Evening star., 1942-08-18
Training in Use
fGuns Seen fol
U. 5. Deputies
FBl Report on
EkIund's Escape
Being Studied
By OLIVER MCKEE.

Compulsory training IN the use
of firearms soon may be ordered for
all United States deputy marshals
throughout the country handling
Federal prisoners.
Plans for this training are under
consideration following the FBI in
vestigation into the escape Of John
E. Eklund, "the sniper," from two
deputy marshals on July 10 while
being transferred to the District
Jail. a Justice Department official
disclosed today.
The FBI report. document OF
several hundred pages, with extern
sive exhibits, has been referred to
James F. Rowe, the assistant to the
Attorney General, for study. Attor-
ney General Biddle ordered the FBI
to investigate the circumstances
surrounding Eklunds escape on
July l3.
Suggestions Asked
Mr.. Rowe, it was learned. has
asked FBI Director j. Edgar Hoover
and Director of Prisons James v.
Bennett to suggest measures for
more effectively safeguarding Fed
eral prisoners in the custody of
deputy marshals.
Though deputy marshals In some
judicial districts now receive train
ing in the use of firearms, this is
far from a universal practice. Under
the plan being considered by Justice
Department officials, the training
would be given at stated intervals,
either by the FBI or local police de-
partments, with regular reports to
Washington as to the results and
progress of the training. Firearms
and ammunition, it was indicated,
would be provided by the Justice
Department.
United States marshals-approxi-
mately IS in number-are political
appointments, subject to conflrma-
ton by the Senate. There are about
1,100 deputy marshals in the United
States. Early this year the deputy
marshals were brought under civil
service, and vacancies in the vari-
Gus districts are filled from the civil
service eligibility lists. The deputies
draw salaries ranging from 81 300 to
$4,000 annually. Transportation and
guarding prisoners is one Of their
principal jobs.
Some Manpower Shortage.
Attorney General Biddle has not
asked that deputy marshals be de-
ferred from the draft. Many dep
uties have entered the armed serv-
ices, and in some judicial districts
a "manpower" shortage has made
it difficult to recruit new deputies
to fill vacancies. In other districts,
there are plenty OF civil service
eligibles.
According to Justice Department
records, deputy marshals, on the
average, handle about 250,000 pris-
oners a year. During the fiscal
year 1910 the escape of eight pris-
oners from deputy marshals was re-
ported. and in 194l four. During
the fiscal year 1912 Is escapes
were reported
In the last eight years the United
States Marshal's Office in the Dis
trict handled approximately zoo, 1000
movements of prisoners, with only
two escapes. No other marshals
Office handles as many prisoners as
that in the District.
Escape Brings Suspension.
The two deputies from whom Elk
lund escaped-Carl w. Carlson and
Robert J. Schmidt-were suspended
by Attorney General Biddle, pending
the outcome of the FBI investiga-
tion.
Mr.. Rowe indicated today that
it probably will be several weeks
before he presents to Attorney Gen
eral Biddle his plan for training
deputy marshals and his recon-
mendation for action on the Eklunc
escape, based on the facts disclosed
In the FBI report. The final de.
/ cision will rest with Mr.. Biddle.