Evening star., 1949-01-15
Po|icemanWaits
Health Custer
Trial Verdict
Medical Testimony
On Highsmith Given
At Board Hearing

In case believed without prece.
dent here, young police private
who insists he is physically fit to-
day is awaiting judgment of a tria.
board as to whether he should be
dismissed from the force because
of alleged disability not acquired
in line of duty.
The policeman, formally tried
yesterday under a procedure USED
until now only for infractions OF
police discipline, is Pvt. Alton L
Highsmith of No. IA precinct. The
charge of unfitness, to which he
pleaded not guilty, grew out of his
loss of consciousness while at the
wheel of scout car early last Au-
gust 81.
Testimony at the trial revolved
around the contention of a member
of the Board of Police and Fire
Surgeons, who examined Pvt. High
smith following the incident, that
the loss Of consciousness suggests
epilepsy" and that the 26-year-old
policeman's condition lis such that
he is totally untitled for police
duty"
Attorney H. Clifford Alder, de-
Tending Pvt. Highsmith, cited parts
of the testimony of two medical
specialists, who were Police Depart
ment consultants in the case, to dis
pute this charge.
Overholser Quoted.
He also asked that the board con-
sider as evidence an opinion written
for the District Commissioners in
1914 by DR.. Winfred Overholser,
superintendent of st. EliZabeths
Hospital, on the validity of BRAIN
wave tests in determining epilepsy.
Such a test, made on Pvt. High
smith following the August 81 lapse,
was reported by DR.. Harold Stevens,
a neurologist and psychiatrist, who
was one of the two consultants. as
indicating moderate abnormality."
DR.. Stevens also testified, how
ever, that about Is per cent OF nor
NAL persons show an abnormal re-
action in this test, and this fact, it
was learned afterwards, also is set
forth in Dr. Overholser's opinion.
Pvt. Highsmith's medical history,
which testimony showed includes
two childhood head injuries involv-
ing Inconsistencies, was a key issue
in the trial.
DR.. Oscar Fulcher, Georgetown
University neuro-surgeon, said Pvt.
Highsmith's history indicated he
suffered, on August 81. something
between" a convulsion caused by
earlier head injuries and an attack
of migraine.
DR.. Fred Williamson. police physi-
elan who recommended the charge
against Pvt. Highsmith, testified his
first diagnosis was migraine, but
that after consultation with Drs.
Stevens and Fulcher and on the
basis of his experience with epi-
leptics, II think I can be pretty
well justified in saying this man has
epilepsy"
A fourth physician, DR.. Jack
Clay, Gallinger Hospital admitting
officer, testified that he could find
nothing definitely wrong with" Pvt.
Highsmith when he examined him
shortly after the August 81 incident.
Served as Navy Diver.
Testimony showed the policeman,
as a wartime Navy deep-sea diver
on Guadalcanal, had suffered Sc
we're headaches accompanied by
flashing before his eyes. Earlier, he
had engaged in amateur boxing for
five wears as member of the Boys
Club of Washington, but without
injury. 1t was brought out that the
August 81 incident is his sole ex-
perience of the kind.
The policeman himself told the
board it was hot on the morning of
August 81, that he had eaten little
and had been drinking coffee "all
night long" to keep awake. The
attack occurred about 750 am,
while the scout car was stopped,
and Pvt. Highsmith regained con-
sciousness a short time later at
Gallinger.
Police officials, in pointing out
that this is apparently the first at
tempt by the department to oust
a member for health reasons under
trial board procedure, explained that
under law no policeman can be dis
charged without trial board hear
ing. Police rules also prohibit re-
tention of physically unfit members.
In another case, the board fined
Pvt. James C. Watson, traffic divi-
sion motorcycle policeman, $40 and
officially warned him on two charges
of failing to appear in Municipal
Court. The policeman stood trial
yesterday and contended he was not
guilty.
Pvt. Watson said he was late re-
porting at court December l8 be-
cause he misunderstood the time,
but the board gave him warning
on this. For failing to appear De-
cember "a, he was fined $40. Pvt.
Watson claimed that on the second
occasion he had misplaced his traffic