Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-29
ALIENS REQUEST
IS GIVEN HEARING
Commissioners to Get More
Details on Plea for
Civilian Board.

The fight of Policeman Robert J.
Allen for the creation Of an extraordi-
nary civilian trial board to hear the
charges of INSTRUMENTATION preferred
against him by Maj Henry G. Pratt
superintendent Of police, was carried
directly before the Board of District
Commissioners this afternoon by H
Ralph Burton and Tench T. Marye,
counsel for the suspended officer.
In response to the written request
Of the two lawyers for the appointment
of civilian trial board, the Commits
sioners granted them an oral hearing
more fully to outline the reason for the
plea. The hearing started at 1:3C
o'clock, In the ONCE of Proctor l.
Dougherty, president Of the Board of
Commissioners.
There was no indication in advance
Of the hearing Of the attitude of the
Commissioners, but there is q strong
likelihood, it was said, that the request
will be granted. Allen has expressed
the opinion that in view of the many
controversies in which he has been en-
gagged with the Police Department, a
trial board composed of police officers
would not give him an impartial trial,
Planning to Ask Delay.
Aliens lawyers also are planning to
ask Tor delay in his trial, but intend
10 withhold the request pending the
outcome of the oral hearing before the
Commissioners. Should the Commits
cinY1nrC 70 70 ii, I
board. the attorneys will 60 before the
trial board when it convenes tomorrow
to make formal plea for continuance.
The Allen case is on the trial board
calendar tomorrow along with several
others.
The Commissioners, it was pointed
out, have precedent on which to base
the appointment of an extraordinary
trial board to hear the charges against
Allen in the case of Capt. Guy E. Burl-
ingame, retired commander Of the Sec
ond precinct who was acquitted on the
sensational charges of Mrs. Helen F.
Blalock, former Seventh street palmist
The Burllngame trial board was COM
posed of Maj. Donald A. Dawson, AS
sistant Engineer Commissioner; Will
liam P. Richards, District tax assessor,
and DR.. Edgar A. Bocock, superintend-
ent of Gallinger Municipal Hospital.
Confer With Commissioners.
Burton and Marye were closeted with
the Commissioners for half an hour.
The Commissioners announced after
the hearing that they had taken the
request of the lawyers under advise
ment.
Burton in presenting the plea for a
civilian trial board extemporized from
a prepared statement and pointed out
that Allen has become the center of a
controversy in which impartial justice
is now the prime factor"
1T lies within the powers of the
Commissioners" Burton declared, ito
convince the public that they will go
any distance to assure that justice be
done"
With the trial of Capt. Robert E.
Doyle, suspended commander of the
eighth precinct, continued to November
6, his attorneys, Chapman w. Fowler
and T. Morris Wampler, made prepara-
tions today to build up strong defense
for the veteran police officer. Since
there is only one complaining witness,
Mai. Pratt, who preferred charges of
against Doyle because
of his outSpoken defense of Allen, the
attorneys, it was indicated, plan to con-
struct the defense on the reputation
and good conduct of the veteran police
officer in his 40 years of service in the
Police Department. A score of more
character witnesses. including some Of
0,onti,,IIed on pace D rolIIrop ~