Evening star., 1950-03-31
Counci|0rders
NebeI Dismissal
In B|adensburq
Former Police Chief
Accused Of Falling
To Stoy on Duty

its former police chief, Henry J..
Nebel. for failing to stay on
duty during official tours of duty"
The action was announced at
1:25 am, following a turbulent
f1ve-hour public hearing.
Mr.. Nebel was accused of ac-
cepting bribes, of failure to en-
force State liquor laws and of
threatening to bring a charge of
bribery against a Bladensburg
man. The council ruled there
was insufficient evidence to sup
port these three accusations but
found there was support for the
one involving failure to remain
on duty.
so Attend Hearing.
The four counts were included
IN an order by the council for
Mr.. Nebel to appear and show
cause why he should not be dis
charged for malfeasance and mis-
conduct in Office.
More than so persons crowded
the Bladensburg fire house for the
hearing for Mr.. Nebel-the police
chief until the post was abolished
two weeks ago.
The council reported it was alb
solving Mr.. Nebel on the three
counts ''for reasons that these
charges all involve one of the
most serious crimes by which one
can be charged, namely bribery.
In such case, lone should only
be convicted on the strongest
kind of evidence"
Mr.. Nebel was accused by Rob-
ert M. Brooks, "a, colored, of the
1900 block of Forty-ninth street,
Bladensburg, of accepting $25 and
SIS weekly payments from last
December through March /. The
payments were for permitting
him to sell alcoholic beverages at
his house without a license, Brooks
stated.
Denies Accusation.
This was denied by Mr.. Nebel.
Also denied was a charge that he
failed to make arrests for liquor
law violations during the same
three-month period and another
that he threatened to have
Brooks charged with bribery if
the latter did not deny a written
statement he made under oath.
The council, however, said it
felt there was sufficient evidence
to show that the police official
failed to stay on duty much of
the time during the week preced-
ing March Is. The council state
ment said:
I'VE believe the testimony given
by both Mr.. Nebel and Mr.. Bart
ley tPoliceman Clifton L. Bartley)
was sufficient to indicate he (Mr.
NebeD did not follow through on
his proposed intention of doubling
up on the officers in the police
car in order to better carry out the
obligations of the law enforcement
body"
This failure, the council de-
clared, cleft both officers without
the possibility of assistance to
each other in case they encoun-
tered trouble. Accordingly, it is
felt that this is a serious failure
to comply with the conditions
under which the Police Depart
ment was supposedly operating
at this critical time"
To Be Paid Through April 30.
The Council ordered the dis
missal to take effect today, but
directed that Mr.. Nebel be paid in
full through April 80. Mr.. Nebel's
appointment normally would have
come up for renewal next July /.
The dismissal was approved by
four OF the five councilmen. The
fifth. Josias S. Cobb, withdrew
from the proceedings from the
start because, he asserted, 'Nebel
seems to think I hold animosity
against him."
Mr.. Cobb was referring to his
own arrest week ago on a charge
OF permitting operation of lot
terry" in house owned by him
next door to his home Mr.. Nebel
was the leader of that raid-an
event which took place the night
after the council suspended him
from the police force.
Cobb Hearing Postponed.
A hearing for Mr.. Cobb and two
colored men arrested in the house
on gambling charges was post
poned in Hyattsville Police Court
yesterday until April 10. The hear
ing will be transferred to Upper
Marlboro Police Court. Assistant
States Attorney Hervey G. Machen
asked for the continuance, assert
ing he may present the case di-
rectly to the county grand jury
which convenes Monday.
The only testimony against Mr.
Nebel last night was presented by
Brooks and Policeman BARLEY
Appearing as character witnesses
for Mr.. Nebel were the owners OF
sever1 businesses in the Bladens-
burg area; Roy D. Bright, chief
parole officer for Southern Mary
land, and Ernest M. Mulligan, a
Colmar Manor policeman, who
heads the county's Municipal Po-
lice Association.
Mr.. Nebel is So years old and
has lived in Bladensburg for Is
years. His pay as police chief was
$4,000 annually.
q lAalil Ill IN