Evening star., 1947-08-26
arCor1lnlittee
ToAid in WRITING
Strong Sex>La
Will Work With Fay;
PorIey With Officers,
Doctors Slated Todoy


Doctors Slated Today
A special 15-man committee
was named today by District Bar
Association President George
Mcneil to help develop a strong
antiperversion statute and inves-
tigate the entire, question of
broadening the scope of the Dis
trict's mental health law.
Mr.. Mcneil said the committee will
work closely with United States At
torney George M. Fay who now is
preparing a statute to insure full
prosecution Of sex offenders, partic-
ularly those who endanger children.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Fay's first con-
ference with experts on the proposed
statute was scheduled for this after
noon. Scheduled to confer with Mr..
Fay were Capt. Rhoda Milliken of
the Women's Bureau, 1t. William
T. Murphy of the Juvenile Bureau,
James v. Bennett, Federal director
OF prisons, and DIR. Winfred Ovef-
holser, superintendent of st. Eliza
beths Hospital.
Problem Believed Medical.
The executive board of the Dis
trict Medical Society last night
authorized DR.. Overholser, chair
man of the society's subcommittee
on mental health, to speak for the
society at today's meeting with MIR.
Fay.
The medical group takes the posi-
ton that perversion Is primarily a
medical problem. The society favors
enactment OF an adequate statute
to protect the public from persons
of abnormal sex behavior.
In another development, assur-
ances came from the House and
Senate District Committee spokes-
men that the legislative groups will
act promptly, after Congress re-
turns, to take up the question OF
stronger laws dealing with sex Of
tenders.
Kirkland Sees Favorable Action.
James r. Kirkland, counsel for the
Senate District Committee, predicted
favorable action on corrective legis-
lation. Speaking from his former
service as an assistant United States
Attorney here, Mr.. Kirkland told
The Star:
1T have reason to know how in
adequate is the present law and feel
confident the committee will act
promptly to correct the system. Our
system of treatment of sex offenders
now is archaic and far out of line
with modern practice"
Miss Mabel Haller, clerk OF the
House District Committee, said the
problem of corrective legislation al
ready has been assigned by Chair
man Dirksen to the Health and Edu-
cation Subcommittee headed by
Representative Miller, Republican,
of Nebraska.
The Bar Association Committee
will be headed by William c. Sulh-
van, who said he expects to call an
organization meeting this week. Mr..
Sullivan said he will name two work
ing subcommittee.
Win Aid In Developing Statute.
One subcommittee, he explained,
will offer It's service to Mr.. Fay in
developing a statute that PROVIDES
ample punishment" for offenders
and psychiatric treatment for those
the court believes would benef1t
from it.
The other subcommittee, Mr.. Sui
livan explained, will work on the
question of liberalizing the mental
health law to provide for the COM
mittment Of the mentally Ill, In
cluding some sex offenders.
Named to serve with Mr.. Sullivan
on the special committee are:
Frederick A. Thuee, Charles E.
Ford, John P. Labofsh, Arthur G.
Katims, A. ]. spero, Frederick r.
Gibbs, Warren Magee, Harold F.
Hawken, Arthur G.. Lambert, James
J. Hayden, DR.. william c. Wood
ward, Paul B. Cromelin, John Paul
Jones and Albert A. Jones.
overholser Proposal Favored.
Mr.. Sullivan said he personally
favored a set-up Of the type pro-
posed by DR.. Overholser as far as 1t
can legally be accomplished DR..
Overholser proposed this plan for
dealing with sex offenders:
l. All offenders, when taken into
court, would be given psychiatric
examination.
z. On the basis of the psychia-
trist's findings, the court at its dis
cretion could send the offender to
Jail for a long term or commit him
to st. Elizabeths, or a similar In
stitution with maximum security
facilities, for treatment.
8. II committed, the man would
not be released until another psy-
chiatric examination indicated it
was safe to let him returnsto society.
A. Once q committed man was
released. he could return to court
for trial on the original offenss If
the United States Attorneys office
still wanted to seek prosecution.
Nervous Disorders Blamed.
Pleas that nervous disorders were
to blame for sex offenses were ad-
vanced in two Municipal Court cases
yesterday.
James L. Tinsley, 81, of the 1900
block of Monroe street NV, con-
victed Saturday of indecent expo
sure, was sentenced yesterday to pay
$1o0 or spend As days in Jail. Defense
Attorney Leo C. Sullivan, in seeking
leniency of sentence, said the de-
fendant suffered from a nervous
disorder. which was the reason for
his medical discharge from the
Army. He also testified Tinsley had
been drinking and had a hangover.
Judge John p. Mcmahon replied: ::
"If that's the way whisky affects
him, he should keep away from it.
II he still has a nervous disorder,
he'd better get further treatment" :"
Tinsley paid the fine.
In another case, Oscar Alexander
Aubin, 80, of the HOO block of
Euclid street NV, was granted a
30 day continuance by Judge
George Nelson on a charge of in
decent exposure The continuance