Evening star., 1941-03-19
Curran 10 Get
Evidence in Dog
Tag Shortages
Aides Deny Data
Was Destroyed
To Cover Up

Was Destroyed
To Cover Up
All available evidence gathered by
police and other investigators in the
Districts inquiry into dog tag short
ages will be presented at once to
United States Attorney Edward M.
Curran for any action he sees fit
to take.
An order to this effect was issued
today by the Board of Commits
sloners after they had been given a
nnal report by Acting Capt. Earl
hartman, who headed a special
squad of detectives who have been
investigating the shortage inten-
SlVely since January 25.
during the course of the inn11irv
the Commissioners dismissed three
DlStrict clerks who had been en-
gageo one way or another in the
handling OF dog tag sales or dog tag
accounts, but no charge was made
against them in connection with
the shortages. Each of the three
was dismissed for the good of the
service"
Essential Records Missing.
The exact amount of the short.
ages has not been determined nartIv
due to the fact that some essential
records are missing. In this connec-
tion the Commissioners announced
they were convinced that destruc.
tlon OF some of the older records was
oone to make room" in the tax COL
lectors office and that thev had M
reason to believe that these records
were destroyed TO cover up short.
ages" 0-'o+
Capt. Hartman agreed with the
commissioners on this.
because some Of these older rpc.
oros are missing. in whole or in part
II was decided to submit to the Dis
Crlct attorney only those records
ana the results of the inquiry onlv
1or the fiscal years 1910 and 1e4i.
since the question of criminal
prosecution is to be reviewed bv the
united States attorney, the munich
pal offlclals declined to publish ths
summary OF the evidence prepared
oy Capt. Hartman and his assistants
or TO announce exactly what was
Ihelr hnd1ngS as to shortages in ths
past two fiscal years.
Shortages May Total $40 900.
However, an earlier report bv Dis
trlct Auditor Arthur Pilkerton.
which was published recently
showed that he and his assistants
nao found a shortage of So 1893 "a
ior the period from July l, 1899.
TO June 80, 1910, and s1,338 for the
period of July /. 194O to November
50, l940. This would show a total of
S423l.94.
Auditor Pilkerton's report also
showed a shortage of s3.070e1 for
the period July /, 1888. to June 30.
1889, and s2,49787 for the year july
l, 1886, to June 80, 1887. No esti-
mate OF any shortage was given for
the fiscal year 1888 in Mr.. Pilkerton's
report because it was said no records
were available.
Since records also have been de.
stroyed, so far as the Commissioners
could learn for fiscal years 1884. 1885
and 1886, some District Building
observers have figured that if short.
ages had occurred in those wears,
the grand total shortages might be
closer to $4,000 than the $4,000
shown in the auditors report.
Reimbursement Expected.
District officials explained TODAY
they were limiting the report they
made to the District attorney to the
fiscal years 1910 and l941 because
they did not believe they should
present evidence for years for which
the police and the auditors could not
find complete records.
Corporation Counsel Richmond B.
keech has already advised the bond
ing company which had written a
100000 bonds for former Tax COL
lector Chatham M. Towers that the
District would expect reimbursement
for proved shortages. Mr.. Keech
indicated today he did not believe
restricting the evidence presented
to the District attorney to only the
latest two years would injure the
Districts claim for coverages for
shortages which otherwise might be
proved.
The Districts new collector OF
taxes, Guy w. Pearson, took Office
November l, after Mr.. Towers was
retired. The Investigators found no
shortages after November 80, 1910.
The Commissioners today went on
record complimenting Capt. Hart
man and his associates for the
thorough manner" in which they
conducted the probe and also praised
Auditor Pilkerton and Collector
Pearson for cooperating.
Todays action was taken after
a conference attended by Corpora
ton Counsel Keech, Capt. Hartman,
Auditor Pilkerton, Collector Pear.
son, the three Commissioners and
Board Secretary Geoffrey NJ.
Thornett.
The Commissioners issued the
following statement:
Capt. Hartman having advised
the Commissioners that his in
vestigation had been completed with
reference to the sale of dog tags
in the Office of the collector of
taxes, the Commissioners instruc-
ted Capt. Hartman to present to
the United States attorney for such
action as he may deem proper any
and all information gathered as the
result of his investigation"