Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-08
STAPLES TO STEP
ASIDE FOR PROBE
informs D. c. Heads He Will
Not Seek Reinstatement
to Force.
Continued From First Pase.>

Commissioners 10 concentrate 6CteilbloIl
on two other recommendations IN the
grand jury report-the dismissal OF Pc.
liceanan Joseph H. Hunt Of the second
precinct and punishment of the police
officials responsible for the alleged
frame-up" of Staples
Neither Commissioner Reichelderfer
nor Herbert B. Crosby would comment
on the Staples letter, but indications
at the District Building today were
that the plan announced Saturday for
creating special civilian board TO
pass en- the grand jury recommenda-
lions would be carried out, irrespective
Of the ultimate decision on the vol
lntary offer to Staples to step out OF
the picture The Commissioners. 1t
was said, still feel that neither the
Police Department nor any District
authorities should have anything what.
ever to do with the proposed review Oh
the grand jury findings.
The statement issued by HUNTS az
torney follows:
AFTER very careful consideration
Of the report of the grand jury, ana
The charges made by it, and thorough
ANALYSIS of the authorities In the law
we are satisfied that upon proper ap-
plication being made the report OF the
grand jury will be expunged from the
records of the court.
Hunt feels. however. that IN view
of the fact that these charges have been
made public. he would not for one mo-
ment attempt to hide behind tecn-
njcality such as the expunging OF the
report but. on the other hand, welcomes
a complete and thorough investlgatlon
OF these charges as speedily as poSSlple
before a duly constituted Trial BOARD.
where the testimony Of the witnesses
will be made public. After such near
ing before a fair and Impartial oooy'
he is confident that he will be com,
pletely indicated before the board ana
IN the eyes of the public OF the base-
less. malicious and unwarranteo
charges of the grand jury
Hunt further feels that the eXpungng
Of the report at this time would not be
a sufficient vindication Of his honesty
snd integrity of 10 years of faithful serV-
ice in the Police Department.
Efforts will be made to have the
Commissioners commence this trial as
speedily as possible, and after sucn
trial is completed. and the public ap-
prised of all the facts IN the case ne
will then seek an expungement OF the
grand jury report"
Ston to Fight Critics.
Inspector Stolls challenge to the
grand jury to indict him. according 10
Attorney Quinn. is the opening maneu-
yer of the police official Ito fight his
critics" Quinn. however, did not dis
close Stolls other plans.
The District Commissioners, Quinn
declared, should ask the grand jury
whether the witnesses in the Staples
case perjured themselves before the
grand jury. and II they DID TO Suggest
their indictment. If they didn't, Quinn
said. the Commissioners should ask the
grand Jurors to agree to testify as wit
resses and lay the evidence upon which
they base their charges before the pro-
posed civilian board.
Unless the grand jury meets these
conditions, Quinn said, the report
should be ignored.
Quinn also suggested that the Dis
trict Commissioners ask the grand jury
IL the witnesses who are charged with
committing perjury before the ponce
trial board in the Staples case also
gave the same testimony before the
grand Jury Should the answer be in
the affirmative, he said, the Commits
sioners should return the report to the
grand jury with the suggestion that
when that body has performed its duty
by indicting the perjurious witnesses,
Recommendations to it by the Commits
sioners might be considered If the
Gus witnesses, he pointed out, it would
remove decision of the case from the
selected board to petit jury, thus
obviating any accusations Of a white
wash
- Holds Up Stoll's Record.
inspector Stoll has been member
Of the Police Department for 81 years"
Quinn declared. land his record Is
without blemish. He does not intend
that the grand jury should put him
on the defensive with its sensational
generalities. He desires to say to the
grand jury and its advisers that If the
purport of its general statement is to
lnpute to him perjury. subornation OF
perjury or any other crime, he invites
them to indict him
Quinn came into prominence as de-
fender of police officials during the
trial two years ago of Inspector Will
liam S. Shelby and Capt. Edward j.
Kelly on charges of having bungled the
investigation Of the Mrs. Virginia Nc
Pherson case. He represented Inspector
Shelby before the special Trial Board
which exonerated both officials.
The Department of Justice in its in
vestigation of third-6egree cases is ex-
pected to have several more ready for
presentation to the grand jury before
the end of this week. Special agents OF
the Bureau Of Investigation worked Sun
day and yesterday in an effort TO COM
plete the second group OF cases.
Groomes Posts Bond.
Five policemen indicted last week on
charges Of aSsaulting prisoners at the first
precinct station will be arraigned before
Chief Justice Alfred A. Wheat Friday.
Nil (SEn091aS
ed at the clerks Office in the court
house today and gave bond of $1,000.
He was the last Of the five officers to
make bond. The others are Detective
James A. Mostyn and Policemen Will
liam r. Latin. William 7. Burroughs
and George E. Perry.
More than two-score complaints re-
garding alleged police brutality are still
under investigation by the Department
Of Justice. The offenses are alleged IT,
Rave taken place in numerous precincts.
E. s. Arnold, head Of the receiving
'loma for children, said today he has
given no data to the Justice investi-
gators about reported instances of ILL
treatment Of children at police stations.
Some months ago, he said two children
complained to their parents that police
had mistreated them and the parents
told Arnold of the complaints. Arnold
referred the parents to officials of the
precincts involved in the arrests and
has heard nothing of them since, he
stated. One young complainant alleged
that policemen had soaked his clothes
in gasoline and threatened to set him
on fire. Arnold pointed out that
youngsters often have very vivid mag
nations"
Director J. Edgar Hoover of the Blu
reau of Investigation said today he had
not heard of any charges brought
against police by children, "unles<
young men II or 18 years old are con-
sidered children