Evening Star Newspaper, February 27, 1933, Page 17

TELLS OF SHOOTING SON-N-LAW DURING DOMESTIC QUARREL Albert ‘Koch, 78, Says He Didn’t Mean to Kill Wil- liam P. Gray, 45. DAUGHTER WAS FORCED TO HUCKSTER, HE SAYS TUnperturbed by Slaying Charge, but Weeps as He Talks of Family. His “bad” right leg crossed over his good left one, Albert Koch, 78, sat in the witness room at the fifth precinet today and, between puffs on his pipe, told how he shot and killed his son- in-law, William Palmer Gray, 45, in their third-floor flat at 1420 North Capitol street yesterday. “I didn't mean to hurt him,” Koch declared. “I had the revolver in my hand only because I wanted to get after him about his not working, and he was such a rough fellow that I thought he might strike me. if I let him see I had a gun, he wouldn’t try to get rough. But he hit me, anyway, and the revolver went off while I was trying to push him away.” Held For Grand Jury. After listening for about half an hour to Koch's story, the coroner’s jury or- dered him held for grand jury action. Kissing his wife and daughter good-by, he climbed into a patrol and was taken to the District Jail. Throughout the inquest, which was presided_over by Acting Coroners A. Magruder, MacDonald and Christopher J. Murphy, Koch sat with his head bowed, clenching and unclenching his hands. He looked up only when his wife and daughter, Mrs. Rose Gray, 28, were called to the stand. Woman Near Collapse. Mrs. Koch, who is 73, apparently was in a state of near-collapse. Her daugh- ter had to administer smelling salts before the elderly woman could walk to the witness stand. Even then she had to be assisted by Will Schoneberger, morguemaster, and Detective Sergt. Dennis J. Murphy. She said she did not wish to testify, however, and was excused by Dr. MacDonald. Her daughter’s testimony, offered tearfully, corroborated much of that given by Koch. She, too, wept on the stand, telling the jury much the same story as he had related at the fifth precinct earlier in the day. Gray's two grown daughters by a previous marriage—Mrs. Mildred Stev- ens and Miss Dorothy Gray, both of 123 Melrose avenue, Bethesda—went to the morgue to view the body. When they sought permission to do so after the inquest, however, their stepmother cbjected. Weeps at Daughter’s Plight. Apparently unperturbed by the fact he was charges with murder, Koch displayed emotion only when he de- scribed how his daughter, Mrs. Gray, had been forced to go from house to house selling fruits and vegetables to support her husband and herself. Then his voice broke and he wept. “She's a beautiful girl,” he said, re- moving his horn-rimmed glasses and wiping his e7es. “I gave her the best education—tnree years of college, music, singing. She's my only child and I wanted her to amount to something. “Then, about eight or nine years ago, she married Gray. I objected, but they eloped to Baltimore. He said he was an engineer, making a hundred dollars a ‘week. After they were married it de- ‘veloped he was a grass-cutter at a country club and got only that much a month, Tried to Help Out. “Well, that was all right. I was will- ing to help him for my daughter’s sake. Me—I wasn’t so bad off. I used to have photographic studics in New York State, and I saved my money. To help them out, I went to live with them about two years ago. My wife and I had been living in Virginia, but we thought we might be able to make Gray do better if we went to live with him d Rose. a 5 “My daughter was making $25 a week as a stenographer, but she lost her job. Then—TI think it was in November, 1931—Gray said he'd been laid off, but 1 found he'd been fired; and he hadn’t saved a penny. Buying automobiles— that's what he’d been doing with his money. “My daughter got him a job as an installment collector, but he que her do all the collecting. He couldn’t drive the car, and said he wanted her to take him around, but he made her do the work. Thirteen hours a day, sometimes more, she worked. Too Proud, He Says. “Then he went into the huckster business with another man. That was all right, but he thought he could do better for himself. I bought him a nice truck, but he couldn’t make any money, so I asked my daughter what was the e She didn't want to tell “She cried. me, but I insisted. Then she said her usband was too proud to go from door 3‘0 door, asking people to buy fruits and vegetables, and he was making her do jt—my daughter, with all the educa- tion I'd given her, huckstering! ; 3 couldn’t stand it. He got my wife to help out on the truck, too, sometimes. “Every time I tried to reason with him, he got mad. ‘Mind your own damn’ business, he'd tell me, and ng Was such a rough fellow that I got g0 1 was afraid to talk to him. “He thought he might dc;' better if he learned how to drive. He'd sold his machine, so I hired one for him for a month, but he only took two lessons. Liked to Eat, He Says. i “He liked to eat, so I_thoug work on him that way. He was fon of chickens and_ steaks and the uk?x I bought a hog’s head and we had has! for three days. That didn't do any good, so I got some beans, and we those for three days, too. “He just turned up his nose, but didn't say anything. 1 couldn’t stand it any longer. I'm not well—I've got. a bad leg, arthritis or something, and I've got trouble in my chest. too. I couldn't stand not eating right. “I decided to talk to him. I was afraid he'd strike me, though, so I got the gun. ‘You're heading for starva- tion’ I told him, ‘You've got to go to work. My money is dwindling away, and I have to kecp a few dollars to keep my wife and me in our old age. 1f you can’t make enough money to pay your expenses huckstering, you'll have to try something else.’ Tells of Fatal Fight. “He jumped up and shouted, ‘What’s it your business?’ He rushed at me, hit' me on the head like this"—Koch rose and went through the motions of scuffiing with some one—“and I tried to push him away. The revolver went off, but I didn’t think he was hurt. He didn’t fall; he just walked across the : -4 sat down.” . Koch learned his son-in-law d| The bill bong i ALBERT KOCH. —Star Staff Photo. $30,000,000 VALUE; HEARINGS DELAYED Plea on Rate Basis Bared as Death and lliness Hold Up Case. |COMMISSION TO RESUME INVESTIGATION APRIL 3 Maryland Chairman Attends Ses- sion; Clayton Deplores Proceed- ings Behind Closed Doors. HIGH WINDS CEASE: DAMAGES SLIGHT 56-Mile-an-Hour Gale Causes No Serious Results. High winds which reached a gale force of 56 miles an hour yesterday afternoon subsided before apy serious damage could result. The blow uprooted a number of trees, however, toppled a chimney, caved in several show windows and caused at least one minor injury. The outlook tonight is for fair and imum of about 24 degrees, followed to- slowly rising temperatures. Today's 25-mile wind was expected to_abate. The lone casualty reported to police occurred when Pinkney Puggs, colored, 712 Morton place, was struck by “a flying trap door” yesterday afternoon while driving a truck along Walbridge place. The wind had torn the door from a nearby residence. Eighth and Kennedy streets and at Thirteenth and G streets. A large shade tree was blown down near Du- pont Circle. . ‘The wind toppled a chimney through the roof of a dwelling in the 1500 block of Wisconsin avenue. No one was injured. High waves running ahead of the gale on the Potomac filled a canoe which two Georgetown law students were sailing off Hains Point. ‘The students, Jack O'Connell, 23, of 1227 L street, and Edward Gaul, 21, of 3117 N street, escaped with a drenching. Passers-by noticed their plight and summoned harbor police and an ambu- lance from Emergency Hospital. While aid was on the way, however, the stu- dents maneuvered their water-filled craft inshore. They then jumped into shallow water and bailed out their canoe, securing it to th:> seawall and hurrying home for a dry change of clothes before police arrived in their patrol boat. ‘The gale reached its peak shortly before 1 b.m., abating in a few min- utes to a velocity of some 40 miles an hour, not unusual at this se=ason. The minimum last night was 28 de- grees and the maximum yesterday 40 degrees at 1:30 p.m. WOMAN DEMOCRATS TO MEET THURSDAY National and State Leaders to Be Luncheon Guests of La- vinia Engle. Woman leaders of the national and State Democratic organizations who took active parts in the campaign last Fall will be guests at a luncheon in honor of Miss Mary Dewson, chairman of the woman’s division of the Demo- cratic Campaign Committee here on Thursday. The luncheon is to be given by Lavinia Engle of Maryland, direc- tor of the Woman Speakers’ Bureau of the committee, and Emily Newell Blair of Missouri, former vice chairman of the Democratic National Ccmmittee and director of the division of Demo- cratic Woman's Clubs during the last campaign. Miss Dewson was chairman of the pre-convention Roosevelt organization and organized and directed the cam- paign which resulted in the polling of the largest woman's vote received by any candidate for the presidency since suffrage was extended to women. Among the guests at the luncheon will be Frances Perkins, who is to be the first woman to hold a cabinet post; former Gov. Nellie Tayloe Ross, vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee; Senator Hattie Caraway, Representative Mary T. Norton, the two newly-elected Representatives, Kathryn O'Loughlin _and Virginia Jenckes, two retiring Representatives, Ruth Bryan Owen and Effiegene Wingo; Miss Mary Anderson, head of the Woman’s Bureau, Department of Labor; Miss Grace Abbott, director of the Children’s Bureau; national com- mitteewomen, State vice chairmen and other woman Democratic leaders. BONDSMAN BILL PLACED | UPON HOUSE CALENDAR to regulate professional dsmen in the District was placed on the House calendar today after a favorable report from the House Dis- trict Committee. Specifically the measure is designed to give the courts of the District power to weed out undesirables engaged in the business of executing criminal bends and to punish unethical collusion be- tween bondsmen, lawyers and police. ‘The report on the bill was filed by Representative Gilbert, Democrat, Ken- tucky, a member of the House District Committee. His report is similar to one filed in the Senate by Senator King of Utah, which declared that under exist- ing ccnditions bondsmen conduct their business with virtually no restraint the courts and are responsible for their 'c’?'?d"“ to no responsible public offi- al. ‘The bill has been passed by the Senate and ‘House action is expected before the adjournment of Congress. ’Iud been shot through the chest, he | ran to the home of a neighbor, Anthony Figliozzie, 1416 North Capitol street. "Calllflu police,” he yel “I've shot Gray!” The police took Gray to Sibley Hos- pital where he died. somewhat colder weather, with a min-| morrow by increasing cloudiness and; ¢ Show windows were shattered nt’ ‘The Washington and Georgetown Gas Light Co.’s will claim a joint val- uation of approximately $30,000,000 on which gas rates are to be fixed, ac- cording to a statement of their at- | torney at the start of valuation pro- ceedings at open hearings before the Public Utilitles Commission wd.ly.! Their present value, as carried on the books of the commission, is approxi- | mately $20,000,000, based on a valua- tion made in 1914 with net additions to date. No testimony was introduced at the hearing today, and the companies asked and cbtained a postponement “on ac- count of the death of one of their wit- nesses and the serious illness of an- other. The case will go on again at 10 o'clock Monday, April 3. Maryland Head Present. Harold F. West, chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission, | sat with members of the District com- mission, as the value of properties of the two companies in Montgomery County, Md., also will be considered at the hearings. Residents of that sec- tion are endeavoring to secure & rate reduction. There 1s no rate question hfiz‘ore the District commission at this j time. At the opening session of the hearing today, Stoddard M. Stevens, 8 member of the firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, at- torneys, of 48 Wall street, New York, advised the commission that it would | be impossible for his clients to proceed. He said that William H. Blood, jr., vice president of the Stone & Webster En- gineering Corporation, retained by the capital companies to direct their valua- tion work for the present case, had died two weeks ago, making it necessary to appoint another engineer to familiarize himself with all of the material pre- pared by Mr. Blood. Another witness, Joseph I. Weller, retained to testify on real estate values, is seriously ill, Mr. Stevens said, and it is doubtful if he will be able to testify. Mr. Stevens and Wilton J. Lambert, Washington attor. ney, are appearing for the gas com- panies. Suggests Conferences. Chairman Mason M. Patrick of the commission then set April 3 as the date for the hearing, and suggested that engineers and accountants for the com- panies and the commission meanwhile confer on prices and on reproduction values 50 as to reduce the ni of controversial issues to be int: at the public hearing. . William McK. Clayton, representing the Federation of Citizens’ Associa- tions, reminded the commission that at conferences such as these, behind closed doors, the public often gathered the impression that witnesses for the commission had been unduly impressed with the companies’ viewpoint on the facts. He served notice that he would move to make all of the out-of-town owners of the majority interest in the stock of the Washington Gas Light Co. parties to the case. Gen. Patrick said that the confer- ences would take place under rules laid | down by the Commission, and that the | Commission would not be bound by any agreements made by its engineers or | accountants. CAPT. HARING HERE Assistant to Col. Grant Was in| Similar Service in Capital Be- tween 1924 and 1926. Capt. Ellis E. Haring, Corps of Engi- neers, United States Army, today re- ported for duty as assistant to Lieut. Col. U. S. Grant, 3d, director of Public Buildings and Public Parks. Following a tour of service at Denver, Colo., he reached New York City from Francisco aboard the transport Republic last Tuesday. The captain served previously in the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks, coming to Washington in July, 1924, and being appointed executive assistant to Lieut. Col. C. O. Sherrill, Col Grant'’s predecessor, Later Caj Haring became assistant director and laid the ground work for the construc- tion of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. He was in Washington until December, 1926, when he went to Denver and there was on duty with the 103d divis- ion and worked with the organized re- serves in the 8th Corps Area. Col. Grant said today that while he has not settled on the exact duties to be formed by Capt. Haring, he will likely be associated with the National Capital Park and Planning Commission, as well as duties in the park system. OPENS DRY. CAMPAIGN Clinton N. Howard Addresses Presbyterian Ministers. Clinton N. Howard, chairman of the National United Committee for Law| Enforcement, who opened a campaign yesterday in Washington churches in defense of the eighteenth amendment, addressed ministers of Washington City Presbytery and vicinity at New York | Avenue Presbyterian Church this morn- !ing on “America’s One Hope.” | 1 _ Speaki at Eastern Presbyterian Church last night on “The First Com- | mandment of the Commonwealth,” Mr. Howard said: | “The Herods and Pilates of American politics, representing both of the major political parties, are making common cause to crucify the Constitution and blast the eighteenth amendment, the 1grulest. moral enactment in the his- | tory of the world, from the organic law i of ‘the Nation.” e FINED FOR PAPER THEFTS by | Two Assessed $80 For Larceny From News Stands. Two colored men, charged with the of Sunday papers from local yesterday, received a total | of $80 in fines in Police Court this | a2 t counts, was s}?::ls on each of the charges by Judge P. McMahon. pen., ¥ ‘gamw“ -zs'g paj was_ sen nnewm-llaylmjdr Che WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1933. TO BEGIN DUTIES =i iths of glory have led to & byhole under the steps of the District Building, where he serves as a mail clerk at $99.75 & month, for Capt. James D'Orsay Murray, hero of two wars and member of the staffs of five British gen- erals, including Field Marshal the Vis- count Allenby, leader of the campaign in the Holy Land. Capt. Murray is rded as one of the world's most col soldiers of for- tune. He holds the most prized medals of valor of the United States, Great Britain, France and Italy and is a cavaller of the Order of the Crown of Italy. He holds the friendship of the great men of a number of nations. Yet, by one of the freaks of the depression, he himself finds himself reduced to a basement bed room at 411 Fourth street and a $1,200-a-year job which keeps him on duty 10 hours a day. Hopes for Better Times. “I hope there will be better things in sight,” Capt. Murray said, “but right now a man can only be thankful for any sort of work. Life must have its low places as well as its heights, and we can only do the best we can wherever we find ourselves and be content with et Musiay 1s thi pt. urray e great-great- grandson of Joseph Murray, militiaman, who was killed by the Hessians at Mid- dletown, N. J. His father was a con- sul to Canada. He is a college gradu- ate, engineer, architect, lecturer and artist. He has soldiered, adventured and prospected in half the countries of the globe. He served for the United States in the war with Spain and was decorated twice by this Government for " ihen vegan en the World War he was living quietly in Rome. He France and enlisted. He drove ambu- lances for a while, but didn’t care much f.: French Army life and so went to London, applied for a commission and was assigned as a lieutenant to the fa- mous Canadian 25th Division. Appointed to Staff. He so distinguished himself that he! Wwas appointed to the divisional staff. He served as a staff officer with Gen. Bethel of the artillery, in Flanders; with Gen. Kerwin on the Somme and with Gen. Hamilton at other positions on the western front. When the Egyptian Expeditionary Force was organized for the campaign in Palestine, Capt. Murray was selected as staff captain and liaison officer for Gen. Allenby, after going to Palestine as staff officer for Gen. Burney, a brother of the adminral-commander of the British fleet. His transport was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediter- ranean, but he was rescued by a de- stroyer crew. He served with Allenby throughout the long campaign in the Holy Land, which resulted in the deliverance of Jerusalem. Among his relics he has the original copy of the radio message an- nouncing signing of the armistice, which he, as liaison officer, delivered to the troops in the Holy Land. He was personally mentioned by Al- WITH SUNDAY MORNING EDITION JAMES D'ORSAY MURRAY. lenby for gallant and distinguished serv- ice and was awarded three British med- als for gallantry, one French medal and one Italian medal, in addition to the Italian Order of the Crown. One of the factors which led to his selection for the Palestine campaign was his brilliant work in France. He developed a new and simplified method for speedily plotting and co-ordinating fleld positions which went into general practice and his personal records are full of original charts of enemy front line sectors which are regarded as unique and valuable relics. He also de- veloped several types of lookout posts which were adopted for general use. For a year after the armistice Capt. Murray remained in Palestine and Assyria. He then went to Italy, to Monteo Circeo, on the shores of the Mediterranean, where he settled down as a peaceful vineyardist. By 1928, however, he was back in the United States and went into the brokerage busi- ness in Wall Street. Returns to Htaly. Signs of the coming financial collapse, however, led him to give up his financial career and he returned to Italy. The | depression began to pinch him and he |used his reserve capital to provide a | home there for his Italian wife and son | while he returned to America to find | whether the American brand of depres- | sfon was as bad as that in Italy. | He found the accounts of bad times |in America fully up to report and, when |no work turned up, he took a civil | service examination. which he passed | with a rating of 99.25 per cent. Because | of his exceptional rating he was given | first available opening, which proved to | be in_the mail department at the Dis- | trict Building. MMONTGOMERY MAY CUTTAXTWO CENTS County Announces Effect of Abandonment of Bond Issue. BY JACK ALLEN, Staff Correspondent of The Star. SILVER SPRING, Md., February 27. —The action of the Democratic admin- istration in Montgomery County in definitely shelving Saturday its plans to seek authorization for the issuance | of bonds with which to finance com- pletion of the road and school construc- tion programs will enable county offi- cials to effect a 2-cent reduction in the tax rate for the next fiscal year. The 2-cent reduction would be in addi- tion to the slash of 32 2-10 cents which can be effected in the $1.55 combined State and county rate charged in Montgomery if the cuts Gov. Ritchie roposed in his original budget are ratified by the State Legislature. Lacy Shaw, president of the Board of County Commissioners, said today that in abandoning steps to have the State Legislature approve the proposed bond issues, administration officials have made it possible to slash 11; cents from the tax to be levied for roads and 12 cent from the tax for schools. Yield to Public Demand. Shaw announced last night that coun- ty officials had yielded to what seemed & popular demand and would make no San |attempt to have the State Legislature authorize the sale of $300,000 in bonds for roads and $100,000 for schools dur- ing its current session at Annapolis. ‘The announcement followed a lengthy conference held by Shaw at his office here with members of the county’s Democratic delegation in the General t. | Assembly, county commissioners, _elec- tion district chairmen of the. Mont- gomery Government Club and other administration leaders. That the administration considers it would be politically unwise to support legislation for the additional bonds at this time was indicated in the action of the election district chairmen, who have spent the past week in consulting taxpayers and voters of the county, in voting against the proposed issues. ‘The question of issuing the new bon has been a violently debated subject before county people for many years. A number of organizations have opposed the sale of additional bonds, including the Farmers Convention of Montgom- ery County, while others have voted in favor of the bond sale, including the powerful Montgomery County Civic Federation. Club Postpones Session. ‘The_question was to have been acted upon by the Montgomery Government Club at a meeting tomorrow night, but the meeting has been postponed in- definitely as a result of the action taken at _last night’s conference here. The action of the administration leaders means an indefinite postpone- ment of several major road projects, the extension of Massachu- setts avenue to Conduit road, the pav- ing of Philadelphia avenue between | mgphgccq Silver Spring and Takoma Park, and the improvement of Wisconsin avenue, while several items of the school con- :kt,?cmn program must of necessity be )P] L. However, & program totaling at least $528,092.19, the amount available and unexpended from bonds sold in 1931 nnd'losz,d will bemurrled out on school projects during the coming year. This amount has been allocated to particular schools. ‘There also remains $89,000 in con- struction_bonds to be issued under the 1931 authorization, have not definitely decided whether they will sell the bonds. Of this amount, $67,000 is for road construction purposes, while the remainder has been allocated for the Alta Vista School. GAS RATE HEARING - MAY REVEAL COST | Difference in Rate to Rosslyn Concern and Manufac- ture Held Wide. By a Staff Correspondent of The Star. | ARLINGTON COURT HOUSE, Va., | February 27.—One of the principal | questions to be decided in the forth- | coming hearing before the State Cor- | poration Commission on the rates of the Rosslyn Gas Co. is thé actual cost of the manufacture of the gas, which is sold wholesale to the Rosslyn Gas Co. by the Washington Gas Light Co. The Public Utilitles Commission of Arling- ton County expects to show that there is a wide difference between this and the wholesale rate charged to the Vir- ginia subsidiary, it was said today. For Domestic Reduction. In presenting its case, the local com- mission contemplates showing that the wholesale rate alone should be suffi- ciently lowered to permit a substantial reduction in the domestic rates here, even if there had been no changes in valuation and "costs of distribution since the present rates were authorized Dby the State commission. The present wholesale rate is 60 cents. Another matter that is being investi- gated by the local commission is why the rates in Arlington County should be higher than those in Montgomery County, Md., when there is a much less distance between the Arlington County mains and the manufacturing plant than there is between Montgom- ery County and the plant. Question of Population. Still another angle that the commis- sion wishes to straighten out is why the Arlington County rates should be higher when the density of population is said to be greater in Arlington County than in the Montgomery County area served by the gas company. A study of this situation, in an effort to get definite population figures, is being made by a member of the commission and a de- tailed report is expected to be ready in time for presentation to the State Cor- poration Commission when the case comes before it next Priday. 2 It will be pointed out to the State commission that Arlington County is still paying war-time rates, while the District of Columbia and Maryland have enjoyed two reductions in the past few years. $5,000 EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGED TO SIX MEN Defendants Plead Not Guilty in ‘Washington Tobacco Co. Case. Six men charged with embezzlement of about $5,000 from the Washington ., 600 block of Massa- chusetts avenue, were held for the grand jury under $1,500 bond each when arraigned before Police Court Judge John P, McMahon today. They pleaded not ity. Thos held are Adoph Dietz, 26, of the 1200 block of K street southeast; Clar- ence H. Gillespie, 24, of the 1100 block of Massachusetts avenue;” George M. Downs, 26, Seat Pleasant, Md.; Malcolm C. Miller, 26, of the 500 block of Eighth street southeast; George E. De Chard, 31, of the 1200 block of Sixth street, and Floyd J. Stoner, 28, of the 400 B street northeast. but county officials | block of bening Star FXP S0 15 ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL D.C. STREET WORK Supplemental Appropriation Request Is Made to Bu- reau of Budget. $250,000 IS SOUGHT FOR P STREET BRIDGE Money Expended Would Be Paid Out of Receipts of Gas- oline Tax Funds. A supplemental appropriation item of approximately $500,000 for additional highway improvements in the District of Columbia during the iscal year be- ginning July 1, to be paid out of the receipts of the gasoline tax funds, was placed before the Bureau of the Budget today by District officials. The largest single item included in the additional budget request was sald to be one of $250,000 to cover the cost of the erection of a new stone bridge over Rock Creek, at P street, west of ‘Twenty-second street. ‘The remainder of the supplemental items, for inclusion in the 1933-1934 budget, was understood to be for lo- cal street pavements, not included it the original District budget as sub- mitted to Congress. Purposes Explained. Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, District | auditor, and Capt. H. C. Whitehurst, | director of highways, appeared before officials of the Budget Bureau today to explain the purposes of the supple- mental appropriation items. ‘The action of the city officials in fo: warding the supplemental appropria- tion requests to the Budget Bureau was an outgrowth of the open hearings be- fore the Bingham Committee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for consideration of the proposed 1934 budget. The original District budget as sent to Congress contained $2,300,000, ap- proximately, for highway improvements to be provided under the expected gasoline tax revenues for the next fiscal year. From this budget the House slashed an assortment of highway im- provement items totaling about $580,000. Sentiment Favorable. Sentiment expressed by Senator Bing- ham and other members of the Senate subcommittee on appropriations led District officials to draft the supple- mental appropriation items, on the be- lief that the expected gasoline tax reve- nues for next fiscal year would per- mit progress on more work than origi- nally requested. Members of the Senate Committee in- dicated” they believed the gasoline tax next fiscal year would produce more revenue than expected last December, when the budget originally was com- pleted, and thit should funds be ex- pended for needed improvements rather than left as a surplus at the end of the year, July 1, 1934. District officials will prepare the ad- ditional “local” street improvement work, for execution nex‘ year, should the Senate restore the items eliminated by the House and should they finally be included in the bill. Such restoration of local street items and the inclusion of the addi- tional $500,000 would raise the figure for highway items to about $2,800,000. This would still be less than the $3,- |D76.000 provided for the current fiscal year. Bridge Built in 1871. ‘The P street bridge over Rock Creek was built in 1871 by the corporations of Washington and Georgetown, with equal division of cost, under authority of Congress, in 1869 and 1870. The bridge was reconstructed and widened by the Pennsylvania Bridge Co. in 1893 at a cost of $11,510 and the bridge ap- proaches again were widened in 1898 for the old Metropolitan Street Rail- way Co., at a cost of $5922. The present structure has a span of 112 feet, a clear roadway of 40 feet between curbs and two 8-foot side- walks. The bridge has a timber floor and vehicular loads are limited to six In an earlier justification for the bridge appropriation item, District of- ficials pointed out that further delay in the construction of the new bridge would constitute a bar to completion of the Rock Creek Park Boulevard, which is to be extended under P street to connect with Potomac Park. The present structure is held to be struc- : inadequate for modern vehicu- lar traffic. ECKLUND CASE SOON WILL GO TO JURY Final Arguments to Save Four Presented—Instructions to Per- mit Second-Degree Verdict. Final arguments to save the four | youths being tried for the killing of Einer H. Ecklund in a pay roll robbery at the new House Office Building from the electric chair were presented in District Supreme Court this morning and the case appeared certain to go to the jury this afternoon. Instructions will be given by Justice Daniel W. O'Donoghue to permit ver- dlfx?il of either first or second degree murder. deliberate, SMOKE BARS CAR CHASE Police Seek Driver of Machine Equipped With Screen. Police today sought a colored man in his automobile after M. P. h IRETRIAL ON CHARGE DETECTIVE ROBERT G. BARRETT. 400 GALLONS TAKEN |One of 28 Defendants in Bal- timore Case, Among Four Jailed at La Plata. By a Staff Correspondent of The Star. LA PLATA, Md, February 27.—Fed- jeral agents made simultaneous raids here and in Waldorf yesterday, arrest- ing four persons. More than 400 gal- lons of alleged whisky were seized. Among those arrested was J. Lewis Groves of Waldorf, one of 28 defend- ants on trial in Baltimore. He was at liberty under $10,000 bond at the time the agents swooped down on his place, seizing 100 gallons of alleged liquor. Sidney Thomas, colored, said to be one of the less important of the 28 alleged conspirators on trial, was arrested at the same place. At the same time another group of agents conducted a raid in La Plata, and arrested Sam Wolfe and A. Dent Gamble, leading horse dealers of Charles County, where they confiscated 300 gallons of alleged whisky. Tom Bailey, chief of the Southern Maryland agents, assisted by others from Balti- more, made the raids. ‘Taken before United States Commis- sioner J. Frank Parran, in Upper Marl- boro, Groves was released under $2,500 bond, while baill for the others was fixed at $1,000 each. They will be given hearings March 6. D. C. CHAIRMANSHIP DELAYED IN SENATE Successor to Bingham to Be Se- lected by Appropriations Subcommittee. ‘The question of who will be chairman of the District subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee after the Democrats take Senate control prob- ably will not be settled for a week or two. Senator Hiram Bingham, Repub- lican, of Connecticut. who has had charge of District supply bills for sev- eral years, completes his term of serv- ice March 4. ‘The Appropriations Committee is di- vided into 10 subcommittees to handle the various appropriation bills, and the make-up of these subcommittees is like- ly to await the induction into office of new Senators and the filling of vacan- cies on_the full committee. The Democratic members of the Dis- trict appropriations subcommittee are Senators Glass of Virginia, Kendrick of Wyoming, Copeland of New York, Bratton of New Mexico, Thomas of Oklahoma and Byrnes of South Caro- lina. Senator Glass however, is slated | for the important post of chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Senator Kendrick, who would be next in line, expressed a deep interest in the work of the District subcommittee, but said he would like to see Senator Copeland become subcommittee chair- man. Senator Copeland said he also expected to continue to work on the subcommittee, but he did not believe his other duties would make it possible for him to assume the chairmanship. Senator Bratton of New Mexica is the next in line on the subcommittee. é HELD FOR GRAND JURY Complainant, Stabed, Fails to Have Prosecution Dropped. Although the man he is accused of slashing with a knife until 100 stitches were required to close the wounds came to Police Court this morning and asked that prosecution be dropped, Almon D. Lovett was held for the grand jury 1under $1,500 bond by Judge John P. { McMahon. The action was taken when Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Keogh refused to enter a nolle prosse as requested by the complainant in the case, Andrew J. Ford, who was in the hospital for nine days after he was cut in a fight in the 700 block of Third street February 11. Ford’s ular vein was slit in the battle and he was gashed on the face, neck and body. WINDOW IS SMASHED Tray of Watches and Jewelry Taken From Castelberg’s. A tray of watches and other jewelry se hundred dollars was IN MARYLAND RAID OF ‘THIRD DEGREE' Appeals Court Decides Po- liceman Had Right to Use Force in Arrest. CONVICTION OF MOSTYN AND OTHERS IS UPHELD Beating of James H. Harper Led to Widespread Federal Inquiry Here. The conviction of former Detective Sergt. Robert J. Barrett, following a trial on “third degree” charges, was set aside by the District Court of Appeals on the theory that Barrett, if he had Teasonable cause to believe he was ar- resting a murderer, was justified in using enough force to protect himself from unnecessary risk. It was pointed cut that any other rule would discourage policemen and encourage criminals to resist arrest. Three Convictions Upheld. The appellate court, however, uphel the convictions of Policemen Jamgs Ad Mostyn, William R. Lafln and Vivian H. Landrum, all of whom were convicted in District Supreme Court on similar charges, The new trial for Barrett, who had been sentenced to one year in Jail for simple assault, was ordered in an opin- ion by Justice Charles H. Robb. Justices William Hiiz and D. Lawrence Groner dissented, the latter adding that the injures arising out of the alleged :fi:u& w};reh trifling and a moderate ould have of_ll_xslice. better met the ends e charges against Barrett grew ou of his arrest of George Babs:; upcl"; suspicion of having been involved in a murder. Baber testified at the trial that Barrett waited for him in his apartment, which was dark, and struck as he walked through the door. Finds Prejudicial Error, In reversing the conviction, i Robb declared the charge of the- sl Justice constituted prejudicial error be- cause it restricted the jury to considera- tlon of the arrest itself and ignored prfifid}mng c’gcumsta.ncs, e officer had reasonabl ot Justice Robb said. “to believe and. did honestly believe that Baber was guilty of murder, he had the right to resort to such measures as would effectuate the arrest without unnecessary risk to h 1f. Any other rule would discour- :fi:yofllc;rs in the performance of their encourage criminal - ing nppl’ehensmn.g = Face Fine and Jail Term. Mostyn and Laflin, convicted simple assault on James Henry Ha‘x){(er.. must pay a fine of $500 each znd serve one year in jail under the Court of Appeals decision. Harker testified at the trial that he was beaten with a rubber hose in the old first precinct station house until he confessed a crime. Complaints by Harker resulted in an exhaustive investigation of charges that “third degree” methcds were used ex- tensively by Washington police. The { Department of Justice took an active part in this investigation. After the inquiry and trials were over Henry G. Pratt, then major and superintendent of police, resigned. Landrum had appealed from a con- viction of simple assault and a sentence to pay $100 fine, without a jail term. He was accused of using a club in effecting an arrest.. His conviction was upheld in a majority opinion, Justices Robb and Van Orsdel dissenting. REFUSE IMPEACHMENT OF LETTS AND ROVER Members of House Committee De- clare Washington Attorney's Charges Groundless. The House Judiciary Committee re- fused today to recommend impeach- ment proceedings against Associate Justice F. Dickinson Letts of the Dis- trict Supreme Court and United States Attorney Leo A. Rover on the charges of Jesse C. Duke, Washington attorney. The committee held Duke's charges were without foundation and warrant- eanuok Iufl-h;; 11;;’&“1%1&!011. e ma is allegations against Justice Letts and Mr. Rover in g‘lel- ter to Speaker Garner December 5. He urged that these two officials, both of whom are presidential appointees, be impeached on charges of “high crimes and misdemeanors requiring imposition of the constitutional powers of the House of Representatives.” The charges arose out of the Zim- berg liquor conspiracy case in which Duke appeared as attorney for Adolph Rudy Moder and others. Moder and the other defendants represented by Duke are now appealing from a sen- tence imposed by Justice Letts. Duke in his letter to Speaker Garner said he would appear before the Ju- diciary Committee when his charges were considered. No witnesses were present, however, when the committee reached its decision to drop the lawyer's charges. POLICE SEIZE WHISKY, MASH, STILLS AND AUTO Two Colored Men Arrested in Series of Raids Conducted Yesterday, Two stills, 118 quarts of whisky, a quantity of mash and an automobile were confiscated by police yesterday. Two men were arrested. The two liquor manufacturing plants - | were uncovered in a raid on a house in “Changing Colleges” to Be Topic. CHEVY CHASE Md. February 21 (Special) —“Changing bject to be discussed 3 sul Jecta‘ db’ xn-hfy.l: the 1800 block of Third street, where the mash and 116 quarts of rye were selzed. Federal Agent J. E. Beckett and George C. Deyoe and Willlam McEwen of the police liquor squad, who con- ducted the raid, arrested Hilton Henry Noon, colored, 23, for possession of the liquor and equipment. Prior to the raid the three officers stopped the automobile of Frederick laml.u:g,. and ar- lives on Nineteenth street northeast, was halted at Sixth and F streets. His sutomobile wes taken. R TR Pourteen Togo stamps surcharged dur- the Am-m occupation in ?é’oa_'m, in London recently, for’