Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-08

fCOntlnueQ from EdScJ
Mr.. Barnard had done so, after visit
ing the Jail yesterday afternoon.
"Mr. Wilson called me on the tele-
phone Yesterday afternoon" Maj. Peake
said. land asked me If there were any
newspaper men at the jail. I told him
there were about 8 or 10 present. and
he asked me then how long they had
been here told him most OF the day.
He said he thought there ought to be
a stop put to it, and later was de-
firdteiv given instructions to exclude
ali newspaper men from the jail. That
Is all know about it"
Summoned by Wilson.
Mai. Peake was summoned to Mr..
Wilson'S office at the District Build
ing at IL o'clock. The conference was
a brief one, but Maj. Peake and Mr..
Wilson said afterward that they would
confer again this afternoon. Mr.. Will
son previously had talked with Com
missioner Taliaferro about the matter.
The Commissioner said later that the
subject of the news order had come up
only incidentally. The board of public
welfare he said, has full authority TO
act as it sees fit in matters pertaining
to operation of the jail. He said he
had full confidence in the board and
its director.
Mai. Peake indicated his belief that
the order might be modified" AS now
in operation the ban prevents reporters
from getting news of any description
out of the jail, whether the news con-
Germs Mr.. Sinclair or other prisoners.
Special exceptions" might be made to
the rule in the cases of other prisoners,
providing circumstances warrant" Mr..
Wilson declared.
Mr.. Wilson dictated the following
statement:
There have been so many people
coming into the District Jail during the
last two days that it has seriously in
terfered with the carrying on of the af-
fairs of the institution, and 1t was DEEM
ed wise for the time being to deny the
place to all visitors. except such per-
sons having official business to transact,
such as attorneys relatives and friends
of prisoners at regular visiting hours.
Action Deemed Necessary.
"I didn't see any reason why Jail
officials should show any more dis
elimination toward Sinclair than any
other prisoner confined in the Jail, but
it seems that the condition which pre-
vailed at the jail while newspapermen
were awaiting the arrival of Sinclair
demanded that something be done.
1T is not my intention to make the
are our friends. In view of prevailing
conditions it makes it necessary that
such action be taken"
It is understood that Maj. Peake was
taken to task for providing supper for
the score of newspaper men who waited
all Monday afternoon and evening for
the arrival of the New York oil execu-
tive. The Jail superintendent always
has shown utmost courtesy to the press
on all occasions. and he took mercy on
the hungry scribes when supper time
rolled around Monday evening.
Mr.. Wilson said today he had no
criticism of the conduct of the news
paper men, but that their numbers had
been so great that the orderly routine
of the jail was being impaired
you've all written a whole lot about
MI. Sinclair" the board director said,
$50 there isn't anything else in the way
of news to give out. You can't expect
to give a day-by-day account of him
during his three months in jail. He's
In, and that was story and when he
goes out that will be another story. In
the meantime we think Mr.. Sinclair
should be let alone. prisoner should
enters a Jail and that is all We are try
ing to do in Mr.. Sinclair's case"
First Situation of Kind.
While conceding that this was the
first order Of its kind he had issued, Mr.
Wilson pointed out that this is thu
first time such situation has arisen
in all nv 80 years of experience"
Mr.. Wilson contended that the bar
on Sinclair news was nothing unusual
as matter of jail policy, and that re.
porters never were permitted to tail
with prisoners. When one reporter tolc
Mr.. Wilson of several interviews he haG
had with inmates Of the Jail, the di'
rector said that exceptions had beer
made in the case of prisoners awaiting
execution.