The Washington times., 1930-03-21
Blease and RobsiOn
Bring Crime Scandal
Into Attack in Senate

Into Attack In senate
The Senate today took cogni-
zance Of Washington's latest
police scandal revolving around
the shooting Of a man by a police
man, when Senator Cole l.. Blease
of South Carolina vigorously con.
demned crime conditions in the
city.
While BIease was making his
attack, Senator John RobSion Of
Kentucky, chairman of the Police
and Fire Department subcommit.
tee of the District Commiettee,
off the floor was attributing much
of the trouble of the police de-
partment to faulty selection of
candidates for the force by the
Civil Service Commission.
In the meantime, Senatorial
friends Of the District were con-
Sidering the effect which the
Crotts shooting would have on
the chances for enactment of the
police and fire pay bill. It was
generally agreed that this latest
scandal would not help the
measure.
Senator Robson said something
must be done to kee opff the
police department men who are
bringing the force into disrepute.
In this connection he asserted
st is up to the Civil Service Com
Emission to make a closer scrutiny
.pf those who seek to join the
department.
There are too many Of these
outbreaks among policemen" said
Robsion. Every two or three
days we have something like this
happen. It must be stopped.
Only last week, I believe, Two
members Of the force were dis
charged when they were found to
have liquor in their automobiles
Robson said that it is up to
the Civil Service Commission to
be more careful in its selection
of eligibles for the police depart
ment. He said that a strenuous
examination Of the character Of
all applicants should be made
before they are certified for ap.
pointment.
If there is anything wrong in
the past life of the applicants it
should be brought out by this
examination and the applicant
should be turned down, Robson
said.
Robinson also said that the ap-
pointing power within the police
department should exercise the
greatest care in selecting for a
job on the force one of the three
men certifid as hgible by the
Civil Service Commission. InveS-
tigation and disposition Of the
complicated Gravely case will be
left to the newly constituted Dis
trict authorities for the time
being, Senator Robson said.
Should the police department and
the District Attorneys office fail
to function properly in the mat
ter, the Senate District Commit
tee probably would take it up, &C.
col ding to Robson.
"On with the dance, let JOY be
unconfined."
With this quotation Senator
Blease concluded his remarks on
the flor on the case. He inserted
in the record newspaper accounts
of the Shoting and the events
leading up to it.
There is more yet to come"
said BleaSe in referring to evil
dence which he had previously
placed in the record dealing with
police corruption and crime in
the city.
BleaSe said that when he de-
manded an investigation last
April Chief of Police Pratt, Col.
q. S. Grant. District Attorney
Rover, the Grand Jury, citizens
associations and others had said
that he did not know what he
was talking about.
II have several affidavits," said
Blease, which show that the
people who said I did not know
what I was talking about are
either ignorant or deliberately
falsifying the records for the
protection Of crime and crimi-
nals,"