Evening star., 1945-12-05
Coffee Promises
House Inquiry
|0n District Jail

On District Jail
Subcommittee on
Appropriations Maps
Separate Investigation
Reverberations of the District Jail
break and subsequent revelations
reached Capitol Hill today. With
two Investigations of the affair al
ready under way, developments to-
day included:
/. Promise of another investiga-
ton, this time by the House sub
committee charged with approving
the Districts appropriation bills.
2. An accusation by Inspector
r. j. Barrett, chief of detectives,
that jail officials have not Coop
Grated with the police department.
8. Discovery of three more hack
saw blades, bringing to seven the
number found at the Jail since the
fve-man escape of November "a.
The Penal Institutions Committee
Of the Public Welfare Board, which
has received Board of Inquiry's
report of the Jail break and has
launched an investigation of its own,
was to meet this afternoon in closed
session at Municipal Center and
possibly make an announcement
later.
Mrs Catherine Davis, 17-year- -old
wife of Jail inmate, was to be ar
raigned this afternoon before United
States Commissioner Needham C.
Tu1nage on charge of prison
breach. Earlier, Juvenile Court
authorities waived jurisdiction in
the case. Mrs. Davis is accused of
smuggling four saw blades into the
Jail.
Coffee Promises Probe.
A thorough inquiry into circum-
stances regarding the physical con-
d1tlon, management and RESPONSE
bility for the Jail was promised by
Chairman Coffee of the House sub
committee in charge of the annual
District appropriation bills.
we will get on that in the near
future-well in advance of our hear
lngs on next years budget" he said,
A prediction that the subcommit-
tee would go into the whole situa-
ton to see what is wrong" came
simultaneously from Representative
Stefan, Republican, of Nebraska.
ranking minority member of the
Coffee subcommittee.
Both Mr.. Coffee and Mr.. Stefan
raised questions as to whether legal
authority over penal institutions is
strong enough.
Old Bill to Be Studied.
They said they would renew their
stucles of a bill, pigeonholed last
year, which would place the Com
mlssioners in direct control over the
city welfare and penal services,
transferring to them the admins
tratlve powers now vested in the
Board of Public Welfare.
Mr.. Stefan was aroused over the
disclosure that the District has been
4 required to bear the cost of housing
Federal prisoners at the jail and tht
District Reformatory, running ar
average of 100000 a year for the
last 80 years.
We will certainly want to 60 into
this feature of the Federal-Distric,
hscal relations problem when the
time comes for decision on the size
OF the Federal payment toward Ma.
tlonal Capital COSTS" he declared
1T is further proof of the ineouity
OF the present lump sum payment
especially since the District is
charged by the Federal Govern.
ment for the care of so-called Dis.
trlct prisoners who are confined In
Federal prisons"
Had Inspected Jail.
Director Howard B. Gill of Dis.
trlct penal institutions had brought
out that 80 of the 245 District pris.
oners recently incarcerated in Fed.
eral prisons had been convicted OF
Federal offenses.
Mr.. Coffee recalled that his SUBJ
committee made a personal inspec-
ton of the Jail last year and tina,
he had recommended "a number OF
changes" to Jail officials. He said
he had noted bad" conditions in
the older cell blocks and elevators
and was impressed with the ease
OF escape" that seemed apparent tc
him.
If a new building program is
needed to replace the older sections
of the jail" he said, why don't
the District officials bring a pro-
gram before Congress. 1t is not ur
to us to initiate such things
I still believe we must have GEN.
trallzed authority somewhere in the
District Government before we ars
going to get anywhere" he said.
Says Police Credit Omitted.
Discussing phases of the inves.
tlgation with newsmen, Inspecto,
Barrett implied that Jail official,
have failed to give police credit fol
assistance. He said 1t. Robert v
Murray and other officers hac
tipped off Mr.. Gill that saw blade
could be found in the cell occupied
by Charles j. Skiskowski, a partner
of one of the escaped men, Michae
Quinn, in the Kann's payroll holdup
| Mr.. Gill, who announced SUNDAY
he had found the blade and another
secreted in the cell of Earl Mac.
Farland, convicted murderer, denied
today he had taken full credit fol
the discovery, but said he told re.
porters that 1t. Murray and other.
deserved part credit
This outburst of feeling between
the superintendent and detective
chief was not cooled by Inspector
Barrett's assertion he never wa.
notified that Jail officials had beer
tipped off a week before the breal
) occurred.
Tips Regarded Usual.