Evening star., 1935-03-01
Alteration of Crime Inquiry
Course Is Sought by
U. S. Department.
COMMITTEE INDICATES
1T HAS ONLY STARTED
Police Court Conditions to Be
Closely Studied-Four Judges
to Be Called.

Aroused by recent testimony con-
corning the Office of United States
Attorney Leslie c. Garnett, the De-
partment of Justice, it was learned
today, is exerting its influence to
have the Special Crime Committee OF
the House change the course of its
investigation.
Members of the committee have
been told that developments of the
last week have cast an embarrassing
reflection upon the Justice Depart
ment and that the officials are anxious
to have the spotlight of the inquiry
shifted to some phase other than the
United States attorneys Office. Frank
ly the department has let the COM
mittee know it does not look with
favor upon the daily newspaper head
lines concerning Garnett and his as
sistant, Karl Kindleberger, who is in
charge of Police Court prosecutions.
Two Questions Asked.
How far is the committee going
with its inquiry into the United States
attorneys ofice?" and "how long will
it be before change is made in the
trend of the Investigations" are two
Of the questions the department is said
to have asked.
The committee. however, indicates
it has merely scratched the surface of
the investigation into Garnett'S Office,
and that it will be several weeks or
more before it branches permanently
off into another angle. In fact, plans
are now being made to study the quail
fications and efficiency of every one
of Garnett'S assistants. A few of them
probably will escape the witness stand
and the questions of John r. Fitz-
patrick, committee counsel and Chair
man Randolph has announced that
developments thus far have shown the
necessity of further investigation.
For the time being, conditions at
Police Court growing out of the re-
ported irregularities and the disclosure
of mysteriously missing records are to
be carefully studied. Even the four
judges are scheduled to be called in
connection with the committees inde-
pendent probe of the court.
Declines to Reveal Data.
Fitzpatrick spent several hours at
Police Court this morning. checking
up on some of the information he pro-
poses to bring before the committee.
He declined to reveal the nature of
the data he sought.
After me Police Court investigation
the committee plans to again devote
its attention to GarnettS Office and
delve into some phases of the activities
that have not yet been touched. Gar
nett himself is expected to be recalled
to the witness stand, not only to dis
cuss the recent developments, but to
amplify his statement that gamblers
are responsible for the attempts to
diScredit his Office.
Representative Werner. Democrat
of South Dakota, and Representative
Schultz, Democrat, of Indiana, both
active members of the Crime Commit
tee, are lnsistent that Garnet be re-
called. Chairman Randolph, however.
has declined thus far to indicate
whether he will acquiesce in their de-
mandS.
Plans Recommendations.
With the hearings suspended until
Monday, Randolph is devoting his at
tention to a tentative outline Of some
of the recommendations he expects
to urge as a result of the revelations
since the start of the inquiry month
ago. He already has announced that
one of these will be that legal officers
of the District and Federal Govern
ments be prevented from engaging in
private practice. His latest idea is
to recommend that all uniform officers
in the Police Department now as
signed to clerical jobs be put on the
street and their work taken over by
civilian employees.
The committee has been advised by
Inspector L. l. H. Edwards. assistant
superintendent and personnel officer,
that there are 153 men in the depart
ment detailed to assignments that
keep them from patrol duty. Some
are clerks. few are messengers and
others are patrol wagon drivers
1t is the belief of some committee
members that the assignment to
patrol duty of these 153 officers will
give the department the additional
patrol strength it needs and at the
same time prove economical because
civilian clerks can be employed at a
salary lower than that maid notice.