davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1956-12-12

Clarence E. Watson, jr.. 23-
year-old former Pentagon shoe
shine boy. was convicted late
yesterday by a District Court
jury Of the July 5, 1858. duckpin
Staying Of Miss Alyce o. Taggart.
The jury deliberated about 2
hours and 20 minutes in reaching
its verdict. for which the death
penalty is mandatory. Watson
took the verdict calmly.
Judge Alexander Holtzof, who
presided at the trial, set Friday
as the date Of sentencing. The
trial was WatSon's third for the
offense.
Actually. Watson, a Negro. was
tried on three first-degree MUIR
der counts. On one of these.
which charged first-degree MUIR
der through premeditation. the
jury found him guilty Of the less
er charge Of second degree.
The second-degree finding is
practically meaningless because
the jury convicted him on the
first-degree charge on a count
which accused Watson OF Staying
Miss Taggart, 45-year-old Gov
ernment secretary. while trying
10 rape her.
Acquitted on Two Charges
The jury acquitted Watson
on q third charge which accused
him Of Staying Miss Taggart in
her room in Scott's Hotel, 2l00
block Of o street NV, while
he was perpetrsting a house,
breaking. The jury also ac-
quilted Watson on a house,
breaking charge.
Highlights Of Watsons trial,
which began December 3. In
cluded testimony BY police that
Watson had orally confessed 70
them that he hit Miss Taggart
with the duckpin. found In her
room, 70 stop her from Scream
ing and that he had sexual
relations with her afterWard.
Watson also explained on the
scene how the crime was com
mitted. Il was testified.
Watson testified he was struck
BY . detective during question:
ms but this was denied ~ the
Evening star., 1956-12-12

to $3.50 am. and 4 to $50 p.m.,"
he said. Then he added:
I'VE expect nothing less than
a reasonable opportunity to
demonstrate some of our ideas.
They may not all be good, but at
least we should have the chance
to test them under reasonable
conditions and not in isolated
instances where the possible ben
efits will be submerged and con-
cealed by the congestion in the
surrounding area.
Delay tactics, long surveys,
laborious time studies, etc, will
not give the public the prompt
action they are entitled to ex-
pect. While we are firmly con-
WINGED that our proposal is high
ly meritorious. we simply request
that a fair study be made to
determine the issue"
Keneipp Backs Tests
Traffic Director George E.
Keneipp has supported a test on
part Of H street Immediately and
has agreed to recommend other
tryouts if the first test is sue
cessful. He has insisted, how
ever, on studies, both before and
after establishment Of the bus
lanes, of traffic speeds.
Mr.. Chalk urged the Commits
Sioners to reconsider a turndown
of company requests to operate
81 passenger, king-size buses on
two routes. The city heads had
pointed out that two previous
Board Of Commissioners had re-
fused similar requests after
hearings.
The Commissioners have offered
the possibility of new hearings
on the proposal. which involves
the Glover Park Trinidad route
and the P street, LeDroit Park
lines. Residents of Georgetown
have objected vigorously to oper-
alton Of king-size buses on those
lines.
Mr.. Chalk quoted another re-
cent Georgetown decision, in
which the residents objections
were ignored by the Commits
sioners, and called them the
petty objections of the nom
progressive residents in the area"
Majority Rights Argued
I'VE feel that the unfounded
fears Of the venerable residents
of historic Georgetown should
not be allowed to outweigh sound
engineering judgment, progress
sive transit service and the
rights of the vast majority Of
the public Of the District" he
said.
Meanwhile, he complained
that cost of aiding in the Dis
trtct's snow removal program in
recent years has amounted to
$4,000 to 100000 for its prede-
cessor transit system, Capital
Transit Co.
1t was disclosed D. c. Transit
System had requested initially a
$84. 900 contract to take part in
the Districts snow removal pro-
gram. Later, during negotiations,
the company was reported to
have reduced its demand to $751;
600.
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane.
Engineer Commissioner. broke
of negotiations on Monday,
contending the company de-
mands were excessive.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
Family Support
Formula Urged

A Juvenile Court Advisory
Committee yesterday got a pro-
posal 70 give family support pay
ments priority over other debts.
The proposal would prohibit
garnishment Of wages for ordl-
nary debts until fathers VIM
fan 70 support their families
comply with court orders 70
support their families.
Family support orders Or all
mOny payments would Decoms
hTft lens upon a fathers IN
come according 70 the slDcom-
mittes proposal.
Evening star., 1956-12-12

we're protecting a man from
himself. as well as protecting the
public from him. When he sobers
up, he isn't going to squawk.
Waiver System Proposed
Chief Covell believes that
Ia drunk's constitutional rights
could be insured by a waiver oi
court proceedings when he il
Isobered.
IF he signs. it's proof he
doesn't want to go to court,
Chief Covell said. IF he wants
to go to court. we could book
him and let him go before a
judge"
Drunkenness is no offense in
itself in New York City. But il
police there can't get a drunk
home and he needs locking up
he can be charged with vagrancy
or disorderly conduct. Once
booked, he must post collateral
or appear before a magistrate
Officers concede a drying-out
process might turn cellblockS
into hotels. But that would be
cheaper than the existing prac-
tice of using District Jail and
Occoquan as hotels for guests
who linger longer. The, average
cellhlock inmate would receive
only one meal, costing the Dis
trict 80 cents.
2S-Day Average
Drunks who make it to Dis
trict Jail or Occoquan stay an
average Of 28 days each SEN
tence. Many of them put in most
of the year at either the jail
or the workhouSe.
Donald Clemmer, director OF
the Corrections Department, saio
it costs $2,86 per day per in
mate to keep people locked up
The drunk population on an
average day figures out to about
900 at Occoquan, 80 in the Wom-
ems Reformatory and 100 in the
District Jail.
Mr.. Clemmer warns that one
cannot multiply inmates times
average cost and arrive at q
close figure of the money the
District spends on jailed drunks
Much of the $2.S6 would not be
saved by freeing the Merry An
drews. A good piece of thai
money would be spent on guards
electricity and facilities. which
would still be needed for Other
prisoners even if the drunks were
turned loose.
Mr.. Clemmer is in favor Of re-
writing the drunk law. He con.
demns the present system as q
failure,
Evening star., 1956-12-12

Some other large cities do not
regard drunkenness in itself ar
offense serious enough to war.
rant even a misdemeanor charge
Some Of these communities loch
drunks up overnight for safe
keeping" or protective custody,
then release them when sobered
Chief Judge Leonard P. Walsh
of Municipal Court is confident
that a system here different from
the present one could save
money, be more realistic and bs
more humane.
Chief Covell wants it made
plain he is greatly concerned with
what he terms the inhumant
ASPECTS of the present law.
A first offender has violated
the law. and his arrest automati-
cally starts a police record or
him. Under the Covell plan, the
first ordinary drunk arrest woulc
not be a booking offense. II
would merely be noted in a non.
public log. to be consulted in case
of another arrest for intoxica-
ton in a public place.
But while Chief Covell intends
his plan to protect persons, Judge
Walsh and other critics of the
proposal see in it a danger oi
violating the constitutional guar
antee Of due process.
Police Raise Questions
''If we don't charge them with
anything, how can we holc
them?" police lieutenant asked
Understand, now, the way wi
are doing it is plain dumb. Il
doesn't do any good. 1t doesn1
cut down on drunkenness. But
at least we book them.
IF we didn't have to charge
them with anything, then if
was on a beat and I had it II
for some guy, I could run hin
in every time I saw him, anC
he never would get to go tt
court, because he wouldn't b.
accused Of an offense."
Police and city-employed law
yers in Cincinnati, Buffalo anC
Philadelphia told The Star the,
don't accuse drunks of misde'
meanors. unless they need a wal
to hospitalize them. They con
cede their various detention ex.
cuses-such as locking a drunl
up for "safekeeping no
stand a court test.
They don't have to undergo
those tests, however, they said
That's because of the nature
Of what they're locked up for,
an assistant district attorney
lsaid in Philadelphia. after all
Evening star., 1956-12-12

Congress and declared:
I'VE hope to comment favor
ably on affirmative action taken
by cooperating municipal agen-
cies, and we trust that such re-
port will reflect considerable
praise for your efforts in aggres-
Sively attacking and substan-
tally overcoming the major tran
sit problems of the CITY,"
He told District Commissioner
Robert E. Mclaughlin:
1--WE find it extremely difficult
to reconcile the vaguenesS and
tone of your letter with the
understanding which we thought
we had reached with you in con-
ference Of last week. wherein we
had the impression that you
were making available imme-
diately approximately $4,000 as
a start for the program of con-
structing shelters"
d. c. Asks Details
Mr.. Chalk asked the District
to construct shelters at numer.
GUS strategic transfer and termi.
nal points and was told the Dis.
trict might be abe to spend ur
to $4,000 on sucn a progam i'm.
mediately. The Commissioners
however, wrote him, asking more
precise details on the 16 location,
Mr.. Chalk suggested.
Mr.. Chalk asked the Commits.
sionerS to "assign appropriate
members of your staff on work.
ing level for discussion with oul
representatives" to determine
exact locations, structural de.
sign, size ETC., by joint inspec.
tion. :"
Mr.. Chalk asked for further
parking restrictions on downtown
F. G and Seventh streets NV
1T was extremely disappoint-
ing to encounter a complete neg
Iative on the part of the Office
Iof the Director of Vehicles anc
Traffic" Mr.. Chalk wrote to Mr.
Mclaughlin.
"One of the movements of We.
Ihicular traffic which causes ter.
rifle sfaety hazards and gene.
rates traffic delays is the con.
tinual cruising and maneuverinl
OF automobiles for parkinl
spaces, thus forcing other We.
hicleS to the car tracks becaus,
of the narrow roadway between
such tracks and parked automo.
biles. We do not believe the sit.
uation should be allowed to reach
a point where a bottleneck oc.
ours before remedial action |,
taken"
Advised on Policy
The Commissioners have tolC
Mr.. Chalk their policy is to elm,
mate parking wherever it inter,
feres with traffic.
Mr.. Chalk renewed his plea TO
establishment Of lanes reserved
for buses only on at least fou
downtown streets. In addition Il
H street, between Fifteenth stree
NE. and Massachusetts avenuI
NV, he asked that they be in
stituted on Thirteenth stree
NV. from E to H stretes and
on Twelfth and Eleventh strets
from E street to New York ave,
nue..
I'VE are willing to limit tn,
use Of these curb lanes in flov
direction in rush hours only,
Evening star., 1956-12-12
Long Search
Man as
Lye Tosser

The arrest of a janitor accused
Of throwing lye into the face o.
an Arlington woman was an.
nounced last night by the FBI.
Sought for nearly six weeks
John Harris. 81. Negro, sur.
rendered to FBI agents who
found him shaving in a roominG
house in Newark, N. j.
He is charged with concoctinr
a heated mixture Of lye and hurl'
ing it into the face of Mrs
Ralph c. Boyd, 33-year-olC
mother of three, while standinr
outside her apartment door a
% South Old Glebe road Novem.
ber 3. Police said Harris hac
complained that Mrs. Boyd hac
twice walked across floors he hac
just waxed.
Sight, Voice Impaired
While improved, Mrs. Boyd'I
condition is still regarded as pool
and she is expected to be in Ar.
lington Hospital at least two
more months. Vision in her left
eye is fairly good, but she car
barely see with the other. She
still cannot talk above a whisper
The FBI said Harris, also
known as Lemuel Howard Kelly
was working as a porter at q
Newark wallpaper store. In hi,
room agents found a .32-calibel
revolver and four bullets, but ht
gave UP without a struggle.
After extradition proceedings
he will be turned over To Vir-
ginia authorities by the FBI. He
Is charged with mayhem in the
State, and unlawful fight to
avoid prosecution for mayhem
under the Federal code.
S Years in Mental Hospital
Although Kelly took his tanitoi
job at the Highland Hall Apart.
ments September 10 on recon.
mendation Of an employment
agency. the FBI said he has a
criminal record which include,
a five-year stay at the New Jer-
sey State mental hospital.
He was arrested in Jersey City
in March. 1916, and sentenced q
8 TO 5 years for armed robbery
AS q member Of q gang preyina
on taverns and liquor stores, he
carried a .45-caliber automatic
In 1913 he was transferred from
prison to the mental hospital
and after extensive treatment
was released in May. 1854.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
National GoIIey Tour

A lecture-tour on early Chris
tlan art will be held at 2:i5 pm.
Friday in the National Gallery OF
Art. Sixth street and Constitu-
ton avenue NV. Or. Raymond
Sites. director Of educational
activities at the gallery. will con-
duct the tour and give the lee
ture.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
District Authorities Face Problem
In Dealing With Repeater Drunks
BY RICHARD RODGERS

One of the most irritating
problems confronting police,
Municipal Court and jailers here
is the question Of what to do
with repeater drunks.
Authorities familiar with the
District system of handling the
matter are convinced it is wrong.
Night after monotonous night
the year around, repeaters are
hauled stumbling into precinct
cellblocks. The same old faces
keep reappearing in Municipal
Court for another sentence.
Treatment Of drunks in this city
has been compared to a revolving
door. Repeaters Just 60 around
and around between the bottle,
the cellblock, the court, the
sentence and, upon release, back
to the bottle and another cycle.
Policemen. judges and al
most everyone else concerned
with the problem are agreed the
present formula accomplishes
nothing. Instead, it cutters the
court docket, wastes the time of
policemen called to court and
burdens the taxpayer with a
whopping financial load.
Municipal Judge Milton S.
Kronheim. jr., is an exception.
"The system as we have it is
not bad" he said today.
On Monday, when he sent a
load of drunks away to conflne-
ment, he said he entered court
determined to turn as many loose
as he possibly could. you just,
can't let these people go out" he
said later.
He said he was looking for AM
answer to the drunk problem,
but there was no simple answer.
A routine night in the Central
Cellblock, at the 1st precinct,
is a dreary repetition Of a thou
sand other routine nights.
$40 Dividing Line
In the average course of
drunks' affairs. $40 is the magic
dividing line between a drunk
who lis a court problem and al
drunk who is a problem only
until he sobers up.
Repeater drunks seldom have
$40 or anyone willing to throw
away $40 on them.
The law provides for collateralI
to be set as high as 500. Butt
anything above $40 must be ap-
proved by the precinct captain.
Ten dollars is the standard.
The District has two statutes
lon drunks. They are conflicting
but they operate side by side.
One treats alcoholism as al
disease and requires it to be met
with medical care.
The other is the one that de-
fines public drunkenness as aI
misdemeanor requiring arrest
and penalties. 1t is this one that
packs the courts, Jail and work.
house.
39,506 in Year
Last fiscal year. policemen
here entered 39,506 cases of
Ordinary drunkenness on the
blotters. Those we're drunk cases,
in public space, which were
not complicated by additional
Ioffenses. The prisoners were
merely drunk-not drunk and
disorderly, or drunk while driv-
ing a car.
Some Of the prisoners were
under arrest for drunkenness
for the first time.
The first offender is no great
burden upon the courts. He
usually is employed and, when
sobered up, can post collateral
and not appear before a judge.
The monotony Of the roster of
Idrunks is obvious in the statistic
that from 500 to 800 repeatersI
accounted for 5000 to 5000 of
the total of cases.
Some of them we're committed
to disqualification.
Predict Own Return
But a great many more were
Iparaded through the revolving
door. There are repeaters who.
upon their release from Occo-
Evening star., 1956-12-12
Chalk Letters Open
New I ronsit Bottles
EARLY Action Sought on Shelters
And Downtown Parking Limits
BY HECTOR MCLEAN

Laying about with verbal shelaeh D. c. Transit System
Roy Chalk has challenged Georgetown residents battle
administered blows the District director and laid
down a warning to the Commissioners themselves.
In series Of letter to the city yesterday Mr.
Chalk noted that the will make periodic renors
Evening star., 1956-12-12
Climbers

This happened to a former
Federal Bureau of Investiga-
tion man and a lawyer, and
the two of them probably
could have explained If any
police had happened along,
but luckily the cops didn't.
The ex-FBI man and his
family, returning to their
home in a Bradley boulevard
apartment after a visit to
friends in Virginia, found
themselves locked out of their
second floor apartment.
The man recalled a lawyer
friend in the apartments had
a ladder.
While the lawyer steadied
the ladder, the locked-out
unfortunate climbed to the
second-fioor window and pried
of a screen. AS he began
crawling in the window he
noticed something wasn't too
familiar. Small wonder. 1t
wasn't his apartment.
He scrambled down hastily,
made his own place on the
second try, and the next day
headed his neighbors OF from
calling the cops by explaining
how their bedroom window
screen happened to be of.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
Street Scenes . .

Young boy in cowboy garb
talking with an equally young
sari-clad girl as both waited
in line with the White House
tourists. -.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
Thrifty

Five young ladies-Our
informant says they ap-
peared to be Government
girls on their way downtown
to work were seen In an
auto on Connecticut avenue
the other day, practicing
economy.
As they drove along. they
were passing one lone Gig
arctic from one to another.
each taking 4 single puff
before passing II along to
the next.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
CONVENTIONS
TODAY

The American Nuclear So
ciety winds up lis business
at the Sheraton-Park Hotel.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
Craze

SI0&O
A fellow we know stopped
in at the Fairfax County tax
Office recently to make him
self right with the govern
ment.
He laid down his check
for some $500, got his re-
ceipt, then stood waiting
expectantly.
"Was there something
else?" the clerk asked.
Where" our friend in
quired, his eyes wide with
innocence, "are the trading
stamps?"
He says his Shins still are
sore where his wife kicked
him.
Evening star., 1956-12-12
The
Rambler
Don't Get Crushed
In Christmus Rush
BY JACK JONAS

Someone was saying the
other day that something
ought to be done to keep a
good volume of business in
the downtown area.
Whoever it was obviously
hadn't tried to walk along F
street the past few days, and
anyone who has tried it
would never be convinced that
any business problem exists.
The annual, maddening
crush is with us. One lady
shopper said she tainted in
the middle of the sidewalk
and had to walk two blocks
before she could fall down. A
man reported the best way
he'd found for getting through
the mob was to lift his feet
and let himself be carried
along.
1t isn't quite as bad as the
inaugural reception of Andrew
Jackson. Nobody is standing
on the chairs and sofas in his
muddy boots, and nobody is
bowling over the walters
carrying punch and glasses,
as they were then.
But even though the only
things the shoppers are bowl
ing over are their budgets and
one another, they all must
know how the hero of New
Orleans felt as the mob at his
reception all but crushed him
against the White House walls.
One fellow said he had con-
sidered hiring a tiger from
the Zoo, buying a good strong
leash, and taking the beast
with him to clear a path on
his shopping trips. But, being
an animal lover, he recon-
sidered. He was fearful, he
said. for the life of the tiger.
The only suggestion that
can be offered here is that the
shopper adapt for his own use
the tactics Of the waiter who
had difficulty getting a tray
of coffee through a crowd of
guests at a party. His shouts
of Hot coffee!" did no good.
But the guests Immediately
made a wide lane for him
when he began shouting Hot
coffee! Nervous waiter!"
Evening star., 1956-03-22
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NOBODY HAS AS MANY LOW NEAT AND PRODUCE PRICES
ASAGP!
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-24

came evident" in Budapest that
there are differences of opinion
on the way to bring about de-
Stalinization.
Students Gave Warning
Budapest students warned
several days ago they would
stage street demonstrations I'M
less the Communist government
complied within IA days with
demands for more freedom and
improved living conditions for
the whole country.
But they decided to demon
strate Immediately, because the
government controlled Hungar-
ian radio and the newspaper of
the Communist youth organiza-
ton refused to make public all
their demands.
The students were especially
angry because the radio and the
youth paper, Szabad Ifjusag,
failed to print their No. de-
mand-that Soviet troops sta
toned in Hungary be withdrawn
Immediately.
Maj. Gen. Laszlo PiroS, Hun
gary's Minister of Interior, at
first banned all street meetings
and demonstrations. Then he
reversed his decision. but the re-
Iversal was known to only a few
of the demonstrators. The rest
assembled in the belief that they
were defying a government ban.
AS a result. there was much boo
ing of Gen. Piros and shouted
demands that he resign.
A second big demonstration
was held on Budapest's Petoefi
square. on the banks of the Dam
ube in front of the statue of
Sander Petoef1. a poet and ma
tional hero of the last century.
Students marched into the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-24
U. S, Troop Alert
Urged in Far East

TOKYO, Oct. "a. (P.-United
States commanders in Japan and
Korea, marking the 18th ami
versary of the United Nations.
today warned their troops to re-
main alert against new threats
OF Communist aggression.
1T is our duty to remain
ready to preserve the principles
OF peace and security for which
the United Nations stands" said
Gen L. l.. Lemnitzer, United
States Far East and U. N. COM
mander.
In Tokyo rain Cancelled plans
for a formal guard mount and
f1yover of jet planes.
In Pusan. Korea, United States
and South Korean Air Force
planes swept low over the graves
Of soldiers killed in the Korean
War. An honor guard fired a
salute over the crosses.
Gen. 1. D. White, commander
Of United States ground forces
In Japan and Korea, told his
soldiers: Until peace in Korea
Is assured. our forces will con-
tinue alert and combat
rPa0V
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-24

rect road" he pledged peasants
would not be forced to JOIN COL
lective farms.
Mr.. Geroe'S statement occa-
stoned sharp surprise in Bel
grade, coming as it did so quick
ly after the Yugoslav-H Hungarian
communique pledging co-opera-
ton of the two countries. Mr..
GeroeS signing it along with
top Yugoslav Communists had
prompted Yugoslavs to believe
that Mr.. Geroe was moving to-
ward the same kind of program
that Poland was developing
communism without Soviet con-
troll.
Yugoslav observers said it was
probable that it suddenly be-