Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-18
SPECIAL JUDGE FOR
TRIAL OF DOUTH|TT
Former Dry Investigator Is
Indicted on Attempted
Bribery Charge.
BY LESTER N. INSKEEP,
Stan Correspondent of The Star.

ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, Va, June 18.-Harry N
Douthitt, who was indicted by grand
jury yesterday for the attempted bribery
of Circuit Judge Howard w. Smith, and
for whom capias has been issued, is
expected to give himself up today, ac-
cording to court officials and friends.
Douthitts indictment came as a dis
tinct surprise. 1t was included in 20
indictments of others. He was not in
court at the time.
The charge is the direct result of a
letter written shortly before the OPEN
ling Of the April term of the Circuit
Court. The letter offered Judge Smith
the sum of $500 to decide in Douthitt'S
favor in suit instituted against him
by Morris A. Bealle, a former business
associate and now the editor of the In
dependent, weekly newspaper of Rock
vile, Md.
Denies Authorship.
Douthitt's signature appeared at the
bottom of the letter, but he claimed
that he knew nothing OF the letter
itself, stating that it must have been
written on piece of paper to which he
had affixed his signature.
AT the last term of court the matter
was placed before the grand jury, but
it refused to return an indictment, so
Douthitt Swore to a warrant for Bealles
arrest, charging him with forgery.
When Bealle learned of the warrant
and appeared at the courthouse, Com
monwealth's Attorney William G. Cloth
released him without bond in the Gus
tody of his attorney.
Judge Smith will request the governor
to appoint a special judge to try the
case, and Cloth will ask for a special
prosecutor, since both are to appear as
witnesses.
Douthitt helped to organize and was
formerly the chief investigator of the
Citizens Service Committee for Law
and Order in Washington. He was
more recently owner of the Clarendon
Chronicle, which he sold but two weeks
ago to local interests. While engaged
in his former capacity he was active in
the apprehension of liquor law violators.
Pleaded Guilty.
number of others against whom in
dictments were returned pleaded guilty
and were Immediately sentenced.
Raymond Epps and Hunter Cooper,
both colored, pleaded guilty to a charge
of chicken stealing and were sentenced
to one year each in the penitentiary.
Buster Summerville, alias George Au-
guStus, colored, who was recently re-
leased from the penitentiary, was SEN
fenced to serve three years on house
breaking charge.
Pleas of guilty to liquor charges re-
suited in fines of $3.50 each being as
SesSed against four persons. Fines of a
like, amount were assessed against two
other persons.
Additional sentences against the same
persons were as follows:
j. Forest Bush, one month in jail, |
which was suspended; Charles Hend-
ricks, one month in jail; Joseph Miller,
three months in jail: AlonZo Hurley,
one month in jail; August Buchert, one
month in Jail, which was suspended,
and Lewis Rust, a suspended Jail
sentence of one month.
A nolle PROSE- was entered in the case
of Mrs. Louise Francis, who had been
jointly indicted with Mrs. Eva Steiner
on charges of performing an illegal
operation. Cloth told the court that a
Jury had failed to convict Mrs. Steiner
and that the evidence against Mrs.
Francis was even less convincing. Capt.
Crandal Mackey and Frederick w.
Flynn represented Mrs. Francis.
Others against whom indictments
were returned were:
Annie Winston. transporting and
sale; Walter Harris. transporting; Clar-
ence E. Randall, transporting; Nelson
Morgan, transporting; Christine Bolen,
transporting; James Powell, house
breaking; Augustus Ferguson, trans
porting, and Lucybelle Hicks, assault
With a dangerous weapon.