Evening star., 1947-11-30

Accused OF VIQeIlng q
Alarms SiIenced
Testimony that the fire chief
Of Greenbelt, Md, deliberately
ordered the community's fire
alarm system disconnected on
Halloween, 1914. and that during
this time a 3-year-old child
was fatally burned. highlighted
a public hearing at Greenbelt
yesterday before a committee in
vestigating charges against two
town officials.
The committee, comprised of the
Ave council members Of the town
and four civic leaders. is investigat-
ing charges that the two officials are
guilty of charges of either derelic-
ton of duty or rnismanagement.
Accused of silencing the fire warn
ing system to avoid answering false
alarms as a result of Halloween
pranks was Chief George F. Pana-
goulis, who as director of public
safety also is responsible for the
administration Of the police depart
ments of the town.
Five Accusations Made.
The charge was one Of five accusa-
tions placed against him yesterday
for alleged dereliction of duty. The
complaints were made by Robert
Dodge, former member of the town
police force, and brought the total
number filed by him against Chief
Panagoulis to eight. Two other ac-
cusations, originally scheduled to
be considered by the investigation
committee, were withdrawn by Mr..
Dodge during yesterdays seven-hour
session in the Greenbelt Center
School auditorium.
The other official to be investi-
gated by the committee, although
no testimony has been presented
yet in connection with any charges
against him, is Town Manager
James T. Gobbel
Mr.. Gobbel, who will face accusa-
tions made by five present or former
town employees and officials. is
charged with mismanagement Of
the towns finances by paying SAL
aries in excess amounts authorized
by the municipal budget.
Mayor Canning PreSides,
The hearings are scheduled to be
resumed at 7:30 pm. Tuesday at
an as yet undesignated site, accord
ing to Mayor Thomas j. Canning
who presided.
The victim of the fire, the COM
nittee was told. was Tommy Nance
the son of Mr.. and Mrs. Jean. r
Nance.
Because the alarm system was
turned of. Mr.. Dodge asserted
firemen were late in responding tt
the blaze, which was less than foul
blocks from the firehouse.
Mrs. Joseph Rogers, wife Of 9
former Greenbelt councilman anc
a former neighbor of the Nance
family, testified that she telephonee
the operator on duty in the fire.
house and that little more thar
seconds" later, firemen were at the
scene of the fire.
Mrs. Gertrude Brenon, the tele.
phone operator, reported that aftel
accepting the call she Immediately
opened the firehouse doors arc
prepared to sound the siren on ont
of the fire trucks. Before she coule
sound it, she said, three flremen
including two members of thu
police force, arrived to take ou
the fire equipment.
Says Warning Bell Rang.
Sergt. Albert S. Attick, memhel
of the dual police-f1re department
supported her testimony and addee
that warning bell was ringing a!
he approached the, building, ever
though the siren had not been Sc
of atop the firehouse.
He testified that all auxiliary anc
special police of the town had beer
informed the system was discon.
nected and had been told the pro.
cedure to follow in case of fire.
Chief Panagoulis, who did not
deny that he ordered the system
turned off, said similar procedure
was followed on Halloween in 1916
and 1916.
This year, he said, the alarm
system was permitted to remain on
because the charges had already
been filed, but was finally turned
off at 10 pm. because of the false
alarms turned in by pranksters.
Neither did he deny another
charge that he permitted his son
Jimmy, S, and other children te
play on top of equipment in the
firehouse.
Mr.. Dodge, who was first suspend.
ed from the police force and ther
permitted to resign October Is
charged that as a result of thu
chndren's action truck batteries
were frequently run down because
the ignition keys and headlight
were left on.
Admits One Charge.
Admitting he allowed the children
to play there while under constan
supervision Chief Panagoulis salt
the fire department often had regu
lar visitors who brought their chill
dren along to get on the fire engine
and try on the helmets "just TO
the thrill of it." He added, however
he did not encourage tampering.
Other charges filed by Mr.. Dodg
accused Chief Panagoulis of nc
helping other policemen on a,
emergency case; failing to partici
pate "at any time" in the investi
ton of suicide, and using his polio
car for private purposes.
John Bolton, another former po
liceman who was suspended tn
same time as Mr.. Dodge but late
dismissed, repeated the latter