Evening star., 1939-04-15
u Pedestrians
Arrested in Day
In Crack.Down
otoI Climbs to
Nearly 30 in Drive
For Enforcement

TollCe tOudy continued their
breakdown" on violators of the
pedestrian control law after % per-
sons were either arrested or given
tickets for alleged infractions yes
terday, raising the grand total of
arrests to approximately 80.
The traffic division alone issued 10
tickets between 8 am. yesterday and
8 o'clock this morning.
Today's first arrest for violation of
the law occurred when Leroy c.
Montgomery, 10, colored, of 1888 T
street NV. was stopped by Officer
E. j. Couture of the Traffic Division
at Seventh and H streets NV. and
charged with crossing the street
against the red signal. Lacking
sufficient funds to put up collateral
Montgomery was held at the first
precinct station where he was taken
in a patrol wagon.
The arrests follow orders of Maj.
Ernest w. Brown. superintendent Of
police, to the force to crack down
on violators of the rules.
Appalled, by the disregard for the
regulations by both motorists and
pedestrians after a tour around the
city, Maj. Brown today declared
that more severe enforcement Of
the law is necessary in order to show
the public the value of the regula.
tions.
AS part of the new breakdown
era, persons charged with violations
yesterday were put under arrest and
taken either to the first precinct or
the traffic division headquarters.
These four were:
John F. Sullivan, 23 of 351 Tenth
street Sc, and William H. Nc.
Duffie, 49, of 727 Seventh street S.W.;
Norman l.. Knauss, so, of SOB Atlas
Building. and Stuart r Marshall, "a,
of 3606 Newark street NV.
One Pays So Fine.
Mr.. Sullivan and Mr.. McDuffie,
according to police, were crossing the
intersection at Fourteenth and G
streets against the red light and were
arrested by Officer w. w. Hill of the
Traffic Division. They were taken
to the first precinct station In Z
\ patrol -Waesa and booked for viola.
ton of the pedestrian control regu.
| lations.
Officer Hill said the two men
| ignored repeated blowings of his
| police whistle. When he accosted
them, he said both admitted know
ing of the regulations. The officer
said the two men refused to give
identification. and said he told
them they were going to the station
house. Police said Mr.. Sullivan
elected to pay 81 fine.
They reported Mr.. McDuffie would
contest his case, however, on the
basis that he and Mr.. Sullivan were
seized from a group of persons
crossing the intersection because
they were nearest Officer Hill. He
posted his 50 collateral and planned
to defend his case in Traffic Court
next Tuesday.
Two Others Arrested.
The other two men arrested were
Norman L. Knauss, so, of 603
Atlas Building and Stuart B. Mar
shall, Of 1905 Newark street NV.
Both were arrested at Ninth and
F. streets NV. by Officer E. E. Wat
kins of the traffic division on charges
of crossing against red signal. Both
men chose to forfeit their 50 COL
lateral
1t. Frank Varney, acting head Of
the Traffic Division, explained at
some length this morning the legal
status of persons who have been
given pedestrian-control violation
tickets by policemen. These include
those given tickets yesterday.
1t. Varney said pedestrian traf-
fic violator is liable to exactly the
same process of law as is motorist.
He said that persons 'ticketed" were
actually summoned, and that unless
the officer who served the ticket
procureS a warrant for their arrest,
they are not actually law violators
as matter of public record. War
rants are applied for, it was ex-
planned further. only when the
holder of the ticket fails to deposit
or forfeit collateral at the prescribed
precinct. It is only after the person
summoned appears at precinct to
put up collateral or after warrant
is issued that police make public the
names of those facing charges.
The pedestrian control law went
into effect about March /. and ar
rests began on March 10. Since
that time, up until yesterday, more
than half a dozen persons had been
apprehended throughout the city for
various infractions.