Evening star., 1941-07-04
Ex-Detectives
1oBeQuizzed
In Police Probe
Inquiry to Resume
Monday; Brown
Denies 'Gestopo'


Barrett and SergtS. Richard NC
Carly and Robert Murray-hav'
been described before the subcom
mittee as outstanding" detective
who were glad" to get out Of th'
Detective Bureau because of exist
ing conditions.
In addition to these three officers
Acting Chairman Hebert of tht
subcommittee said he probably
would call several others, but de-
clined to reveal their names.
Mai. Ernest w. Brown, Superin.
tendent of the Police Department
the chief witness late yesterday, cor.
roborated the statements of severa
other police officials that the De.
tective Bureau is the weakest link
in the organization, but explained
he had already taken steps to re-
organize it.
Questioned on Retirement.
Soon after Maj. Brown took the
witness stand Representative Hebert
asked him if he contemplated re-
tiring.
There is a story in a daily paper
tThe STAR today to the effect that
you plan to retire" said Mr.. Hebert
NO" said the superintendent
who pointed across the committee
table to Commissioner Hazen and
declared the Commissioner had ask
ed him to remain and he would.
Then the newspaper story is in
correct?" asked Mr. Hebert.
NO, I wouldn't say it is incor-
rect" he declared. Then he added
that reporter had asked him if
he had contemplated retiring and
he said he had.
I've contemplated it for some
time" Maj. Brown explained, "as
I suppose every one eligible for re-
tirement has"
Story Not 1ncOrrect."
After he left the witness stand,
Maj. Brown reiterated that the pub
lished story-a story which said he
may ask for retirement the latter
part of next month after he COM
pletes his term as president of the
international Association of Police
Chiefs-Was not incorrect"
Il was asked if had made appli-
cation for retirement" said Maj.
Brown and l said no. The story
said I may seek retirement after
my term ends as president of the
International Association of Police
Chiefs next month. have no fault
to find with that statement"
And at his home last night, Mai.
Brown declared:
Il decided when 7 was in Florida
last year would not spend another
winter in the Police Department"
Admits Inefficiency.
On the witness stand. Maj Brown
admitted the police had lacked eff
cheney in three recent murders
the assault killings of Elizabeth
Strieff, Mrs. Rose Abramowitz and
the recent Staying of DR.. Heinrich
Simon. German refugee musicolo-
gist.
Maj. Brown laughed at testimony
of two police captains that the de-
partment has "Gestapo," a spe-
c1al squad to spy on brother police
men.
Absolutely no." he said.
He corroborated the testimony of
Acting Capt. Earl P. Hartman
earlier in the day denying that his
special investigation squad had any
such duty. Others had named the
Hartman squad as the alleged "Ges-
tapo."
Mai. Browns testimony closed
yesterdays session of the inquiry
and Mr.. Hebert told newspapermen
the investigation already had justi-
fled itself ard lis progressing
nicely" In
Began as Private.
Maj. Brown told the committee
he had been member of the force
since 1896, when he entered as a
private.
Would you describe the Police
Department as efflcient?" Repre-
sentative Hebert asked
My department has been recog-
nized, and I feel that is efficient" :"
said Maj. Brown. 1T may be that
some divisions of it are more eff
cient than others. There have been
three recent murder cases which
have given us great difficulty. 1t
has been my aim ever since I was
appointed superintendent October
%, 1882, to build up the efficiency
and morale of the department"
Maj. Brown said that when he
took office he succeeded an Army
officer who had served Il months
and had left the department pretty
much demoralized," especially since
the F. B. I. had just made an ex-
haustive investigation of alleged
brutality on the force.
Maj. Brown said he felt the de-
partment had done very we'll until
recently when we had this series
of murders"
Mentions "Sniper Case"
He mentioned the fiscal year 1882
as typical of past performance,
when, he said, there were sc mur-
ders and only two remained un-
solved. He admitted, under ques-
tioning, that many of these we're
honicides which could not be
classed as mysteries. He spoke of
the recent "Sniper" case, pointing
out that it had been solved
THE three more recent murders, I"
he added, have given us the great
est concern, and I'll admit that we
haven't any lead today in any of
them"
do you think the department was
efficient in these cases?" the chair
man asked.
1T has not been proved efficient
so far"
Maj. Brown said that in the Strieff
case he put the best men he had
to work and did everything possible
''Is it true" asked Representative
Hebert, that at least six hours
elapsed after this girl was reported
missing before the police lifted a
finger?"
Il don't think so. In lot of
cases people are taken sick on the