Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-12
GRAND Jury PROBE
OF THIRD DEGREE"
CHARGES REOPENS
Rover Presents Startling Evil
dence of Federal Agents
to New Panel.
HARKER CASE is FIRST
OFFERED BY ATTORNEY
Prosecutor to Seek Indictment of
Twenty Policemen on Charges
of Brutality to Prisoners.

A mass of "ironclad" evidence on
which the Government will seek indict-
ment of a score of policemen for alleged
third-degree brutality is reported to
have been outlined to the new grand
jury today by United States Attorney
Leo A. Rover
The district attorneys digest OF testi-
mony marked the opening Of the sec
ond grand jury investigation OF wash
inston's third degree conditions and
paved the way for parade OF Gov
eminent witnesses. 200 of whom have
been subpoenaed for the inquiry.
Offers Justice Findings.
Duplicating the procedure Of the aus
uualificd July grand jury, Rover o. o..
fered to the new inqulSltorS IlSI oi.t
sensational findings of the Department
81 I,stice in the case of James Henry
Harker. Youthful baker, whose beatlng
civ weeks ago prompted the commas
sioners TO ask for a Federal PROBE.
THE grand Jury today heard the SAINT
oroun of witnesses whose testimony Ieu
The PREVIOUS Jury to indict four ponce-
men of the first precinct on Charges
of felonious and simple assault. .,.,o.
those of6cers-precinct Detectives
1an1es A Mostyn snd Pvts. william n.
lain William T. Burroughs and VII
lion, e Groomes-were charged Win
attacking Harker with a piece Oh luo
her hose and with their hsts aICe[
Harker's arrest on HOUSEKEEPING
charge August % last
First Indictment Noided.
-rho original indictments OF this
quartet were voided by discovery tnat q
member of the old jury was lnelglple
because of his pension status, ana tIie
resentment is to be nullifed omclal4y
within a few days. 49,
Another third degree indictment, tiiat
of Policeman George E; Perry Oh IN! tne
first precinct, was invalidated at tne
same time. The charges against Perry
were to be Represented to the grand
i,,rv TODAY. Perry was charged WIN
feIonious assault on John F. Mllier'
rolored. who alleges he was beaten WIN
.. wooden club on August Il.
If the grand jury matches tne sp Ser
Of its ill-starred predecessor, Two ottieI
cases involving alleged DeaCltiso 11ortIar
first precinct on the day OF Ine F1d1 A0A
incident will be heard To-Day.
Prisoner Brought to Court House.
In one of these CAGES the past grand
i,rv indicted Mostyn and Lanln LOT ITn
an alleged fist assault on Walter ",
Johnson, colored, who was proq 4e,nt-, W
Jau where he has been held on
%"rglarv charge. The latter charge
eiso will be inquired into by the jury.
In the other case MoStyn was IN
dicted for allegedly beating PresGon
Brooks, also colored. The deCectSe
was accused of using his hstS on 'ie
prisoner. 1KoIoross
I4awkin, and Harker's mother ana Sis
ter we're among the first witnesses
called by the grand jury this morning;
Harker's oft-repeated story is sorolG
one and his allegations were supported
todav by press photographs showing
welts and other wounds LETT upon LIE nns
bodv. A piece of rubber hose also was
part of the evidence.
Mother May Testify.
Harker's sister presumably tolu ~ %
Nearing her brothers outcrleS anu tilo
thud of blows when she went 10 IiIe
first precinct station house TO aILas
for Harker's release on bono. haIhet
mother and his physician were eApeC ~,
ed to testify regarding the WOUNDS On
Harker's face and body. Several otner
witnesses were called to testify con-
corning the youths appearance prior W
his arrest. These witnesses are unueI
stood to have told the previous jury tnaC
Harker bore no evidence OF DSaUAls
at the time of his arrest. .o
If the program in the HarKer case
as followed in the previous hearing Is
adhered to by the new grand jury, IN
snector Louis J. Stoll and Capt. W. f.
Holmes the former commander OF Tue
first inspection district and the latLer
commander of the first precinct, VIII DC
asked to testify concerning the prellm-
mary police investigation OF the HarkeF
beating and also concerning their pres
ence in the station house at the time
of the attack.
Inspector Stoll was assigned by his
srIneriors to conduct an inquiry into
Harker's charges, but it was not known
at the time of his assignment that the
inspector had been in the office o: Capt.
Holmes when Harker was being ques-
toned" by MoStyn and the three prl-
Yates Both Stoll and Holmes have
denied hearing any disturbance in the
so-called third degree room" which
sdioins the captains Office, but which
is Separated from it by brick wall.
Inspector Stoll had Capt. Holmes OBJ
tain written statements from eacn OF
the % members of the first precinct
force, and all these statements pro-
fessed ignorance of any brutality at the
station house Stoll presented the
statements to Maj. Pratt, police super
intendent, with report admitting that
Harker had been severely beaten either
lust prior to or after his arrest" and
recommending the suspension of Mos
tyn, Latin, Burroughs and Groomes
pending further investigation.
% Members Give Statements.
Commissioner Luther H. Reichelder-
fer. Acting Police Commissioner in the
absence on vacation of Gen. Crosby,
was dissatisfied with the manner In
which the police conducted the inquiry
aud. accompanied by Corporation
Counsel Bride, made a personal appeal
to President Hoover for Federal as
sistance in investigating the whole
third degree situation.
The White House readily granted this
aid and arranged for the United States
Bureau of Investigation to launch a
thorough city-wide inquiry. This
probe, directed by ]. Edgar Hoover,
head Of the bureau, and conducted
under supervision of John M. Keith,
in charge of the local Office of the
bureau. resulted in sensational dis
closures. with the resultant grand jury
proceedings.