Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-11-08

murray case.
AS a result of the trans
initial to the Commissioners Of
the District of Columbia by Mr..
Eugene Davidson. president.
District Of Columbia Branch Of
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
sometimes hereinafter re-
ferred to as NAACP), of the
unanimous resolution of the
Executive Committee, District
of Columbia Branch Of the Ma
tional Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People.
dated the 18th day of June,
1857, authorizing and directing
its president to document GER
tain charges against Chief of
Police Robert v. Murray and
to seek the removal of the said
Robert v. Murray from his
Office as chief of Metropolitan
Police. D. c., and the SUISSE
quent filing with the Com
missioners by the president of
the District of Columbia
Branch of the National Asso-
citation for-the Advancement Of
Colored People of certain
charges and specifications
against Chief Of Police Robert
v. Murray in support of said
resolution, the Board Of Com
missioners Of the District Of
Columbia. after causing certain
Investigations to be made. and
after certain preliminary dis
cussions, both hereinafter de-
tailed, and following due notice
to the respective interested
parties. convened in the board
room Of the District Building
a public hearing upon said
charges and specifications.
Upon receipt from the COM
plainant Of the charges and
specifications, the president Of
the Board of Commissioners,
pursuant to direction of the
board, transmitted the same
to Warren Olney III, ASST
ant Attorney General. United
States Department of Justice,
with the following request:
e. 1t is requested that q
thorough investigation be made
by the Civil Rights Division Of
the department of the charges
preferred by Mr.. Davidson, as
well as any evidence or indi-
cations that may come to the
attention of the department
of any failure to protect and
enforce the civil rights of in
dividuals within this jurisdic-
ton by the government of the
District of Columbia"
Reply BY Olney
In reply thereto Assistant
Attorney General Olney wrote
to the President of the Board
of Commissioners, in part, as
follows:
THE material submitted to
you by Mr.. Davidson, copies OF
which we're forwarded to me by
your letter, do allege that in a
number of instances the civil
rights of certain individuals
may have been violated by the
use of more force than was
necessary by a police oficer in
effecting an arrest or taking
other police action. These al
legations will be given appro-
pirate study by the Civil Rights
Section.
THE remainder of Mr.. David
sons charges complain OF
alleged discriminatory prac-
tices in the administration OF
the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment but they are not Sugges-
tive of criminality. Conse-
quently. they will not be studied
by the Civil Rights Section. the
authority of which is limited
to possible violations OF the
criminal laws of the United
States"
The Commissioners there
upon concluded that it was nee
essary for the Board of Com
missioners to conduct its own
hearing upon the charges.
Prior to the commencement
OF said hearing, several meet
ings were held at which pro-
cedures for the hearing were
established. Among other
things, it was agreed that the
hearings would be confined to
the charges and specifications
filed by the NAACP, including
such further specifications as
might be filed by the NAACP
up to twenty 600 days prior
10 the hearing. that the hear
ing would not be conducted
until the Commissioners had
received from the United
States Department of Justice !
that departments report con-
corning the cases Of alleged
police brutality specified by the
NAACP, that the NAACP would
have made available to 1t GER
tain evidence peculiarly within
the control of the Metropolitan
Police Department, that men,
bers of the police force would
be authorized. in accordance
with Sections IA and So Of
Chapter II of the Manual of
the Metropolitan Police De-
partment. to give authorized
representatives of the NAACP
information within their
knowledge concerning the mat
terS set forth in the charges
and specifications of the
NAACP against the chief of
police, and that witnesses would
be required to testify under
oath. orders were issued to
carry out the foregoing agree
ments. II was agreed that the
hearing should commence on
october 81. 1857.
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