Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-27
PRESIDENT BACKS
SEVERE PENALTIES
Praises Police Force as
Whole and Warns Against
Prejudging.
Continued From First pagel

Continued From First Page.)
was not the slightest disagreement be-
tween them.
DR.. Reichelderfer also denied printed
statements to the effect he planned
suspension of all OF the members of the
first precinct command who had signed
affidavits denying they heard any COM
motion at the precinct when Harker
was being beaten.
He said the course to be followed in
regard to these men depended entirely
on the facts found by the Department
Of Justice In Its probe, and he had no
intention OF ordering anybody's sus-
pension except on the regular recon-
mendation by the major and super
intendent Of police.
Pratt and Keith Confer.
SO anxious was DR.. Reichelderfer to
quiet the runors of the rift between
Pratt and himself, that he summoned
Mai. Pratt to his office this morning for
the sole purpose, he said, of assuring
him the funl0rs were base,ssS.
Maj. Pratt was comforting with John
NJ. keith of the Bureau of Investigation
with reference to the investigation, but
YVES expected TO call on DR.. Reichelder-
fer when the conference was over.
DR.. Reiehelderfer reinforced his de-
NAL Of rift by issuing two written
statements.
One of them denied the Commits
case and said they would hold an open
mind IN fairness to the whole depart
ment. This statement reads:
The Commissioners and the corpora
ton counsel have not prejudged the
report Of the investigating ofhcer Of
the Police Department, and the state
ments submitted with this report will
not PREJUDICE them When the reports
Of the Police Department. the grand
jury and the Department Of Justice
are submitted is the correct time to
determine whether or not the charges
nave been substantiated In the mean
time, in fairness to the whole depart
ment and the very great majority OF
the fine men and women who compose
1t. complete justice requires that an
open mind should exist-and this ap-
plies not only to the Commissioners,
but to the whole body Of our citizens. +"
Police Continue Probe.
The Police Department investigation
into the brutality charges is continuing
and will proceed independently of the
one being conducted by the Justice De-
partmnte and the one to be started by
the grand jury. A report on the case
Of James Henry Harker, whose charge
that he was brutally beaten at the first
precinct station last Saturday, started
all Of the Investigations. was completed
and sent to the District Building yes
terday. 1t resulted in the suspension Of
four members Of the FIRST precinct COM
mand.
Inspector Louis J. Stoll is still at work
investigating other complaints OF po-
lice brutality made since the Harker
charges.
Acting United States Attorney VIII
liam H. Collins expressed doubt of the
beginning OF the grand jury investi-
cation next Tuesday as announced yes
terday in his reply TO q letter from
Or. Reicheiderfer Collins said he
hoped to have q conference some time
today with Bureau of Investigation off,
Gals and that in all probability the
starting Of the grand jury inquiry would
await q report from the bureau as to
the result Of its investigation.
AN can say, said Collins, 'is that
at this moment cannot state definitely
whether the investigation will start be-
fore the grand jury next Tuesday. I
am hoping to have conference with
j. Edgar Hoover, chief of the Bureau
of Investigation Of the Department of
Justice, to discuss the situation. Hay-
ing in mind that the bureau viii make
Its usual thorough investigation of the
matter and having in mind also that 1t
would be undesirable to present the
matter piecemeal to the grand jury, 1t
viii probably be found desirable to post
pone the date for beginning the grand
jury probe until such time as the bureau
has completed its endeavcrs."
Federal support Assured.
Decision Of the Department OF Justice
to conduct the police investigation was
reached following conference yester-
day afternoon between Acting Attorney
General Thatcher and Commissioner
Reicheiderfer and Corporation Counsel
Bride. The Commissioner and attor-
ney previously had conferred with
President Hoover and received assur-
ance of Federal support.
Thatcher announced the departments
agreement to act In formal statement
to the press. The statement said a
vigorous" inquiry would be made at
the earnest request Of the District Com
mlSSlOnerS.
Director Hoover OF the Bureau Of In
yestigation was called into the confer
ence IN TEACHERS ONCE. The bureau
chief shortly afterward was ordered to
conduct q sweeping inquiry into the
alleged use Of the third degree by local
police.
Hoover returned to his ONCE and
Immediately assigned Keith to take
charge Of the investigation. Director
Hoover said he would maintain per-
sonal supervision of the inquiry. He
declared the investigation would be
wide and thorough. but would be con-
fined 10 alleged third degree methods.
II necessary, Hoover said, agents will
be summoned from out of town to aug
ment the local staff
Keith went TO the District Building
few minutes after receiving his In
Structions and obtained the report and
other data pertaining TO the case Of
Harker, whose charges of police brutality
at the first precinct resulted in the
investigation.