Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-29
Will Ask Speed
in Interest of
Morale.
PLANS Personal
QUIZ OF POLICE
First Step Will Be
Conference With
Maj. Pratt.

Early completion Of the Depart
ment of Justice investigation into
the police brutality charges will be
urged by Commissioner Herbert B.
Crosby, he indicated today upon
return to his Office in the District
Building, where he Immediately
undertook an independent inquiry
of the situation.
Gen. Crosby said he feared a
prolonged investigation would
merely serve to keep the morale
of the Police Department at a low
ebb and he is anxious that 1t be
restored as soon as possible. The
Commissioner, however, made it
clear that he wants the inquiry
to be as thorough as practicable
and to that end, he declared he
would give his full cooperation
to the Department of Justice.
Confers With Officials.
Commissioner Crosby arrived az
his Office at 9 o'clock and a half
an hour later went into confer
ence with Commissioner Luther H.
Reichelderfer and Corporation
Counsel William w. Bride to get
first hand details of the brutality
scandal, which developed while he
was on vacation on the Pacific
Coast.
After getting details Of all develop
ments from Commissioner ReicneioeTler
and Corporation Counsel Bride, Gen
Crosby called Mai Henry @; Pratt,
s,Inerintender1t Of p6lIce, into the con-
ference. For more than an hour MAJ.
Pratt was cioseted with these oIhcials.
He would make no statement when ne
left the District Building. however. de-
ciarfn9 that If there was any news In
his visit it would have to come from the
Commissioners.
All that Commissioner Crosby knew
about the situation before this confer
ence was gathered from the newspapers
and Ia az interview ON the train yes
terday with representative OF Tine star
who went to Pittsburgh to meet him.
The Commissioner has not mapped
out any definite program for his per-
soual investigation, but one OF his hrst
moves. he said would be to confer with
officials of the department &c ascertain
their position with respect 70 Tue peat
ing Of prisoners.
He said he felt quite certain that MAJ.
Pratt does not either approve or con-
done such q practice and Is in accord
with his views that every policeman
found guilty Of brutality SHOULD be
summarily dismissed from the force.
Shortly before his conference with DR..
Reichelderfer. MAJ. Pratt and Mr.. Brioe,
Gen. Crosby gave a long interview TO
newspaper men in which he developed
his views on third-degree practice quite
extensively.
Discipline Held Cure.
The third degree, he said, is blemish
which can be removed from a police de-
partment by proper discipline
Whenever we have policeman go
ing around the city and acting as II ne
Is the Police Department and not re-
sponsible 70 3 sergeant or a captain or
any one else, we have trouble. There
are such men In the department, al
though I am frank to say that until the
present charges we're made, l did not
know that there was an established
tf1ird-degree practice in the depart
ment. This doeS not mean that am
prejudicing the case, but / know that
there are some members Of the force
who are not disciplined.
If every time one Of them acts as
II he believes he is the department he
were brought promptly before the trial
board that would greatly improve the
discipline. I believe the discipline in
the force has improved in the past
year. / do not believe that we can
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