Evening star., 1953-05-14
Commissioners Study
Methods Of Confininu
Material Witnesses
By ChorIes 6. Brooks

The District Commissioners
are considering refltting witness
rooms in a number of police pre-
cinct stations and offering them
to the United States Marshal for
the detention of material wit
neSSes.
The only trouble is, Marshal
Bruce Matthews isn't too inter-
ested.
Commissioner Samuel Spencer
said last night the board held a
discussion on the problem of
confining witnesses needed by
Government prosecutors but who
cannot put up the bond set by
judges.
Rooms Are Available.
Mr.. Spencer declared the Com
missioners talked with Police
Chief Robert v. Murray, who
told them a few rooms are avail
able at certain police stations.
They would probably have to be
re-equipped. Only two of them
are in good shape.
At present, persons who are
unable to provide bond as ma
terial witnesses are thrown into
the District Jail and may be held
from the time of the arraignment
of persons accused of a felony
until the trial of the defendants.
This can mean months of i'm
prisonment.
But the material witnesses are
not criminals. They are not
charged with any crime. Instead,
they are needed by the Govern
ment as witnesses to a crime
committed by someone else. They
are held as material witnesses
If the court has any reason to
believe they might not otherwise
show up for the trial.
Gallinger Hospital Clause.
Mr.. Spencer said the Commis-
sioners will confer with District
Budget Oficer Walter L. Fowler
on the hitherto unnoticed pro-
vision in the District Appropria-
tions Act, which provides that
material witnesses be confined
to Gallinger Hospital. The Dis
trict Code precludes confinement
to any penal institution.
When the clause in the act
was pointed out to Gallinger
Supt. DR.. Phillip A. E. Stebbing,
he declared he had never heard
of it before and said he would
strongly protest if authorities
attempted to send such wit
nesses to the hospital.
Mr.. Spencer believes it may be
left out of the draft of the next
years appropriation bill, al
though the section has been in
cluded in appropriations acts for
at least the past two years.
Matthews Comments.
Marshal Matthews announced
yesterday he did not intend to
do anything about the jailing of
material witnesses. He declared
there are entirely too few such
persons who cannot make bond
to worry about.
II don't see anything too hor-
rible about the witnesses being
In JAIL" the marshal added.
He is backed by a number of
judges, including Chief Judge
Bolitha Laws, of the U. S. Dis
trict Court for the District of Co.
lumbia. who said he believes jur-
lists hold only irresponsible per-
sons as material witnesses any,
way.
AS to the possible use of rooms
in police precinct stations, Mr..
Matthews said he will meet the
problem when it arises, al
though he indicated the admin
istrative problems involved might
be too difficult.
"The papers," he declared,
"are making a mountain out of
this"
Rover Offers Views.
Meanwhile. United States At
torney Leo A. Rover said the
possibility has been advanced of
using the luxurious jury rooms
in the new Federal Court Build
ing.
He said he had not thought
about the problem too much but
that he did not think it the
best idea to have material wit
nesseS tossed into the District
Jail.
The problem arose on Tues
day when two persons confined
in jail as material witnesses in
a pandering case since last Sat-
urday finally were released on
their personal bond.