Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-28
BOARD POSTPONES
TRIAL Of DOYLE
UNTIL NOVEMbER6
Delay Granted to Give Coun.
sci More Time to Pre-
pare Defense.
ALLEN ASKS CIVILIAN
GROUP FOR HIS TRIAL
Rev. J. N. Pierce Calls District
Attorneys Office Lax in Attack
.. on Legal Delays.

The trial Of Capt. Robert e. Doyle,
suspended commander of the eighth
precinct, was postponed today until No
vember at the request of Chapman w.
Fowler, one of the veteran police off,
GERS attorneys.
Doyle was originally scheduled to ep-
pear before the trial board Wednesday
to answer a charge of insubordination
as result Of his outspoken defense Of
Pvt. Robert J. Allen, a member Of his
command. The continuance for a week
was asked by Fowler to give him and T.
Morris Wampler, who will be associated
with him in the Doyle trial, additional
time to prepare the defense.
Fowler's request was made this morn
ing to Inspector Louis j. Stoll, chair
man of the police trial board. It was
granted about an hour later after In
spector Stoll had polled members and
alternates on the board to determine
whether there was any objection to a
delay.
Special Board Asked.
In the meantime, H. Ralph Burton.
attorney for Policeman Allen, who like
wise must face the trial board on a
charge OF insubordination because of
the defiant letter he wrote Mai. Henry
q. Pratt, superintendent of police, in
explanation Of his statement that he
proposed to investigate the United
States attorneys Office, prepared a let
ter requesting, the. Commissioners to
create a special trial board composed of
persons not connected with the Police
Department to try his client. Allen
also had been ordered to trial Wednes-
day, but his counsel has not yet decided
whether to ask for a continuance.
Burton requested a special trial board
in view of the many controversies in
which Allen has been engaged with
members of the Police Department. In
lawyer pointed out that he wants a
special board on the ground that, as
shown by the official record of the
Police Department, Allen has in the
past been involved in various con-
troversies to which the Police DEPART
ment. as a whole, ard practically every
member thereof, as an individual, has
been a. party, directly or indirectly"
Wants Alternates Present.
In addition to requesting delay in
Capt. Doyle's trial, Fowler asked In
spector Stoll to have the two trial-board
alternates present when the trial be-
gins to permit him to select q board
that meets with his approval.
The reorganized board as constituted
by Maj. Pratt for the Doyle trial is COM
posed of Inspector Stoll, chairman, and
Capt. C. P. NJ. Lord and Capt. william
E. Sanford. AS Lord and Sanford are
the alternates on the regular trial
board Maj. Pratt named Capt. J. e.
Wilson and Capt. Charles r. Peck as
their substitutes.
Fowler explained that his request for
weeks continuance in the trial Of
Capt. Doyle was due to the delay of the
Police Department in serving formal
charges. It was after o'clock Satur-
da evening when Capt. Doyle received
these specific charges, he said, allowing
Wampler and himself only two days
today and tomorrow-to prepare the
defense.
Threats Revealed by BIease.
Senator Cole Blease, Democrat, of
South Carolina, sponsor of the senato-
rial investigation into police affairs,
said today that he had received four or
five letters recently warning him to be
on the lookout for trouble. He indi-
Gated that such letters were not giving
him much concern.
The time for the next meeting of the
investigating subcommittee has not yet
within a day or two. Chairman Sackett
called meeting for Saturday, but all
OF the members were unable to be pres
ent and it was postponed.
Among the immediate matters await
ing the attention of the committee Is
the resolution of Senator Blease seeking
to have Supt of Police Pratt, Inspector
Shelby and Lieut.. Kelly suspended un-
less Capt. Doyle and Policeman Allen
are restored to duty.
Senator BleaSe wants the ST. ocommit-
tee to act on his resolution without fur
ther delay and he probably will talk
with Chairman Sackett during the day.
Pastor Crit:cizes Methods.
Harshly criticizing law-enforcemenr
methods in Washington, DR.. Jason
Noble Pierce, pastor of the First Cor
gregational Church, declared from his
pulpit yesterday that "a general and
demoraiizing condition" could be vastly
improved if the United States attor-
ney'S Office were aroused and efficient"
2 In a discussion of religious aspecNs
of current questions preliminary to his
morning sermon, DR.. Pierce addressed
himself especially to circumstances or
the controversy in which the Police
Department is embroiied. He described
liquor raids, referred to murders and
other crimes, cited the Mcpherson case
and others. all in support of the as
sertion that the condition is demoral-
iZing.
He asserted that courts are not help
ing by timely justice. "On the con-
trary," he said. with clogged dockets
they are hindering by untimely delay"
"I do not question the honesty OF
the United States attorneys Office" DR..