Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-02
Detective Barrett Goes on
Trial on Charge of Beating
Staying Suspect.
OTHERS DECLARE YOUTH
SHOWED MARKS ON FACE
Filling Station Manager Says EN-
ploye's Cheek Was Bleeding
When He Saw Him.

Testimony that Headquarters Detec-
tive Robert Barrett had been drink
ing at the time it is alleged he beat
a suspect in murder case was in
troduced by the Government TODAY at
the trial Of the officer on brutality
charges.
Mrs. Dorothy F. Dienelt, resident
manager Of the apartment house in
which the assault by Barrett is said
to have occurred said she smelled
whisky on the detectives breath and
that he appeared to be intoxicated
shortly before the alleged assault on
George M Baber.
Policeman George Sorber also went
on trial today on charge of assulting
young colored suspect.
Says Detective Was Loud.
Barrett is charged with having beat
en- Baber with his fists after placing
the former under arrest as a suspect
in the fatal shooting of Mrs Elizabeth
JayneS, cashier at the Garden T Shoppe
Mrs. Dienelt said Barrett was talking
in loud tone and that other police
men present were trying to persuade
him to leave. She said she saw Baber
as the officers were taking him out of
the apartment, and that his eyes were
pulled and his face scratched and
bleeding at that time
Rapid progress was made in the case
which Is being tried before Justice
James M. Proctor. At 1890 o'clock
after the government had exercised
three challenges, a jury of men and
3 women was impaneled
In his opening address, Assistant
United States Attorney Julien Richards
told the jury the Government would
introduce evidence to prove that Baber
was brutally beaten by Detective Bar
rett when the latter placed the youth
under arrest in his apartment in the
Marine, Thirteenth and Belmont streets,
on the night Of April g.
Holds Entry Illegal.
I'VE will show you," Prosecutor Rich
ards declared, that Barrett and three
other policemen, after being refused ad-
mittance to Baber's apartment by the
resident manager, climbed in through
window and waited for him there, al
though they had no warrant or legal
right to enter. We expect to prove that
Barrett, as Baber unexpectedly opened
the door of his apartment, struck the
youth heavily in the face without rea-
son or warning. We will show that
Barrett followed Baber to a couch and
struck him again.
The evidence will prove that Baber
began crying and that the police officer
then accused him of having committed
two murders, both charges being denied
by the suspect. At this point one of the
other officers asked Barrett to stop
beating the boy. We will show that
Barrett replied:
Get the hell away, we will beat it
out OF him 1t will be shown that
several more blows were struck by Bar
rett' one Of them leaving Baber deaf
for some time"
Bruises Seen After Arrest.
The prosecutor told the Jury other
witnesses would testify that Baber's
face was unmarked prior to his arrest,
but that 1t bore several bruises after his
release from the eighth precinct sta
ton house, Where he was held three
days Tor investigation. Richards said
no charg2 ever was placed against the
youth.
The opening statement for the de-
tense vas made by Attorney E. Rus,
Continued on Page 2, Column A.