Evening star., 1954-10-21
Carper and Taylor,
Acquitted, May Face
,TriaI-Board Action
By Joseph B. Byrnes

Top District officials today
were considering the possibility
of taking trial board action
against Police 1t. H. H. Carper
and Detective Sergt. William A.
Taylor following their acquittal
of bribery charge.
1t. Carper, the former chief
of the narcotics squad, and Sergt.
Taylor, his second in command.
were acquitted yesterday in a
dramatic return by a Federal
court jury. The panel OF nine
men and three women found 1t.
Carper and Sergt. Taylor not
guilty of taking more than $4,000
protection money from dope ped
dler James (Jim Yellow Rob-
erts.
Murray to Seek Guidance.
a Police Chief Robert v. Muir
ray refused to comment on the
jury's verdict. However, he said:
s., when the United States At
torney Cleo A. Rover) has in
dicated there is no further prose-
cution, I will ask for his files in
the Carper and Taylor case and
] am going to consult with the
Corporation Counsels office as
to my next STEP"
Earlier, Chief Murray said the
step would be possible trial board
action for any police regulations
that may have been violated.
Commissioner Samuel Spencer.
who has jurisdiction over the
=. police department, declared he
was not very surprised at the
acquittal."
He said he would oppose re-
instatement of both Sergt. Tay-
lor and 1t. Carper until the en-
tire matter could be studied. He
added he would await a report
from Chief Murray. whom he
understood would talk with Mr..
Rover before making any recon-
lamentations.
Z e''I am also going to confer with
Corporation Counsel Vernon
West. The next move might
well be the calling of a trial
board" he concluded.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Rover's Office
was attempting to resolve a prob
lem caused by the verdict, re-
turned by the panel within 2
hours and 35 minutes after they
got the 16-day-old case.
It left Sergt. Taylor free OF
any completely in the alleged
, narcotics protection racket. 1t.
= Carper, though, stands charged
in two other indictments-one
for receiving pay-offs to protect
dope peddler Randolph (Cat-
fish Turner. In the second, 1t.
Carper alone is charged with
bribery
Assistant United States At
torney Frederick Smithson, who
prosecuted yesterdays case, said.
he would have to re-evaluates the
two remaining cases against,
Carper. He conceded the base
lost was by far his strongest and
indicated the remaining indict-
ments might be dropped.
\ Defense attorneys Myron Ehr-
Itch and Joseph Sitnick said
they are considering demanding
their clients, especially Sergt.
Taylor, be restored to duty.
. Carper Sobs With Joy. sa'4
Yesterdays verdict. coming
with dramatic suddeness, caused
1t. Carper to break into sobs
just as jury foreman. Robert D.
Fitton, 54, of 4441 BrandWine
street NV, salesman, in a
strong voice intoned the last
Not Guilty
= Mrs. Carper, a Board Of Pub
lie Welfare employe, and Mrs.
Taylor, policeWoman, were
seated in the last row. They
rushed forward, crying hysteric-
.gally, into the arms of their hus-
bands.
: Presiding Judge Edward A.
Tamm remained impassive.
Trouble for the two suspended
members of the narcotics squad
began in March, 1852, when Jim
Yellow Roberts made his star
, Ting disclosures before a Senate
s. Crime Committee and a televi-
ssion audience of millions.
= In May, the two officers were
indicted by a District grand
jury and Immediately suspended
However, the entire original in
dictment was tossed out of court
by Judge Tamm in November