Evening star., 1940-01-27
Trial Board Weighs
Charges Against
D. {. Policeman
Sergt. Baker Decision
May Be Made Today;
F. B. !. Angle Dropped
BULLETIN.

F. B. !. Angle Dropped
BULLETIN.
A special trial board today
cleared Detective Sergt. John K.
Baker of charges lodged against
him following the Justice De-
partment's investigation of the
Metropolitan Police Department
last spring.
A special Trial Board had under
advisement today the case of Sergt
John K. Baker, the only officer OF
the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment against whom charges were
made following the Justice Depart
ment's investigation here last spring
There was possibility the Trial
Board might reach decision toy
day. Testimony was presented at
hearing at the fourth precinct sta
tion yesterday. Attorney James A.
O'Shea, counsel for the defendant,
was expected to file a brief this
morning to support his contention
that one of the charges against
Sergt. Baker was invalid because of
the statute of limitations.
Another of the original charges
was dropped as the hearing ended
late yesterday. The board agreed
to drop the charge that Sergt. Baker
made an untruthful statement to
an agent of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. Attorney O'Shea
challenged the accusation on the
grounds that the prosecution had
failed to offer proof that the al
legedly untruthful statement was
made to an authorized Government
official.
Army Regulations Cited.
Mr.. O'Shea contended the three
year statute of limitations provided
in Army court martial regulations
applied to the charge that Sergt.
Baker had surgical instrument
that allegedly came into his pos
session as property which had been
found and never turned over to the
police property clerk. Sergt. Baker
testified the instrument was given
him in 1928 by a gasoline station
attendant.
In a third specification the officer
was accused of having in his pos
session and wearing a wrist watch
which, without justification or ex-
cuse. he had removed from the De-
tective Bureau" Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel j. Francis Reilly, who
conducted the prosecution, first at
tempted to show that the watch
was included in property stolen
from Fourteenth street shop and
recovered later by police. This ef-
fort failed, however, when it was
shown the serial number of the
watch stolen from the shop was
different.
Sergt. Baker testified he had found
the watch in a drawer in the police
pickup squad" room used by mem
bers of the squad for their per-
sonal belongings. He said he wore
1t from time to time and that no
one on the squad seemed to know
to whom the watch belonged.
Attorney O'Shea called several
members of the squad, who testified
that 1t was not unusual for the
officers to use articles kept in the
drawer, whether they were theirs or
not. The drawer was described as
a sort of community storage drawer,
in which all the squad members
kept personal belongings, such as
pens, pencils and watches.
F. b. 1. Agent Gives Statement.
Early in the hearing Special Agent
Richard L. Chapman of the F. B. l.,
one OF the two agents who ques-
toned 'Sergt. Baker, submitted a
statement which he said had been
signed by Sergt. Baker on May %,
1889. He testified Sergt. Baker at
first Stold him he had bought the
watch from an 'informer," but that
he later admitted that was lie.
Sergt. Baker told how the agents
had questioned him on that day
from $50 am. to 3:45 pm. and
said Special Agent Michael j. Cas-
sidy accused him of having received
$4,000 in graft. Asked why he had
signed the statement if it contained
untruthful charges, Sergt Baker told
the Trial Board:
Il had been working all night the
night before, and I was so confused
by their accusations and so nervous
that 1 guess I didn't know what I
was doing. BY that time I hadn't
had any sleep for about 30 hours.
I was all upset"
Attorney o'Shea called a number
OF character witnesses for Sergt.
Baker, including Representative
Schultz of Indiana, Joseph L. Ar
mold, vice president of the Wash
1ngton, Virginia & Maryland Coach
Co.; Inspector William E. Holmes,
Capt. Ira Keck and other police
officials. All testified that Sergt
Baker was honest, trustworthy and
efficient"
The Trial Board members are 10
v. Morgan, the one-man Board of
Tax Appeals; Capt. H. c. White
hurst, director of highways, and Ed
ward Dent, tax assessor |