George A. Ward

Woman Storekeeper Is Knocked Down by Two Bandits Who Empty Cash Register

Thief Takes Bottle of Pre-War Stuff in Looting House Downtown

BUILDING TOOLS STOLEN

Entering a grocery store at Van Hook and Seventh Streets under the pretense of being customers, two men knocked Mrs. Mary Maska, the proprietor, to the floor this morning and robbed the cash register of $162.

Recovering from the blow, delivered by one of the pair, the woman telephoned police, who immediately set up guards at the entrance to the bridge and at the ferry terminals, apparently in the belief that the thugs were from Philadelphia.

The men were described by Mrs. Maska as colored, both small in stature. One was shabbily dressed, wearing a torn overcoat, she said. The other was neatly garbed. Both wore caps.

The robbery occurred at 9 o’clock this morning and although Mrs. Maska screamed for help after the men had fled, no help came. City Detectives George Ward and Thomas Cheeseman arrived at the scene in response to her call to police headquarters.

The men entered the store, where Mrs. Maska was alone and one tendered her a quarter in supposed payment for a small quantity of bologna. This was done, detectives believe, in order to give the men an opportunity to see the contents of the cash drawer in the cash register. In ringing up the quarter, Mrs. Maska revealed that there was a quantity of paper money in this drawer.

The second of the bandits then asked for a cigar and Mrs. Maska left the cash register for another part of the store. As she did so, one of the men struck her on the head and then looted the cash till.

Got Pre-War Liquor

Several bottles of pre-war liquor were among the loot taken by burglars who broke into the home of William Bonstedt, 510 Clinton Street, during the absence of the family over the weekend. In addition to the liquor, the thieves got several articles of jewelry and $20 in cash. The robbery was discovered when the family returned from the seashore last night.

Mrs. Mary Gushue, proprietor of a boarding house at 423 Walnut Street, reported $80 stolen from a bureau drawer.

Police also discovered that the home of Wilfred Kaighn, 567 Benson Street, had been entered and ransacked during the family’s absence at Pittsburgh. Until Kaighn returns, it will be impossible to determine how much loot was taken, detectives said.

James O’Donnell, 31 years old, 545 Penn Street, was arrested yesterday after he was seen breaking into a tool house at Baird and Crescent Boulevards.

When O’Donnell was arrested by George Zeitz, a patrolman, he was found to have in his possession a sweater he had taken from the shed which contained supplies from a building operation nearby. A companion with O’Donnell escaped according to Zeitz.

Blue Marble Found After ‘Shot’ Knocks Officer Down at 4 A.M.

WINDSHIELD OF BUS STRANGELY SHATTERED

Four Private Cars Also Have Been Targets; Probers Are Baffled

Probing a mystery that sounds more like fantastic fiction than serious fact, police of Camden and officials of the Camden Bridge today were conducting a vigorous hunt for a “phantom sniper.”

After four vehicles had been fired upon during the last month on or near the Federal Street Bridge across Crescent Boulevard, a mysterious bullet or other missile penetrated the windshield of a Pennsylvania bus on the Camden Bridge and spurred authorities into action.

Then at 4:30 o’clock this morning, Bridge Policeman John J. Rodgers was twice fired upon on the span. The second time, he was struck between the shoulders, spun around and knocked down.

Blue Marble Found

The missile that struck him, found a few moments later, was a blue marble. It furnished the first clue to the “phantom sniper” that police have obtained. Apparently it was fired from a powerful slingshot or an air gun, so powerful in fact that it struck Rogers with almost bullet-like force although it must have been fired from a distance of nearly a hundred yards.

Police were unanimous in the opinion that the missile which penetrated the window of the bus on the span yesterday was no such marble, but a bullet. They added, however, that there was a possibility that it might have been a steel ball bearing discharged from an air gun or slingshot such as that which was used in sniping upon Rogers.

It was learned from an official source this afternoon that bridge police will question a 15-year-old boy. It was said that he lives 150 feet of the spot where the gun was fired upon yesterday.

The boy and his father are said to occupy the third floor of a rooming house on North Fourth Street. Police have no evidence that this boy fired the shot or marble that struck Rogers, but they decided to question him on ownership of a rifle or slingshot.

Meanwhile it was revealed that still another incident in which the “phantom sniper” had appeared had taken place last night when a Philadelphia-Pennsauken bus was fired upon near the Federal Street Bridge.

At the same time bridge officials disclosed that police on the span have been bothered for the past three months by the fact that the sniper has been shooting out electric lights.

Speculation and theorizing over the peculiar incidents ran riot among the police who are investigating them today. Although the slingshot or air gun theory was given considerable credence by Rogers’ extraordinary experience, other officers insisted that no instrument of this nature would discharge a bullet, ball bearing or other metal missile with sufficient force to bore through the windshields of buses and automobiles which have been fired on by the “phantom sniper.”

It was November 21 that the sniper—if he is the same who has now taken the Camden bridge as his basis of operations—first came into public notice. Former State Senator Albert S. Woodruff was fired upon from an automobile which his car was following across the Federal Street Bridge at the time.

Hear Report of Gun

On that occasion, however, the report of a gun was heard by Woodruff, whereas, in subsequent incidents, none of the near victims of the shots have heard any sound. This also strengthens the theory of the existence of air gun or other instrument more powerful than any known to police. If the missiles which have struck other automobiles were bullets, however, it is pointed out that they may have been fired from a rifle or revolver equipped with a silencer.

Since the Woodruff incident, a Riverton family has been fired upon, another automobile windshield has been penetrated, apparently by a bullet while crossing Federal Street bridge and on Sunday night, Mrs. A. D. Kohn, 319 Evans Street, Haddonfield, was cut by flying glass when her car was made the target of the sniper.

Rogers, the member of the Camden bridge police force who was struck by the blue marble early this morning; was standing on the bridge about 10 feet from the point at which the Pennjersey bus was hit by the sniper yesterday. As he leaned over to inspect a portion of the roadway, something whistled over his head and hit the railing. He straightened up and found on the steel railing, the spot at which the missile had struck. The paint had been chipped off and the metal dented as though by a bullet.

Felled By Marble

A moment, later, he had turned toward the south when he was struck between the shoulders by the marble. With such force did the little round object hit him that it wheeled him around as would a bullet and felled him. Although he wore a heavy overcoat, a leather jerkin and thick underwear, the missile left a severe bruise at the spot where it struck him.

Back on his feet, Rogers saw the object which had hit him rolling away. He picked it up. It was the blue marble.

A house-to-house canvas of all dwellings in the neighborhood from the roofs or windows of which the missile might conceivably have been discharged was being conducted today by four bridge policemen. The search was begun after Joseph Costello, superintendent of the bridge, and Captain Alfred Souders, head of the bridge police, had conducted a conference attended by all the span officers.

Yesterday’s mysterious incident on the Camden bridge occurred as the Pennjersey bus bound for Pennsauken from Philadelphia with seven passengers aboard was rolling down the incline of the bridge towards the toll booths at 3:38 o’clock.

Five of the passengers were women and two were middle-aged men. The driver was Franklin Copeland, 29 years old, of 244 South Fifty-fourth Street, Philadelphia.

The bus passed George Clarke a bridge patrolman, at a point about 173 yards from the end of the incline, and perhaps 225 from the tollbooths. The policeman and the bus driver are well acquainted.

The driver waved, and the policeman, making a megaphone of his hands yelled “Howdy, Fats.”

Passengers In Uproar

The next instant Copeland heard a sudden buzz and then as if by magic a small hole appeared in the glass before his face. Tiny bits of glass fell upon him.

He yanked on the brakes. Passengers were half thrown from their seats and cried out to know what was wrong.

Clarke came running over. He saw the small hole at once, and instantly scanned the bridge walk to find the source. There was no one in sight but a little girl who strolled on.

The bus went on to Pennsauken and bridge patrolmen took up the mystery. Four patrolled the walks, scanning the skyline on either side to see from which houses a shot might have been fired. Others searched the roadbed, seeking the bullet.

City police were called. Detectives George Ward and Louis Shaw came and examined the skyline and searched one house. They found nothing.

Detectives at Odds

The bus came back and a minute examination of it and the hole in the windshield began. When it was over investigators were divided between two theories and completely mystified.

The hole, the detectives said, seemed to have been made by a steel jacketed .22 caliber bullet. Some bridge policemen said it might have been from a .25 caliber automatic and some said it could have been a .22.

Copeland declared he was positive that there was no automobile directly ahead of him on the bridge—that the nearest was past the curve. No pedestrian except the little girl was in sight.

According to the detectives, it is out of reason that the missile was fired from a house on the south side of the bridge. The glass would have splintered because of the angle from which the bullet would have entered, they declared.

Crank Suspected

That brought up the theory that the missile was fired from within the bus. Lieutenant Gregory Love, of the Bridge Police, suggested that a “crank” using a pistol equipped with a silencer might have fired the shot. A further search was made of the interior of the bus, and on the glass alongside the driver, near the partition at the back, was found a half-inch long scratch. No bullet or other missile was found.

The inside of the glass was chipped and the outside smooth. Generally, detectives said, a bullet will chip at the point of exit, not entrance.

Bridge Policemen John Batting, John Cox, John Curry, and Sergeant Michael Bachmeyer, aiding in the investigation, admitted themselves completely bewildered.

One Card Shy

Then the driver began looking among the cards signed by his passengers as witnesses. He was one card shy.

“Do you know?” he said slowly, “I don’t think that man gave me the card after all.”

When he found the card signed Mrs. Harriet Billingsley, 30 East Cedar Avenue, Merchantville he recalled that she had told him that a moment before the bus stopped she thought she saw a flash on her right—the south side.

Other women who gave their names were Eleanor Montgomery, 217 North Forty-seventh Street; Mrs. C. Schmidt and Mrs. T. Van Newkirk, both of 1110 North Twenty-sixth Street.

City Police Drop Probe

City Detectives George Ward and Louis Shaw said this afternoon that they would make no further investigation into the incident of the motor-bus on the Camden span yesterday. Both declared they were convinced that a shot was fired from inside the bus.

“We are convinced that no sniper fired the shot that went through the windshield,” Ward said. “We believe the shot was fired inside the bus.”

“There were two men in the bus at the time the bullet went through the glass. These men refused to give their names to the driver of the bus. Bridge police were on the job but I believe that it they had searched these two men they would have found a .25 revolver on one of them.”

“One of these men sat directly behind the driver. There are marks on the woodwork there to show where the man rubbed the revolver when he put it beside the driver’s face and fired the bullet through the glass.”

“The glass was shattered on the inside which shows that the bullet was fired from the inside. If the bullet had entered from the outside the glass on the outside would have been shattered,” Ward said.

Members of the bridge police—former service men and experts on firearms—discredited the theory of the two city detectives. They declared that the city detectives were wrong in the matter of the shattered glass and that the conditions would be just the reverse.

Bridge Patrolman Crane, who was standing near the bus when the shot was fired, declared today that the driver of the bus asserted he heard no report of a pistol. If the pistol had been fired near his head, he naturally would have heard it, Crane said.

Crowds Mill About Scene of Explosion Where Workers Died

“They are in there—dead”

That shrill scream from the chilled lips of a relative of two men trapped in the steel tomb of the purifying box at the Public Service gas plant at Locust and Cherry Streets today almost started a panic among 1,000 persons, gathered at the scene a few minutes after a mysterious explosion snuffed out the lives of more than a dozen men.

The cry of horror and grief was taken up by others as they pressed against the woven wire fence about the company’s property. Panic was averted by the policemen and firemen who had reached the scene a few minutes after the blast.

The excitement started when Frank Pizzatilla, of Walnut Street near Third, climbed up the narrow steel stairway that led to the top of the purifying box and looked upon a scene of horror within the square steel tomb.

Pizzatilla, who had rushed to the plant with several hundred others when word of the tragedy spread, said he recognized the seared bodies of his father and father-in-law in the seething mass below.

He started to walk down the narrow, steel stairway that formed the only means of reaching the lone entrance to the purifying box. Below the hundreds of relatives and friends of the doomed men watched him with anxiety.

“In There Dead”

“They are in there—dead,” he screamed.

He fell in a faint and but for a fireman, Pizzatilla would have toppled to the ground, fully 20 feet below. Other firemen and policemen rushed up the narrow stairway and carried Pizzatilla down.

As his inert body was being carried toward an ambulance, cries of bitter hatred were heard. They came from a relative of another victim. He shouted vile curses upon the officials of the company, upon the firemen and upon the policemen. He called them murderers. He yelled for a revolver, shouting that he would avenge the death of the trapped men.

About him gathered a number of persons, most of them of foreign extraction, or colored, for the majority of the victims were colored. The situation became tense.

Every policeman and fireman who could be spared from the gruesome work of trying to reach the entombed bodies rushed the crowd. Lieutenant George Ward and several policemen grabbed a heavy, long rope from one of the nearby fire wagons.

Quickly the rope was stretched across Locust Street at the intersection and a tug of war started, with the crowd surging against the rope and policemen and firemen pulling at both ends, sweeping them backward into Locust Street.

With the crowd under control, the police began to search for the man, whose cries for revenge had started the hundreds milling around in groups, but he had disappeared in the crowd.

Then Locust Street below Cherry Street was roped off with little difficulty and a line of policemen took their positions across Cherry Street between the two gas tanks that stand on the northeast and southeast corners. People who attempted to reach the plant were turned back.

“No use going any farther,” the policemen would tell each person who tried to get up closer. “All the men in the tank are dead and there is nothing anyone can do except remove the bodies when the tank is cooled down.”

These words seemed to have a quieting effect upon the hundreds that had tried to rush the police lines. Gradually the people left for their homes. An hour after the blast there was less than 100 spectators at the scene.

Married Couples Herded in Patrol by Lieutenant Ward; Disorderly Charge Denied

Complaint against policemen who raided her home early yesterday and arrested four women and eight men participating in a party there will be made today by Mrs. Velda Mosely, 23, of 521 North Third street.

The woman charges the police had no right to stage the raid without a complaint or warrant. Her husband, Robert Mosely, 26, still is being detained at police headquarters in lieu of $100 security wanted to assure police of his appearance at a hearing today.

A Camden policeman and the son of another policeman were included among those arrested. Two of the other women were married and were accompanied to the party by their husbands, while a fourth woman was accompanied by her fiancé.

The raid was staged at 1:00 AM by Lieutenant George Ward, commander of the First Police District, and District Detective John Trout.

At police headquarters those arrested were booked under the “disorderly act,” of Section 422, City Ordinances, which prohibits the congregating of disorderly persons.

Raid Puzzles Woman

“I can’t understand why the raid was staged,” Mrs. Mosely said last night. “We were all bundled into the patrol wagon and taken to city hall after Lieutenant Ward and another officer had knocked on our door at 1 o’clock.

“At that time I asked Lieutenant Ward to come into the house and inspect the place. He refused to do this and said ‘I’ll give you five minutes to get your hats and coats on and come out here,’ He stood by the doorway all the time.”

“No liquor was seized because there was none there and furthermore no search was made to find any.”

“I asked my neighbors in the building this morning if they had made any complaint against us and they told me they had not. The caretaker of the apartment house told me we were making a little noise dancing and laughing but that he had received no complaint,” Mrs. Mosely continued.

“I think the police made a mistake in arresting us. They could have told us to discontinue the party and we would have complied with their wishes. I intend to enter a formal complaint against Lieutenant Ward with his superiors tomorrow.”

Cop Gets Patrol Ride

The patrolman arrested was Edward Wright, attached to the First District under Ward. Herbert Bott Jr., son of Patrolman Herbert Bott, of the Third District, also was taken. Both were made to ride in the patrol and booked at police headquarters.

Others arrested were: John Olsen, 26, of 950 North Twenty-seventh Street and his wife, Eleanor, 19; Alda Prickett, 23, of 920 Fern street; Benjamin Harris, 27, of Sewell; William C. Grey, 38, of 519 North Third street, and Henry Ronson, 24, of 116 Elm street.

Nearly all of those arrested live in the neighborhood of the raid and have been friends for some time. Mrs. Mosely said. She said that three of the women work together at a local factory, two of whose husbands are out of work. All but Mosely were released in $10 security for the hearing.

Taylor Avenue Man Sent to Jail for 50 Days When Unable to Pay $50 Fine

Thomas Fleeyne, 54, of 515 Taylor Avenue, who was arrested when police raided his home, was sent to jail for 50 days in default of a $50 fine Saturday by Police Judge Pancoast. Fleeyne entered a plea of guilty to permitting disorderly persons to congregate at his home. He said he had been without work since coming to Camden.

Fleeyne’s wife, Margaret, 42, was unable to appear in court on account of illness, and her $25 bond was returned; Josephine Lorento, 30, of 350 Tree Street, Philadelphia, also held as a material witness, was freed when she said she had visited the house to see Mrs. Fleeyne.

Michael Bratses, 49, of 210 Market street, and Thomas Kretekos, 48, of 529 South Broad street, Philadelphia, were fined $25 each as inmates. John Kershaw, 32, of 515 Taylor Avenue, forfeited $25 bail when he failed to appear. The raid was made by Lieutenant George Ward, commander of the First district police, and Patrolman John Trout, on complaint made by Dominick Madden, 46, of 455 Haddon Avenue.

Herbert Bott Is Unopposed for Presidency of Camden Association

The Camden Police and Firemen’s Association will hold election of officers today at its headquarters, 1175 Whitman Avenue, from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Herbert Bott is unopposed for re-election as president. William Thorn is unopposed to replace Richard Middleton for financial secretary and Walter Vecander is unopposed for the new post of assistant financial secretary. All these are police officers.

The police trustees will be named from the following nine candidates: William Marter, George Ward, William Britner, Joseph Shreeve, William Schriber, Joseph Mardino, Joseph Dunnett, Leon Feltz and Russell Young. Two police sergeant-at-arms will be chosen from among Stanley Wirtz, Harry Cattell, Joseph Schultz and George Clayton.

Three candidates are seeking the post of vice president, which goes to a fireman. They are William Spencer, Charles Edwards and Albert Dukes. Warren Rich, a fireman, is slated to succeed himself as recording secretary and Winfield Leviseur is unopposed for the new post of assistant recording secretary, which goes to a fireman.

Four fireman trustees will be chosen from ten candidates. They are Charles Cook, Henry Baumgartel, Walter Eastlack, Arthur Batten, William Getner, William Toy, Lawrence Newton, James Young, Russell Anderson and William Taylor. Three firemen are seeking two posts as sergeants-at-arms. They are William Judge, John Mulligan and Furman Price.

Spencer Wins 3-Corner Fight for Vice-President of Association

Lauded by the members for his splendid work in behalf of the club, Herbert Bott, a patrolman attached to the Third Police District, last night was re-elected president of the Camden Police and Firemen’s Association.

The praise was heaped upon the patrolman following announcement that he had received 107 of 110 votes cast in yesterday’s balloting. He was unopposed for reelection.

In a three-cornered fight, William Spencer, a fireman, was elected vice president of the association. He received 73 votes. His opponents were Charles Edwards, given 12 votes, and Albert Dukes, 18 votes. Both are firemen.

Others unopposed for office were: William Thorn, financial secretary; Walter Vecander, assistant financial secretary; Warren Rich, recording secretary, and Winfield Leviseur, assistant recording secretary. The last two are firemen while the first two are policemen.

Lieutenant George Ward, Patrolman William Marter, and firemen William Taylor, William Getner, James Young and Lawrence Newton were elected to the board of trustees.

Sergeants-at-arms named were Stanley Wirtz and George Clayton, police, and William Judge and John Mulligan, firemen. All had opposition.

After the ballots had been counted William H. Iszard, former assemblyman, appeared on behalf of the Elks Crippled Kiddies Committee, and asked police to support the wrestling show to be staged by that group February 13.

Six barefoot children and their parents who reached Camden tired and hungry last night after ‘two months’ journey from California, were befriended city police and firemen after two welfare organizations refused to shelter them.

The children, four girls and two boys ranging in ages from 3 to 13 years, were found with their parents soaking wet in their truck which they had parked in a shanty at Delaware avenue and Pearl Street.

Motorcycle Policeman Raymond Carson, who made the discovery, took the bedraggled family to No. 6 fire house at Second and Elm streets where Captain Saunders and other firemen cooked them a substantial meal, the first they had tasted since 8 o’clock yesterday morning when they were fed in Maryland.

According to Carson the Salvation Army reported it had no room to shelter them, while the Wiley Mission wouldn’t take the children and told the father it was too late at night to admit him.

The family was then directed to police headquarters at the old city hall. There Lieutenant George Ward took up a collection from the men sufficient to buy shoes for the children and arranged for the entire family to sleep overnight in the detention quarters on the third floor.

The family is en route to Paterson, home of the children’s grandfather. They left California March 28 in the hope the father could obtain work in the east.

Calls for 100% Efficiency and Promises Square Deal for All in Talk to Commanders; Stresses Fact Colsey is Chief

“I want 100% efficient police department and not a political machine.”

Commissioner Mary W. Kobus, new director of public safety, made that declaration yesterday afternoon at a joint police-press conference in her office at city hall before she was served with a writ restraining her from taking that office.

Commissioner Kobus was the kindly mother talking to her “boys” for the most of the conference—but at times she became the stern parent—with the birchrod in the cupboard—as she instructed the police heads to “divorce themselves from politics.”

“For many years I have nursed in my heart a desire to see Camden with a 100% efficient police department,” the commissioner said. “Now that time is at hand.”

“I have known all of you men for many years,” she told the assembled commanders, “and I don’t care what your respective political affiliations might be. You have a right to your opinions, but I want the police department to divorce itself from politics.”

“You must know what is going on in your city and you must let me know. I must have 100 percent cooperation if I am to succeed in this new undertaking.”

“If you have any complaints, don’t go around and growl, undermining the department. Lay your cards on the table, I guarantee you a fair deal.”

“Chief Colsey is head of the police department and not in name only. You others in the rank you occupy are also commanders in fact and not in name. It is up to you.”

The commissioner urged a closer co-operation between police and the press and concluded by saying she wanted her “family” to be honest-to-goodness policemen “because there is no room in the department for those who are not.”

Attending the conference was Chief Arthur Colsey, Lieutenant Herbert Anderson, chief clerk of the bureau; Lieutenants George Frost, Ralph Bakley, Walter Welch, Samuel E. Johnson and George Ward.

SHAW MADE ASSISTANT IN PLACE OF KOERNER

By Charles L. Humes

In a shakeup of Camden police officials yesterday afternoon Lieutenant Samuel E. Johnson was named acting chief of detectives by Commissioner Mary W. Kobus, director of public safety.

Lieutenant George A. Ward, who has been in charge of the detective bureau for a year, was transferred to take Johnson’s place in charge of headquarters.

Detective Louis Shaw was made assistant to Johnson, replacing Detective Sergeant Gus Koerner. Koerner was transferred to the Second District, for radio car and street duty. The new order became effective at 4:00 PM yesterday.

Police Chief Arthur Colsey announced the changes in the bureau after a two-hour conference with Commissioner Kobus yesterday afternoon.

Maurice Di Nicuolo, who has been an acting detective, was transferred to the First Police District, with former Acting Detective Clifford Del Rossi returning to his old post in the detective bureau.

In the only other transfer announced, Sergeant Harry Newton was switched from the First Police District to the Third, with Sergeant Edward Carroll going from the Third to the First.

Although no other changes were made public, it is believed yesterday’s are a forerunner of numerous shifts to be made today or early next week.

“These changes are being made for the good of the service,” Commissioner Kobus declared. “There will be other transfers of officers and men so that all the police may familiarize themselves with all the branches of the department.”

Lieutenant Johnson was appointed a policeman on January 1, 1910. After 10 years as a patrolman, he was promoted to a detective, where he made a splendid record. On November 28, 1928 he was made a sergeant, and again promoted on April 8, 1930, when he became a lieutenant.

Ward was appointed a policeman on August 2, 1917, promoted to detective January 1, 1927, sergeant November 14, 1928 and lieutenant on January 24, 1930.

Johnson was a detective sergeant when former Police Chief John W. Golden was head of that bureau, but later was transferred to police headquarters.

Ward has been in and out of the detective bureau several times. He served for a time as the commander of the First District and later was in charge of the police headquarters on the 12:00 midnight to 8:00 AM shift. He was a political lieutenant of former Public Safety Director David S. Rhone.

Temporary changes in the police department to offset the absence of Lieutenant George Frost, head of the First District, who is ill, and Lieutenant George Ward, of headquarters, who is away on police business, were announced yesterday by Chief Arthur Colsey.

Sgt. John Potter, of the Third District, is made acting lieutenant and placed in charge of the First. Patrolman Louis Schmidt, of the Third, replaces Potter as acting sergeant.

Lieutenant Herbert Anderson, of the Fourth District, replaces Ward at headquarters, with Sgt. John Skolski acting as lieutenant in charge of the Fourth.

Sgt. Gustav Koerner, of the Second District, who has been working in plain clothes, is to report in uniform.

Patrolman John Kowal, of the Second District, is shifted to the First district, with Patrolman William Schultz going from the First district to the Second district.

Mariano Says He Won’t Postpone Any More as Complaint is Thrown Out

Police Judge Mariano gave notice yesterday that “unless a very good reason is advanced,” there will be no more drunken driving cases postponed in Police Court.

He made that statement after telling Virgil Moffett, 47, of 303 North Forty-first street, that he was “very lucky” and that he would be “given the benefit of the doubt.” He then dismissed a drunken driving complaint against the man.

Moffett was arrested last Saturday night after a truck on which he was riding, and a car driven by Ernest Herman, 25, of 214 Byron street, were in collision at Fourth and Federal streets. The hearing scheduled for Monday, was postponed until today so that “additional witnesses” could be called.

Although Lieutenant George Ward testified that Moffett was drunk when brought into police headquarters, Sergeant James Wilson, who arrested Moffett, said he was not intoxicated, but had been drinking.

Moffett admitted driving the truck into the city and said he had a couple of drinks at a restaurant. He said that he did not want to drive back and that two men whom he met in the restaurant and whom he did not know offered to go along with him and drive the truck. The men were not with Moffett when he was arrested.

Herman said he didn’t know who was driving the truck but that after the collision Moffett came over to him. He said he didn’t know whether Moffett was drunk.

“I must dispose of these cases upon the evidence presented here under the law,” Judge Mariano declared. “I will dismiss the complaint. This will be the last drunken driving case that will be postponed by me unless a very good reason is advanced.”