Evening star., 1946-02-15


Next Week on Custer
After Filing Answer
The answer OF Howard B. Gill to-
day was before the commissioners
declaring there is mo basis in law
or in fact" for his removal as gen.
eral superintendent Of penal insti-
tutions.
Mr.. Gill is awaiting hearing, prob
ably the end of next week, on 16
charges Of incompetency and in
efficiency preferred against him by
the Board of Public Welfare. The
case is to be heard before a three
man-nonofiicial board of inquiry
consisting of two lawyers and a
banker.
In the case of each charge, Mr..
Gill filed either denial or a justi-
hcation of his actions but protested
again that some of the allegations
were too vague to permit adequate
reply.
Uncertain ON Causes.
In many instances, he said, 81 will
90 to the hearing without having
been able in advance thereof to
determine what I am supposed to
have done as causes for my dis
miSsal."
Six of the 16 charges have already
been branded by the Civil Service
Commission as insufiiciently de-
tailed.
Mr.. Gill told reporters he was
reluctantly blaming the Commits
sioners for "this situation" because
they are victims of 'tthe peculiar
setup Of the District government
which they are as anxious as any,
body to remedy" He said they have
done their best ''to see that I re-
ceived bill of particulars and a
fair hearing" but added:
Neither they nor can make
something out of nothing"
Mr.. Gill has been suspended since
December 6 following an. invest.
|gation Of the escape Of FIVE rris,
(Cners from the District Jaii Novem.
Iber "A. 7sa
Reserves Rights.
Because Of the vagueness of som,
LOT the charges, he told the Com.
I:nissiUners he had to reserve. al
rights, including whether to appea
Ito the Civil Service Commission.
{ The answer pointed out that al
though his dismissal was recon-
|mended as an aftermath of the Jail
break for such matters as delays
in reporting to the police at the
time Of the escape ''the inexpert-
ness Of the search (shakedown) .
"the absence Of procedures sum-
Fciently explicit to permit response
bility for the escape to be fixed, and
the inability of the resident super
intendent to perform his full duty
due. in large degree, to interference
by the general superintendent" none
of these allegations remains in the
charges now made against him.
In other words I was suspended
December 6, 1945, by reason of a
set of charges now abandoned" he
declared.
Claims Pressure ON Others.
From December 13 to January II,
he went on, efforts were made to
concoct other charges to justify the
recommendation of the Welfare
Board. As late as February I, he
charged, pressure was being brought
"on reluctant costodial officers at
the jail to sign a petition" that they
would not cooperate with him in
the future.
Mr.. Gill said it was significant
that Is of the allegations have to
do with administrative details at the
jail and relating to every limited
number" of Jail officials.
These, he said, were apparently
proposed to provide Justification
ex postfacto" for action taken by
the Welfare Board previously. The
alleged bases for these charges, he
said, "have never before been re-
garded as important enough to merit
either oral or written protest from
my subordinates or oral or written
comment from my superior officers. y
Sees Lowering Of Status.
ITO dignity such trivia, even If
true (which they are mott, as
charges sufficient to remove the
general superintendent OF District
penal institutions from office" he
declared, "is to bring the profess
sional status Of that position to the
level Of petty discipline for prison.
ers.
The suspended general superin-
tendent told the city heads he well
coined the opportunity to present
further details to the board of in
quiry and he reserved the right,
when the evidence of the Welfare
Board is presented, to make further
written as well as oral response.
Members Of the board OF inquiry
are Walter p Bastian and Francis
w TYiYY N uyunrs o,,d Ayf,<.5 II