The Washington times., 1931-08-28
HELD
AS MENTAL
PATIENTS
Department of Justice Quiz
Expected to Make Demand
For Records of Cases
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q Commissioner Reichelderfer said
8 he had not communicated with
{ Gen. Crosby, and that while it
Twas rumored he would be back in
n tE-9 Capital this afternoon, the
2 c. m missioner did not know
1 whether he would be or not.
= Civil Board Waits
!: Commissioner Reichelderfer in
4 dicated that the civilian board
q which is to try the policemen and
s determine what, if any, penalty
4 the police department would ex-
q act, probably will not be named
4 until the Department of Justice
\ has completed its probe. ..
3 In case indictments issue as
= result of the Justice Departments
{ inquiry, the police would not be
& taken before a trial board until
8 after their trial on criminal
y charges, he said.
\ Following alleged beatings Of
3 prisoners the police have sent the
& men to GalIinger "fOr mental OBJ
& servati0n." Men thus charged are
kept from communication with
! the outside world.
Several of those who have
charged that police beat them
were sent to Gallinger immedi-
ately after the alleged beatings
and kept under cover at the hos
pital for several days, it is learned.
-r. Beaten In Hospital
:. Joseph Edward Jaffee, a World
= War veteran, was beaten in the
hospital by an insane man who
ss had charge Of patients. A. grand
jury investigated the charges and
found he had been beaten.
Henry johnson, colored, Of 1874
Montello Ave. N. E., who was ar
rested on the night of August S,
after police were said to have
gone to his home and to have
: beaten him. was sent to Gallinger
i, as a mental case.
A neighbor telephoned The
Times to complain that johnson
had been beaten by police.
e. mental Observation
At the Ninth precinct, when re-
. porters sought to verify Johnson's
claims, it was insisted by the
police that the only record they
had concerning johnson was that
," 'Ehe was removed from that ad-
= dress and sent to Gallinger Hos
pital for mental observation"
: The police are supposed to make
. detailed reports in such cases, but
they would supply no further in
formation concerning johnson or
the alleged beating.
= After being held at Gallinger
for. two days, Johnson was re-
:. leased, nothing have been found
to indicate he was abnormal.
j.. After six days of inactivity
y while three Investigations of the
First Precinct, of which he is COM
!. mander, we're begun, Captain w.
z. Holmes has announced that he
has launched an independent
investigation.
AS the Department Of Justice
s probe into illegal activities OF the
z police progressed today, it be-
came known that a special prose
cutor probably will be sought,
: taking the case entirely out of
), the hands of local officials.
:: Nugent Dodds, assistant attor-
ney general, is mentioned as
= likely to be named to handle the
: third degree prosecution. He was
!. special prosecutor of G. Bryan
= Pitts, convicted of fraud in con-
i: ducting the business Of the i. H.
Smith Company.
Youth Makes Charges
A new charge of police brutality
was made last night by James
!. Keith, colored. IT, Of Ken-Gar,
= Nd. who said he was beaten three
s times while at the Thirteenth pre-
& cinct as suspect in an automo'
I bile theft. His story was said to
1 be verified by a Government off,
cial who employs him.
{ Inspector Louis j. Stou, IN
\ charge Of the first inspection dis
trict, yesterday attempted to OBJ
) tain statements from the sister
and mother of James Henry
Harker, whose alleged beating at
/ the First precinct precipitated the
( investigation Of the department.
Lawyer Asks Silence
3. McComas HawkenS, attorney
{ for Harker, advised his client and
Shis relatives against giving any
statements to the inspector.
/ AS the Department Of Justice
s Investigation progressed. mem
! hers of Congress, ministers and
high officials, as we'll as citizens,
expressed their approval of the
move to get at the bottom Of
police misconduct.
Representative Will r. Wood,
schairman Of the House Appropria-
tions Committee, indicated that
the salaries of policemen here
may be cut by Congress unless
! the third degree is abolished by
I the department.
:jWnLter Reed Patient
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