Evening star., 1932-07-31
The Grand Jury Investigation.

In his instructions to the grand jury
20 investigate the bonus rioting Justice
1uhring, after brief resume Of some
Of the events leading up to the actual
outbreak Of violence and the calling OF
troops, had this to say:
It is obvious that the laws Of the Dis
trict were violated in many respects
You should undertake an immediate In
vestigation of these events With a view
to bringing to justice those responsible
for this violence and those inciting 1t. as
well as those who took part in acts OF
violence.
It is reported that the mob guilty of
actual violence included few ex-service
men. and was made up mainly OF Com
rnunists and other disorderly elements.
I hope that you will find that it is so
and that few men who have worn the
Nations uniform engaged in this violent
attack upon law and order. In the con-
fusion not many arrests have been made
violent disturbers and criminal ele-
rnents in the unlawful gathering have
already scattered and escaped from the
city. but II may be possible yet TO
identify and apprehend them and bring
them to justice.
II is important that this matter be
dealt with promptly. The United States
attorney is prepared to assist you IN
every way you may require. This is all
1 have to say. The matter Is in your
hands.
II may be interesting. In this respect,
10 examine for a moment the nature
Of the problem that has been placed
before the grand jury. During the ac-
tual rioting between the police and the
suuatters and the marching contingent
from Camp Marks on Thursday fifteen
arrests were made, the charges against
three being assault with deadly weap-
on (bricks); the charges against three
others being that they refused to leave
the buildings on lower Pennsylvania
avenue when ordered out by the Treas
uYy of1eials: the charges against the
remainder being disorderly conduct and,
In one case, drunkenness. The three
men charged with assault with a dan
@erous weapon will be held for the
grand jury. The three men who refused
to vacate the property were sentenced
to six months in jail and the seven men
who were charged with disorderly con-
duct were given the maximum sentence
for this o6fense of s25 fine or thirty
days in Jail. Friday the police ar
rested more than fifty persons who had
assembled at Fifth street and Virginia
avenue southeast and who were alleged
by the police to be Communists. OF
these, some forty or more were ques-
toned and told to get out OF town.
being furnished with q police escort TO
the District line Seventeen have been
held fer questioning by the immigra-
ton authorities and other Federal
agents, and one of them Is characterized
by the police as being q dangerous
character, alleged 10 have done much
to incite the feelings Of those who
heard his speeches. In Police Court
yesterday Judge sehuldt fined three
young msn-aged 10, 40 and 20, respec-
tively-s25 each on the charge of hav-
ing cursed and chided the troops with
reference to "tin soldiers" Is they stood
In line near Camp Marks.
As for the remainder Of the veterans
or others who took part in the rioting,
practically all Of them are now out OF
town, the police do not know who they
were and within q few days they will
probably be scattered from one end OF
the land to the other.
The President has announced IN q
statement, however, that the Depart
ment Of Justice is cooperating in the
investigation. It's agents may have
evidence Of. criminal acts on the part
Of others, which will be, OF course,
placed before the grand jury.
Whether the grand jury can do any
thing other than hear the evidence
brought before it and bring in indict-
ments against those who should be
tried is problematical. The grand jury
has no funds TO defray the expense Of
any sweeping investigation Of its own
or 10 engage special Investigators
for such work. and its functions
are pretty well defined by statute and
limited To the business of indicting and
ignoring. Justice Proctor. who will
occupy the bench for the next few
weeks and who will receive any reports
from the grand jury, has specifically
condemned, In a former opinion, the
custom by grand juries of bringing in
reports concerning conditions or indi-
viduals, unless it indicts those indi-
viduals, as being beyond the limits of
its legal functions. and has said that it
is Far better In the public interest that
the grand jury confine its actions with
in the limits Of its legal functions. :"