Evening star., 1950-02-28
|Crime Probers Seek
$4,000 10 Dig Deeper
Into D. {. Picture

nU y. \. HCIuIe
Chairman Davis OF the House
District Subcommittee investigat-
ing crime made it clear today that
he considers the investigation has
only scratched the surface of
Washington's crime picture.
To get down to the basic facts.
he has asked the House to give
the crime probers another 10000.
He said that so far the investi-
gators have not compelled single
phase OF their inquiry.
1--WE couldn't make a complete
investigation with the $4,000 we
had" he declared. THE $40, 900
would enable us to make a much
more detailed investigation"
Wants to Delve Deeply.
The additional money, he said,
would permit the subcommittee to
look into every aspect" of crime.
He acknowledged that gambling
was one aspect that probably
would be considered with more
funds but he added that he also
wanted to delve deeper into after
hours clubs and sex crimes.
The subcommittee planned to
resume its inquiry into sex crimes
at hearing this afternoon. The
investigators already have been
told that perverts are zone of the
greatest headaches" for Washing
ton police.
Sailed through yesterdays testi-
mony were a series of recon-
mendations bearing directly or in
directly on curbing sex offenses.
These included
l. A recommendation from Ed
ward j. Kelly. special assistant
to the superintendent of National
Capital Parks. that the Metropoli-
tan police take over the job Of
policing the squares and circles
bordered by streets already being
patrolled by Metropolitan police.
1t was brought out that such areas
as Lafayette Square and Franklin
Park are hangouts Of perverts.
2. A recommendation from Spe-
cial Counsel Hyman I. Fischbach,
seconded by police officers, that
laundries be required to register
their marking system with police.
This came after the subcommit-
tee was told how a juvenile rapist
was caught by tracing a laundry
mark on a handkerchief.
3. A proposal by Edward w.
Garrett probation officer of Dis
trict Court. for appointment of a
court psychiatrist and a psychol-
ogist to give offenders complete
mental examinations before SEN
tence is passed on them.
4. A recommendation from Ed
ward ]. Flynn, managing director
OF the Criminal Justice Associa-
ton, for a system whereby the.
Juvenile Court Judge would con-
suit with police and the United
States Attorney to determine
whether the Juvenile Court should
waive Jurisdiction over juvenile
offenders committing felonies. This
came up in connection with a
case where 15-year-old raped a
woman and the case was tried in
Juvenile Court.
5. A comment from Representa-
tive Smith, Democrat, of Virginia.
that if minimum penalties were
fixed by law in the same way as
maximum penalties, sitter SEN
tences might be meted out to sex
offenders.
6. A recommendation from Mr..
Fischbach for establishment of a
permanent council or conference
to control crime, with judges
numbered among the council
members.
Z. A recommendation from In
spector Mark Raspberry, head of
the Park Police, that sex perverts
be forced to stand trial rather
than forfeit collateral.
Accomplishments Cited.
While hearing what needs to
be done to curb sex offenses, the
subcommittee also heard praise
for what has been done-speci-
fically the Miller Act passed in
1948.
1t. Layton cited q case where
an offender with a record Of 10
arrests for molesting children
would still be getting OH with
light fines and short sentences If
1t were not for the Miller Act.
This statute provides for the
commitment Of sex psychopaths
to st. Elizabeth's Hospital. The
man cited by 1t: Layton was one
of the "a he reported had been
committed to the mental hospital
under the Miller Act.