The Washington times., 1935-03-11
GARNETT'S AIDE
FACES NEW
CHARGE
Third Precinct Head Also Asks
Traffic Bureau Abolition;
Requests More Men

Kark Kindleberger, assistant
District Attorney, was given an
other rap today before the Spe-
cial House subcommittee inveSti-
eating crime conditions in Wash
ington.
Capt. Edward j. Kelly, of the
Third precinct, the first witness
at today's hearings, said that Mr..
Kindleberger altered the charges
made against a colored man who
attempted to assault a police Of
ficer with the butt of a gun.
The charges were changed from
assault with a deadly weapon to
simple assault, the police captain
testified.
Struck With Gun
The attorney for James Clark,
colored, was a well-known Demo
crat, Captain Kelly said. Mr..
Kindleberger has already been
charged before the committee
with dropping charges made
against Edward Buckley, jr., son
of a local bondSman, by Police
man James w. Peters.
The case cited today by Cap
tain Kelly involved the colored
man and Policeman Howard L.
Pilling, of the Third precinct.
AS he understands the case,
Captain Kelly related, Officer
Pilling, while patrolling the
Washington Auditorium in civil.
ian clothes during marathon
dance there last September, dis
covered a colored man peeping
into the dressing rooms Of con.
testants.
When he attempted to arrest
the colored man, Officer Pilling
was struck with the butt of his
own gun, which Clark had taken
from him. Captain Kelly told
the committee.
Officer Cleared
Charges of assault with a deadly
weapon were then made out
against Clark, but these were later
reduced to simple assault by Mr..
Kindleberger, the police captain
testified.
In fact, the captain said, Mr..
Kindleberger not only altered the
charges but went so far as to
charge Officer Pilling with assault
in the same case.
Representative William T.
Schultz D.) of Illinois asked:
"How could he do that?"
Captain Kelly replied:
II don't know, but that's what
he did,
Captain Kelly explained that Of
ficer Pilling was tried and &C.
quilted and that Clark was tried
on simple assault charge, con.
victed and sentenced to 80 days
in jail.
Makes Suggestions
On the constructive side Of his
testimony, Captain Kelly Sug-
gested to the committee the aboli-
tion of the Traffic Bureau and the
establishment in its place of sep
arate units for traffic control in
each of the precincts.
A decentralization of this arm
of the law, in the opinion of the
police captain, would serve to
lesssn Washington's startling traf-
fic fatality list.
The Third precinct head gave
it as his opinion there are too
many police organizations in
Washington and that consolida-
tion of the White House and Park
Police force with the Metropolitan
Police Department would clear up
many existing difficulties.
Needs 40 More Men
In order properly to carry out
the functions of his office, he
needs 40 more men in the Third
precinct area, Captain Kelly told
the committee.
The captain said there are "a
men in his precinct now, and that
frequently one officer is required
to patrol two or three "beatS"
covering as high as so square
blocks.
Simultaneous special functions
at the White House, the Washing
ton Auditorium and Constitution
Hall result in severe drain or the
personnel of the Third precinct
police station, committee members
were told.
Australian nnuhfc