had a right to hold his own opin'
ion. whatever it might be, and to ex'
press it when asked by his superior
officer to do So
''You should bear in mind that Capt
Doyle's comment was not voluntary.
continued Mr.. Wampler. He had sen
Aliens letter to Maj. Pratt without com
ment, and the letter was sent back u
him with request for comment. Maj
Pratt undoubtedly meant honest com
nent, and he got the very thing h
asked for. How can you find conduc
prejudicial to the department in lette
which Capt. Doyle was directed t
writer
capt. Doyle may have been wronl
in his opinion. Men entertain different
opinions. If everybody thought alike
every woman would want my husband,
said the Old Woman. Didn't Doyle have
a right to form and entertain an opin'
ion and keep it to himself until asked
for 1t? Does the Police Department
want to deny men the right to thinl
for themselves"
aOf course, not" he continued. "An,
man who uses his head for anythin
f,,,t a hatrack has formed an opinion
ahout the situation which is shown b
evist when q stockbroker has been In
dicted twice and never brought to trial.
Prosecutor Lynch pointed out tina
Alien had not merely expressed an opin
snn that the United States attorney
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