Evening star., 1945-07-16
Leader Of Vice Raid
Admits He Neglected
To LIST Men S Names

mystery To-Day surrounded the
identity of five men seized last Fri
day afternoon when police raided an
alleged vice resort in the l700 block
of Pennsylvania avenue NV. and
later released.
1t. Roy Blick, head Of the vice
squad, who was in charge of the
raid, said he made no record of the
names or addresses of the men for
possible use as witnesses or other
wise.
1t. Blick said today he released
the men but refused further COM
ment on the situation. John B.
Diamond, Sd, in charge of the United
States district attorneys staff for
Municipal Court, said there is no
charge that can be brought under
existing law against persons found
in disorderly houses.
Meanwhile Carmen Beach and
Mrs. Margaret Locke, two of five
women arrested in the raid, pleaded
not guilty to charges of operating
house of assignation when they
were arraigned before United
States Commissioner Needham c.
Turnage. Conviction of this charge
is a felony. Their cases were con-
tinued to July 81 when Detective
Sergt. Murray Kutner told Com
missioner Turnage the Government
needs more time to prepare its
case. Cases of the Beach woman
and three others charged with
vagrancy in Municipal Court have
been continued to August 8.
Inspector Harvey Callahan, acting
superintendent of police, said he
has no responsibility in the case be-
cause 1t. Blick reports directly to
Col. Edward j. Kelly, superintend-
ent of police, who is on sick leave.
Inspector Robert j. Barrett, head of
the detective division, said the same
thing.
But when Col Kelly left a sick
bed today to answer questions about
the procedure, he said that Gala
han is running the Police Depart
ment, and its up to him to know"
Capt. Letterman's Comment.
Capt. Oscar Letterman of the
third precinct, who was present on
the raid along with 1t. Blick and
the vice squad, said:
The raid was in charge of 1t.
Blick. The men and women in the
place we're taken directly to head
quarters and not to the third pre-
cinct. I saw that the girls and
men were nude, but I did not rec
ogniZe any of the men and / do
not know who they were"
Inspector Callahan said today:
lit. Blick works directly under
Col. Kelly. He discusses these things
with the colonel. The first I knew
of the raid was when I read it in
the papers. 1 asked 1t. Blick if he
knew the names of the prominent
men or the five men and Blick said
no, that he had no record. There is
a slight possibility that one of the
other men on the raid may have
taken down the names. 1t. Blick
denied to me he said that two Of the
men we're high Government off,
cialS."
Officials "Not so High"
Saturday morning, in response to
questions, 1t. Blick told a Star re-
porter that two of the five men were
Government officials, but mot so
high"
What do you mean by thatP" he
was asked.
That's all I can tell you," was
his reply.
Three months ago, the Civil Serv-
ice Commission advanced 1t. Blick
from sergeant to lieutenant over
more than score of other sergeants
senior to him. The reason given
at the commissions Office at that
time was that ne is an expert in
the field" of suppression of vice.
Asked today what would happen
in the event it appeared necessary
to suspend 1t. Blick, Inspector CAL
lahan said:
Hes the same as any other police
officer. Any proper official of the
department could suspend him and
prefer charges If this became neces-
SarV"