Evening star., 1945-11-28
Guard Out on Bail
To Be Key Witness
lin Jail Probe Today

Lawrence A. Howard, suspended
District Jail guard charged with
attempted extortion, was called by
a board of inquiry today as a key
witness in the investigation of last
Saturdays jailbreak.
Police 1t. Robert v. Murray, who
questioned Howard at length yes
terday. said police had closed their
examination growing out of charges
by two women that Howard asked
them to pay $25 weekly in return
for special favors" to a Jail inmate.
Arraigned before United States
Commissioner Needham C. Turnage
yesterday, Howard was freed on ST.
900 bond and his case continued to
December 5 so that he might OBJ
tain counsel.
Women Make Charges.
The 29-year- former soldier was
accused by Mrs. Janis Harris and
Mrs. Vera Sawyer on two counts of
attempting to extort money in con-
Isideration for special attentions for
ia prisoner, Herman Billet, So, now
serving a sentence in Lorton Re-
Iformatory on a narcotics conviction.
1t. Murray said he was satisfied
from his investigation that Howard
had fraternized with prisoners out
on bail and former convicts, but any
other charges would have to come
from a potential grand jury in
Ivestigation.
Among other things he learned
from prisoners questioned was that
Howard had taken money from per-
sons on the outside with the inten-
ton of smuggling whisky to jail
inmates, 1t. Murray said. However
no evidence was presented that
whiskey actually was smuggled in,
he added.
The Interrogation and arraign-
ment of Howard yesterday held up
the Jail break investigation by the
three-man board of inquiry. With
four prisoners still at large, Guards
B. E. Samples and H. F. Robinson
have been suspended, along with
Howard, pending outcome of the
probe.
Threat Question Raised.
Among questions the board was
expected to ask Howard in the closed
hearing was whether one or more
of the escaped men had threatened
him before the break Police said
they had no information that How
ard was aware of the escape plan.
A report that Howard observed
an overcoat belonging to one of the
escaped prisoners hanging on the
window from which they fed, but
was slow in reporting this irregu-
larity, also was to receive the inquiry
boards attentions.
Meanwhile, the Justice Depart
ment revealed the story of how a
District prisoner, now on trial here
on a mail fraud charge, was allowed
to leave the Jail in the summer of
l943 to transact business.
Linked With CurIey Case.
The prisoner was identified as
James G. Fuller, who with Repre-
sentative Curley, Democrat, OF Mas
sachusetts and three others is being
tried on a charge of conducting a
war contracts fraud alleged to have
been promoted during the time Full
ler was allowed to leave the Jail.
In the investigation that followed
a Jail guard was dismissed with
prejudice for receiving gifts and
fraternizing with inmates" Ray L.
Huff, director of the Department of
Public Welfare, admitted yesterday.
The Justice Department said the
story was hushed up while the fraud
case was being prepared.
Mr.. Huff said the investigation
showed the guard had received
tickets to prize fight and hotel ac-
commodations in New York, but the
guard insisted these came from a
relative and not the inmate.