Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-03
INQUIRY INTO RAID
| ON HOME ORDERED
| BY COMMISSIONER
Crosby Acts on Complaint of
Newspaper Man-No
Liquor Was Found.
"JOHN DOE" WARRANT
WAS USED BY VICE SQUAD
William P. Flythe Says One Officer
Had Pistol in Hand When
Admitted.

Commissioner Herbert B. Crosby to-
day ordered Maj. Henry G. Pratt, super
intendent of police, to launch an in
vestigation into a raid staged on the
home of William P. Flythe, local news
paper man, by the police vice squad
Saturday.
Commissioner Crosby made special
trip to Mai. Pratt's Office this morning
after Flythe reported that the vice
squad, armed with John Doe warrant
appeared at his home Saturday after
noon and, after ransacking his home
1906 G street. departed empty-handed
A second investigation through the
Office of Leo A. Rover, district attor-
ney, will be demanded by Flythe, in
which he will seek an indictment
against one John M. Burke" who,
according TO the warrant used In the
raid, furnished information for the
squads fruitless raid
Alleged Sale of Liquor.
Flythe said the warrant was a John
Doe warrant, issued on sworn state
ment by Burke" who is believed to be
liquor informer, and described man
feet inches tall, 160 pounds in
weight, 81 years old. The warrant,
Flythe said, charged that the man de-
scribed in the warrant sold half a gall
lon of white whisky to Burke" on Oc-
tober 80.
The newspaper man declared today
that although he has had small guam
titles of liquor in his home he had
never sold drop of liquor in his life
F1ythe said the raiders entered his
home about 2:30 o'clock Saturday aft
ernoon while his wife was entertaining
several woman friends. He said he went
to the front door in answer to the door
bell and was confronted by 10 plain
clothes men, one of whom had gun in
his hand.
Newly Organized Squad.
F1ythe said one of the men pushed
his way through the door with the gun
in his hand, another ran upstairs and
third made his way to the basement
of his nome. After they failed to find
any liquor they returned to the ground
floor.
Flythe said the squad was headed by
Sergt. N. Q. Holmes, a member of
Inspector Thaddeus A. Beans newly
organized police vice squad, and declared
that r. A. Williams also a memb.r of
the squad. spresented him with the
warrant.
THE police were pretty decent about
It and Sergt. Holmes made williams
show me the warrant before they en-
tered" Flythe was quoted as saying this
morning.
. Inspector Bean and members Of his
vice squad, who conducted the raid
were summoned before Maj Pratt
shortly after noon today. Inspector
Bean was ordered to make a detailed
report of the activities of the squad
during the raid and place it before
the police chief later today.
Denies Gun Was Drawn.
Those who conferred with Mai. Pratt
were Sergt. George M. Little Sergt.
N. 0. Holmes and Inspector Bean.
Flythes report to the police chief
that one Of the raiding plainclothes
men entered his home with a drawn
pistol was denied by Sergt. Holmes at
the conference today.
Sergt. Holmes declared that no guns
were drawn and that there was no dis
order
The police admitted there was a man
named Burke" employed by them as
a dry law violation informer and they
said they were of the opinion he made
a mistake In the address.
Burke Is said to have told the raid
ing squad that he entered the premises
listed on the warrant and discovered a
still. He also swore that he bought
one-half gallon Of liquor.