Evening star., 1948-01-25
Decision Likely
This Week in
Murphy Trial
Lost Witnesses to Be
Heard Tomorrow in
Decentralization Case
By NewboId Moves, Jr.

A decision on Fire Chief Clement
Murphy's decentralization trial will
be forthcoming this week.
Last witnesses in the case, which
has been running two weeks, are
scheduled to be heard tomorrow.
If all testimony is completed, a re-
cess will be declared Tuesday to give
attorneys chance to prepare their
final arguments for presentation
Wednesday. When they have been
completed, the special three-man
civilian trial board will begin de-
liberations Immediately.
Although 1t Is doubtful that de-
cision can be announced Wednesday,
the announcement probably will not
be delayed beyond the end of the
week. At least one member of the
panel is scheduled to leave the city
by Saturday.
Session Expected to be Brief.
Tomorrow's session is expected to
be brief. The testimony of six Fire
Department officers, who originally
were scheduled to take the stand
Friday in defense of Chief Murphy's
rotation system" of personnel
transfers, now Is to be entered in
the trial record in the form of
legal stipulation, and the men will
not be called for personal appear
ances before the board.
Two other defense witnesses, how
ever, will testify tomorrow in con-
nection with another count in the
Indictment of the fire chief-that
he used rough language to Battalion
Chief (then Capt3 Gilbert A. Cole
on or about July Is, 1916.
They are Archie c. Hutson, direc-
tor Of construction, D. c. Engineer
Department, and 1t. Col. Vernon L.
Shurm, assistant to the Engineer
Commissioner.
Six Rebuttal Witnesses Due.
The prosecution has six rebuttal
witnesses scheduled for appearance
tomorrow. Daniel B. Maher, special
assistant corporation counsel and
prosecutor, believes their combined
testimony will not take more than
one hour.
Whether the decision is to be
one verdict on the indictment as
whole, or whether it is to deal
specifically with each of the nine
counts of the indictment, has not
yet been decided by the board. 1t
is considered likely. however, that
the board will render a verdict on
each count separately.
In the event that the three
Judges" agree on a straight acquit-
tai, they could simply announce
that fact Immediately. II their find
ing is guilty" on any count, how
ever, they are required by statute
to prepare a recommendation for
the Commissioners as to proper
punishment. Punishment could
range from a reprimand to dismissal
of the fire chief.
Five Charges of Rough Language.
Five of the charges against the
fire chief allege he has used rough
language to his subordinates. Chief
Murphy has admitted the substan-
tial truth of three of these charges,
although when the trial opened he
pleaded not guilty to all counts OF
the indictment.
Two of the specifications charge
the chief with having been intoxi-
Gated on duty. These allegations he
has fatty denied. He also denies he
has made the department inefficient
by establishing rotation system"
of personnel transfers.
One count alleges that the chief
ordered a rescue squad ambulance
dispatched with first-aid worker
to care for the dislocated thumb of
a civilian, and directed that the run
be kept out of the department rec
ord books. He admits authorizing
use Of the ambulance, but denies he
ordered that the incident be hushed