Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-01-30
Murphy Cleared
On All Counts
By Trial Board
Fire Chiefs Account
Of Rototion System
Called Convincing
BY NewboId Moves, Jr.

Fire Chief Clement Murphy
today was acquitted on all counts
of decentralization" charges
against him. The decision of
the special three-man civilian
trial board was unanimous.
In a 14-page opinion, read by
Board Chairman Austin F.. Garfield,
the panel called Chief Murphy
competent leader"
1--WE think from the record be-
fore us that the charge of inef1-
cheney and the charge of unf1tness
for holding public Office have not
been sustained" the board wrote.
1--WE do not find that the men or
the department as a whole have suf-
fered by a loss of morale"
The decision was loudly ap-
plauded by an audience-mostly
composed of fremen-which packed
the trial board hearing room at the
Municipal Center Building.
Chief Is Congratulated.
Chief Murphy, who had listened
impassively during the reading of
the boards decision, smiled happily
as he received the congratulations
of his men when the hearing
broke up.
The board, which is advisory to
the Commissioners, declared Chief
Murphy had given clear and con-
vincing" explanation of his "rota-
ton system" OF personnel transfers.
A charge that poor administration
of this system had lowered the fire
departments morale was described
by the board as 'the real issue be-
fore u.s.
The rotation system charge was
the last of nine specific accusations
in the indictment of the fire chief.
Two of the other specifications
charged the chief with being intoxi-
Gated on duty. Five dealt with in
cidents in which he allegedly used
rough language to his men. One
accused him of nisusing a rescue
squad ambulance.
On all of these counts, the board
found that the prosecution had
failed to sustain the burden of
proof"
Consultations Recommended.
Having cleared the fire chief,
the board proceeded in its opinion
to recommend that he sit down
with dissident members Of his de-
partment and iron out differences
between them.
I'VE urge both sides to meet
promptly in an effort to arrive at
what we hope will be a complete
accord for the benefit not only OF
the fire department, but to every
resident of the District" the board
wrote.
Sitting on each side of Mr.. Can
field as he read the opinion were
his two colleagues on the special
panel-William P. McCracken, jr., a
lawyer, and Joseph A. Wilmer, a
merchant.
Deliberated Day and Half.
The three men reached their YER
dict at noon yesterday after deliber-
ating q day and a half, but delayed
announcement of the decision until
1890 am. today.
Next to the rotation issue, the
board indicated in its opinion that
1t thought the most serious charge
against the fire chief was one &C
cusing him of having been intoxi-
Gated last February at multiple
alarm fire in a beauty shop at
Fifteenth and L streets NV.
1.-THE board states emphatically
that If the evidence had justified a
finding that the respondent was in
toxicated as charged it would have
recommended his removal from
Office" the opinion said. ION the
other hand, the board is convinced
that the charge on this specification
was not sustained, and we, therefore,
find the defendant not guilty"
On each count the opinion pre-
sented detailed review of the evil
dence and an explanation of the
verdict.
Robust Language Tolerated.
Mr.. Garfield and his colleagues
were outspoken in their judgment
that Chief Murphy could not be
condemned for having used rough
sometimes profane-language to his
subordinates on occasion, although
Fire Department regulations forbid
such language. Testifying in his
own behalf during the trial, the fire
chief had substantially admitted the
(See MURPHY, Page A-3)