Evening star., 1952-10-21
Board Hearing
Against Beach
Studies a Citations
Of Misconduct by
Suspended Sergeant

The troubles of Police Sergt.
James G. Beach-flnancial and
otherwise-were unfolded in detail
today as he went before a police
trial board.
Sergt. Beach is under suspen-
sion on four charges involving his
conduct on the force. One con-
Germs his arrest of citizen who
was freed after Is minutes and
later exonerated. The others con-
Germ complicated financial diff
|culties.
The first witness, Inspector
Charles j. Sullivan, related events
in the early hours of September
Is which led to Sergt. Beach's
suspension.
Sergt. Beach, the inspector said,
left No. 10 precinct around 1915
am. that day and visited four
taverns. Later he was assisted
into a scout car by a citizen at
Fourteenth and Newton streets
NV. and rode in this car with
two other officers for a while.
Describes Arrest Case.
Inspector Sullivan said the
scout car received a call to go to
1859 Columbia road NV, the
home of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank E.
Altizer. It appeared, he continued,
that Mr.. Altizer would not turn off
the light and would not go to bed
and his wife had summoned the
police.
Sergt. Beach went into the
house with the two other police
men. The Altizers' 6-year-old son
was up and, according to Inspec-
tor Sullivan. Sergt. Beach told Mr..
Altizer he'd like to take him out
in the alley and beat him for hav-
ing the child up at that hour.
Inspector Sullivan said Sergt.
Beach arrested Mr.. Altizer for
being drunk and disorderly. The
three policemen took him to the
station house. but he was re-
leased Is minutes later and a few
days afterwards was cleared of
any charge.
Inspector Sullivan cited other
events that night which resulted
in the charge against Sergt. Beach
of conduct unbecoming an officer
and making untruthful statements
to a superior.
History of Debts Related.
A series of witnesses traced
Sergt. Beach's financial difficulties.
AL Bean. an employe of a garage
at 459 I street NV, said Sergt.
Beach owed him $104 for repairs
to his automobile. He tried to
collect at various times and finally
complained to the Police Depart
ment. Claude E. Miller, an official
of the American Security g. Trust
Co., testified Sergt. Beach owed
$210 on a loan
Arnold Dean of 1896 Biltmore
street NV. said he loaned Sergt.
Beach $500 several years ago and
had been able to collect only $153.
Joseph T. Green, an official of
the Commercial Finance Co.,
Mount Rainier, testified of the
troubles the firm had collecting a
5000 loan. This loan has been
repaid since the firm complained
to the Police Department, he tes-
titled. Sergt. Beach asked Mr..
Green to tell the trial board how
many loans he had made with the
firm and repaid without any COM
plants. Mr.. Green said that since
1912 the policeman had made 30
loans ranging from $75 to $500
and that they had no trouble col
lecting except on the last one.
@ Owed SEQ to Woman.
Police Inspector George r.
Wallrodt testified that a Mrs.
Elinor Durocher. now living in
Connecticut, lad loaned $3.50 to
Sergt. Beach and had been unable
to collect. He said he had a con-
ference with Sergt Beach and
that $100 Of tie loan was repaid
in his presence.
Inspector Wallrodt said the
written complaint by Mrs. Du-
rocher charged that Sergt. Beach
had threatened to wipe up Four
teenth street" with her husband
If she complained to his superiors.
Sergt. Beach is the brother of
Beverly C. Beach, sus-
pended last spring when he failed
to satisfy a Senate District Crime
subcommittee on how he acquired
about $4,000 over a 2-year period.