Evening star., 1946-09-03
Inquest Holds
Soldier in Death
OF Policeman
Driver of Stolen Car
To Face Grand jury
In Chase Fatality

wv 0'Nii0 S0Iy
In Chase Fatality
Pvt. James O. Claire, 81, a soldier
stationed at Fort Belvoir. was held
for the grand jury today in the
death of Policeman Donald w
Downs. 27, by a coroner's jury.
Pvt. Downs. father of four chill
dren, was fatally injured while di-
recting traffic at Seventh street and
Maine avenue SW. Saturday night
when struck by stolen car driven
by Pvt. Claire.
Policeman V. r. L. Locke of the
accident investigation unit testi-
fed that Policeman Downs was
thrown 62 feet by the automobile.
He died Sunday morning in Emer-
gency Hospital
Pvt. Claire sat impasSively through
the testimony taken before Coroner
A. Magruder Macdonald. Pvt. En-
NETT r. Waters of the accident in
vestigation unit, read statement
allegedly made by.-Pvt. Claire Sun
day afternoon at No. precinct The
Statement told of drinking four
beers at various places in Northwest
Washington on Saturday afternoon
and continued, Il thought the liquor
stores were closed. Red (unidenti-
fledD suggested getting a taxi 1 sug-
gested stealing car
Car Parked Near Cafe.
Pvt. Claire said in the statement
that they found an automobile
parked in front of a cafe at Sixth
street and Massachusetts avenue
NV, where he had been drinking.
and stole it, and that they went into
a colored section of the city where
they bought a fifth and two half
|pints of liquor.
When I heard the siren" the
statement said, Il did not look
around. l took it for granted he
was after me because 1 was driving
la stolen car. I wasn't looking
ahead, I was looking for a clear
space to turn in and make a quick
stop, jump out of the car and run
for it. I felt the impact of some
thing hitting the car. I lost control
OF the car and ran up the side
walk"
Checked at SO Miles Per Hour.
Pvt. Waters testified that Pvt.
Claire was intoxicated when he first
talked to him shortly after the ac-
cldent and answered all questions
with Il don't remember"
Pvt. John Bush, a motorcycle
policeman, testified that the auto
mobile involved in the accident made
OH at a great rate of speed when
he first noticed it proceeding on the
wrong side of the street at Sixth
and F streets SW.
He said that as the car fleeing east
on Maine avenue approached the
Seventh street intersection, the left
door was open and the driver had
his left arm out and one foot on the
running board. Pvt. Bush testified
that four blocks back he checked
his speed 1t was 50 miles an hour
He said the car ahead picked up
speed after that
Pension Based on 1916 Pay.
Unless the public helps. the widow
OF Policeman Downs will receive a
monthly pension that has remained
the same since 1916.
Inspector Walter Thomas, assis-
tant superintendent and personnel
offcer, said that Mrs. Downs and
her four children will receive the
same amount-$60 plus $40 for each
chlld-as would be paid to the
family of policeman who died from
natural causes.
Appealing for funds for the Downs
family, Superintendent Harvey G.
Callahan and other officials called
attention to "the financial problems
of a policeman trying to rear a
family on a policemans salary or
the lmpossibility of a man in this
position carrying adequate insur-
Iance or putting aside adequate say
ings"
Police salaries. it was explained,
have about doubled since 1916. But
tnere has been no change in the
oaslc pension amount. Congress in
1923 amended the District police
pension law but did not increase the
pension payments.
businessmen in the Southwest
section have sent about 5000 to No.
4 precinct station to assist the
Downs family, police announced
These contributions and others
from civilians and police personnel
Will be turned over to Inspector
Clement P. Cox, metropolitan police
chief clerk, as treasurer for the
fund.
Besides the pension, Mrs. Downs
will receive 5000 from the Police
Association. Inspector Cox said
Policeman Downs did not belong to
other pension plans which would
have provided immediate total paw
ments of $500 The salary of
fourth-grade policeman, Pvt. Downs
classification, is $2,780.
Funeral services for Policeman
Downs will be held at m Friday
at Holy Comforter Catholic Church,
Fourteenth and East Capitol streets.
Burial will be in Fort Lincoln Gene
terry. The Downs family lives at
424 Fifteenth street Sc
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