Evening star., 1935-02-10
UNDERWORLD LIST
READY FOR PROBE
Notorious Characters to Be
Subpoenaed by House
Committee.

pOeIldeu IIllS week 10 JeSIlly DelOIc
the Special Crime investigating Com
mittee of the House.
The committee already has been
furnished with list of the names OF
the men. who. it has been informed,
can throw considerable light on the
gambling and vice situation-lt they
talk
In the meantime. Police Supt. Ernest
w. Brown revealed some change may
be made in the civil service rating
system, which forms the basis OF
department promotions. This system
has been the target of constant at
tack by Representative Schultz, DEM
ocrat, of Indiana, ever since the start
of the investigation. He has con-
tended capable and efficient officers
"were cheated" out of promotions be-
cause of this system.
Naming of Counsel Delayed.
Plans of the committee to appoint
an attorney to assist in the inquiry,
it also was learned, were suddenly
and unexpectedly thwarted by one
member who requested that the Sc
lection be postponed for another day
or two. Chairman Randolph had
hoped to announce the appointment
late yesterday.
More than so prominent Washing
ton lawyers have applied for the posi-
tion. The name of Seth Richardson
former Assistant Attorney General
mas been mentioned prominently for
the post, but it is understood the job
will be given to man who is more
intimately familiar with the District
Code, the Police Department and the
history of the gamblers who are to be
questioned.
The committee will resume hearings
Tuesday at 3 pm. with Inspector
Frank S. W. Burke. chief of detec-
tives, on the witness stand. After him
will come the parade of gamblers who
are slated to receive suhpoenas bear
ing the signature of Speaker Byrns OF
the House
Burke was scheduled originally to
complete his testimony Friday. but
illness, he said, prevented him from
appearing. He has requested an hour
and half OF the committees time to
TeNeal some 1IllOTUldllOll llc
will aid III the investigation.
While the committee planned its
next move, the Police Department
was stirred by report from Schultz,
who has taken prominent part in
the investigation, that his automobile
was deliberately disabled Friday night
on a parking lot near First and H
streets northeast.
Followed by Two Men.
Schultz said the wires to four of
the spark plugs were shipped off and
the door lock broken. He advanced
-he theory that perhaps two men he
had seen following him intended to
plant something" in his machine be-
cause he had been too active in the
crime investigation.
1T was not the work Of kids"
Schultz declared. The job was de-
liberately planned.
The names of the gamblers and
other underworld characters to be
subpoenaed are being closely guarded,
but the committee hopes to learn
from them the inside story of
Washington's gambling situation.
The gamblers, however, already
have let it become known they will
stand on their constitutional right
and not talk for fear of discriminating
themselves. Schultz insists that un-
der House rules they can be forced to
give the committee the information it
desires or else be charged with con-
tempt.
When the gamblers appear, Schultz
explained the committees rule pre-
venting more than one witness in
the room at the time will be strictly
enforced He said this will keep out
any lawyers that may appear to rep
resent certain witnesses.
The committee has an appropria-
ton of $500 for conducting the in
quiry, and about half of this amount,
it is expected, will be used to pay
the attorney. The remainder will be
absorbed by clerical help and Incl
dental expenses.
Although five members of the COM
mittee are veteran lawyers, none
wants the job as counsel for the COM
mittee because of the time it will con-
sumo and also because they are not
familiar with the District code or the
figures in Washington's underworld
life. The lawyer selected, it was said,
will be required to devote full time
to the job.
Information Is Checked.
Several members of the committee
spent several hours yesterday after
noon checking up on information
given them by persons who are in
terested in the investigation. One
complaint investigated by Represen-
tative Reed, Republican, of Illinois
concerned an officer attached to the
second precinct, who was reported
to have struck a colored man over
the head with the butt end of his
revolver while making an arrest.
Meanwhile. Maj. Brown said he al
ready had conferred with Commits
sioner Hazen, in charge of police af-
fairs, over the possibility of altering
the present method of testing officers
eligible for promotion.
Maj. Brown feels the Civil Service
mental examinations now are not
practicable, especially from police
viewpoint. He pointed out that in
many OF the cases the men taking
the tests have been out of school for
years and have forgotten much of
what they learned
For instance, he pointed out, some
OF the questions have to do with how
much room it would take to store a
ton of coal. Policemen don't have to
store coal. Neither do they have to
bother particularly with geography,
fractions, rhetoric or even the Kings
English.
If Maj. Brown has his way, promo
tions henceforth will be based more