Evening star., 1947-01-01
Another Peak Year
OF Crime Forecast
For DC. in 1o47

For Dc. in 1947
The sharp rise in District crime in
1s4s will be duplicated this year
Inspector Robert J. Barrett. chief Of
detectives predicted today as the
Police Department squared away for
another 10 months battle against
law-breakers.
inspector Barrett. terming 1916
the worstscrime year in his % years
on the force, said there were three
principal reasons for crime increase.
/. Wholesale adoption of the FIVE
day week.
2. Discharge from the armed
forces of millions of men, many OF
whom have settled here.
3. The new practice of the services
in permitting personnel to wear
civilian clothing.
Crime Picks Up Fridays.
Saturday night used to be our
busy time," the detective chief said.
"Now our crime problems start on
Friday and continue throughout the
weekend. That's because the five
day week gives potential law-break-
ers time to succumb to their tempta-
tions.''
Although there were 101 murders
committed in Washington during
1s46-twice as many as in 1944-In-
spector Barrett pointed out the
Homicide Squad has solved all but
four. Unsolved are the mysterious
stabbing- murder of James A. Kemp
or September /, the holdup-shoot-
ing Of Peter Gramos on December l.
the dissection Staying of Gloria
Badly, colored, in May, and the
murder of William Atwater, colored,
in January.
In 1916, records reveal police
cleared 5,6O1 felonies. Suicides in
creased from 131 in 1945 to 143 In
1946. There were no double suicides,
but detectives handled six cases Of
suicide and murder.
In 1945, Inspector Barrett said,
the Homicide Squad brought in all
but two Of the culprits in go murders.
He agreed with Maj. Harvey G..
Callahan, police superintendent, on
two moves which may help Wash
ington solve it's crime problem in
years to come.
More Policemen Sought.
Mai Callahan seeks an increase
of police strength from the present
1,70O to $500, and more stringent
law governing concealed weapons.
The detective chief, with about l15
operatives at his command, said he
was more than satisfied with his
present staff on which he accented
quality rather than quantity.
1t. Robert v. Murray's Robbery
Squad had twice as many cases to
handle in 1916 as it did the year be-
fore. Last year, the plainclothes-
men of the robbery squad closed 507
of 703 cases, compared with the 331
out of AT, they solved in 1945.
The Police. Departments per-
centage of crimes solved rose side
by-side with the number of crimes
committed. Police officials credited
the return of younger men to the
police force from the armed forces
and new crime detection and pre-
vention methods adopted gradually
since 1941 for the excellent record"
of the uniformed and plainclothes
force.
The year which ended at midnight
last night was marked by three ma
tor news stories in the realm OF
crime and law enforcement.
The appointment of a new superin-
tendent, Maj. Callahan to succeed
the retiring Col. Edward j. Kelly,
who died not long after leaving the
force.
Four Murderers Executed.
The execution of four convicted
murderer-Earl Mcfarland, William
Copeland, julius Fisher and Joseph
D. Medley-and the sentencing OF
four more killers to death.
The sensational escape from the
death house at District Jail of Nc
Farland and Medley last April.
The four new occupants OF the
death house for their conviction in
1946 murder cases are all colored
men. Lawrence I. Prout, 20, and
Alfred L. Hawkins, %, were SEN
fenced to death for killing John
Paul Knight, "a, in a grocery store
holdup April 13. Jesse James Pat
ton, 81, and Reginald j. Wheeler,
26, were sentenced to death for the
holdup-slaying of Druggist Maurice
L. Bernstein June 5. The four are
scheduled to die in the electric
chair this year.
A chronology of other sensational
crime stories of 1916 follows:
February 12-Mrs. Maude o. Sum-
mers, SO, shot her daughter Annie
to death when she learned the girl
was pregnant.
March 5-Wilbur Stammler, 38,
killed his foster son, Pea pilot
George D. Leist and committed
suicide in the Wardman Park Hotel.
March 5-Mrs. Olivia Ordona,
Dominican wife of the chef on the
presidential yacht, beheaded her in
FAINT daughter because she cried
too much"
Veteran Beaten to Death.
March 6-Boss Williamson, 61-
vear-old veteran Soldiers Home resi-
dent. was beaten to death on the
grounds, but three indictments were
dismissed. ,
April 1-Former 1t. Col. Paul
Stoutenburgh killed his wife and
daughter, then himself.
June 3-Army deserter Henry
Eisenbarth clubbed Don Glendenlng
to death in the latter's apartment'
June 13-Arthur D. Millison. "a,
pushed Mrs. Dorothy Mahoney, 25,
to her death from a Lafayette Hotel
window, then leaped afte.. her.
June 14-Edward Austin killed his
common-law wife, Mrs. Adeline
- Hi1lnd