Evening star., 1946-04-13
improvements al Jail
Foreseen by Hebert
As Result Of Hearinq
Recommendations Likely
Within 48 Hours After
Probe Ends Next Week

Probe Ends Next Week
TEN-DAY DELAY seen before in
quiry board returns Gill verdict.
Page Az
CASE evidence still re-
garded as insufficient for prose-
cution. Page Az
Chairman Hebert predicted to-
day that the House District sub
committee investigating the Dis
trict Jail will make a report of
its finding and recommendations
for improvements within 48
hours after hearings close.
Hearings, which were recessed
from yesterday until Monday. prob
ably will continue most of next week,
Mr.. Hebert said, adding he felt
certain the subcommittee would have
a report before Congress leaves for
its Easter vacation.
Il don't say the report will solve
all the difficulties encountered in
the administration of District pris-
ons," the Louisiana Representative
added. "but I do say that if our
recommendations are carried out,
they will be definitely helpful. In
cidentally, it won't be so easy to
get out of Jail"
Hearings Sped Up.
Mr.. Hebert said the hearings,
which opened Monday, had gone
along faster than any of the COM
mittee expected, and he felt i'm
portant information had been I'M
covered and more undoubtedly
would be before the inquiry is closed.
The subcommittee plans on Mon
day to call Mrs. Betty Mack, whom
Detective Sergt Irving Lubore
named yesterday as the woman to
whom District Jail guard deliv-
cred letters from a prisoner to an
accomplice outside, giving directions
for robbing safes.
Sergt. Lubore, who is a member
of the safe squad, said Mrs. Mack
turned police informant and gave
him the letters intended for Tommy
English, who was awaiting trial last
fall on pandering charge.
The detective read a number of
the letters to the committee. The
writer, Edward F. Tate, who was in
District Jail, suggested a shoe store
a drugstore and a restaurant as
likely spots, explaining how to break
into each, their habits of opening
and closing and when they had the
most money on hand.
Had Exposed Activities.
Previously, Inspector Robert E
Barrett, chief of detectives, testified
that he told Jail officials about the
activities of this guard about a
month before the jailbreak of last
November.
The letters which Sergt. Lubore
produced brought out the name oi
Catherine Davis, II, who later fig
ured in the jailbreak. She was
charged with smuggling in hack.
saw. She pleaded guilty and re.
ceived probation There had beer
a plan for this girl, Sergt. Lubore
said, to get a job in a drug store
slated for robbery so she could leave
a door unlocked for the safecrack.
ers. Tate, however, did not take
part in the jailbreak.
The subcommittee has heard Ray
L. Huff. public welfare director
Howard B. Gill, suspended pena
superintendent; Claude C. Botkin
District Jail superintendent; a mum.
Der of Jail guards, and Metropoli.
tan policemen assigned to the jail
members of the Board of Public
Welfare, the Commissioners and the
Corporation Counsel.
Whether the testimony next weel
will delve into new channels will
depend on developments over thu
week end. On the other hand, lead.
already uncovered may be followed
further as the House group seek.
to fix responsibility for the series
Of sensational jailbreaks which be-
gan last November, and to find wha
in general is wrong with prison ad
ministration here.
Questioning Of Earl Mcfarland
condemned murderer, who wa
captured in Knoxville, Tenn
Thursday, may disclose something
of interest to the committee. I
was McFarland's escape with Jo
seph Medley from the death hous,
April that brought on the congres
sional investigation. Medley wa.
caught in a few hours.