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CIVIL DISTURBANCES IN WASHINGTON

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON

THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NINETIETH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGES AND LOSSES RESULTING FROM THE RIOTING, LOOTING AND OTHER CIVIL DISTURBANCES IN WASHINGTON IN APRIL 1968, AND THE ACTIONS OF THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE POLICE, AND OTHER DULY CONSTITUTED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES WITH RESPECT THERETO

94-293

MAY 15 AND 16, 1968

Printed for the use of the Committee on the District of Columbia

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1968

COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
JOHN L. MCMILLAN, South Carolina, Chairman

THOMAS G. ABERNETHY, Mississippi
WILLIAM L. DAWSON, Illinois
JOHN DOWDY, Texas

BASIL L. WHITENER, North Carolina
B. F. SISK, California

CHARLES C. DIGGS, JR., Michigan
G. ELLIOTT HAGAN, Georgia
DON FUQUA, Florida

DONALD M. FRASER, Minnesota

BROCK ADAMS, Washington

ANDREW JACOBS, JR., Indiana

E. S. JOHNNY WALKER, New Mexico
PETER N. KYROS, Maine

ANCHER NELSEN, Minnesota
WILLIAM L. SPRINGER, Illinois
ALVIN E. O'KONSKI, Wisconsin
WILLIAM H. HARSHA, Ohio

CHARLES MCC. MATHIAS, JR., Maryland
FRANK J. HORTON, New York
JOEL T. BROYHILL, Virginia
LARRY WINN, JR., Kansas
GILBERT GUDE, Maryland
JOHN M. ZWACH, Minnesota
SAM STEIGER, Arizona

JAMES T. CLARK, Clerk

CLAYTON S. GASQUE, Staff Director
HAYDEN S. GARBER, Counsel

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CONTENTS

STATEMENTS

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D.C. Government Exhibits:

Building fires reported by Fire Department (March 30-April 14, 1968) -
Estimates of Costs and Revenue Losses to the D.C. Government
from the April 1968 civil disorders_

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4, 5, 23, 38, 40

Hotel business losses due to disorders_

Legal authority for activating the National Guard..
Tourist decline..

Extortion threats to business..

Federal troops-

57

13, 30, 45

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U.S. Attorney David G. Bress, letter dated May 29, 1968, to Chairman
McMillan, submitting further recommendations__

Washington Evening Star:

Advertisement dated May 7, 1968, entitled "Ben Brown Is Dead".
Article dated March 17, 1968, entitled "Day and Night Effort-
Murphy Believes D.C. Will Escape Disorder".

Article dated April 26, 1968, entitled "Threats of Pay-or-Burn Pose
Problem to Police".

Article dated April 29, 1968, entitled "D.C. Leases 150 Units for
Victims of Riots".

Article dated May 2, 1968, entitled "Pressure Group Formed-
Businessmen Ask Protection_ _

Article dated May 4, 1968, entitled "Pride Worker Charged in Liquor
Store Slaying".

Article dated May 10, 1968, entitled "35 Percent of Counties' Fire
Forces Sent Into D.C. During Riots".

Article dated May 20, 1968, entitled "An Answer to Threats".

Article dated May 20, 1968, by David Lawrence, entitled "Washing-
ton Reign of Terror".

Article dated May 26, 1968, entitled "A Businessman Voices his
Faith in the Capital City".

Article dated May 29, 1968, entitled, "Riot Cases Overtax Court,
Curran Says".

Article dated May 30, 1968, entitled "Judges Lay D.C. Court Crisis
to Riot Cases, Rise in Crime".

Article dated June 4, 1968, entitled "Judge in Riot Cases Criticizes
District".

Article dated June 19, 1968, entitled "Guard Chief Urges Tougher
Riot Role".

Article entitled "Swift Action Stressed-D.C. Police Set Up Secret
Anti-Riot Command Post".

Article entitled "Positioning Troops for Massive Rally Studied by
Murphy"

Letters to the Editor, May 11, 17 and 21, 1968.
Washington Post:

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69-72, 76-77

Article dated March 17, 1968, entitled "No Serious Disorder Expected by Murphy".

61

Article dated May 21, 1968, entitled "8 Percent of $145,667 Riot
Funds Spent".

77

Article dated June 1, 1968, entitled "Sharp Drop in Tourism Noted
Here".

79

Article dated June 12, 1968, entitled "Get Maximum of Year: 'Remorseless' Trio Sentenced in Riot"

81

Article dated June 16, 1968, entitled "Bankers Ask Aid for D.C.
Police".

85

Article entitled, "Clark Warns on Use of Deadly Force".
Open letter to the President dated May 17, 1968-

68

66

Waters, William H., Jr., letter dated February 19, 1968, to Chairman Mc-
Millan, in support of Police Chief Layton_.

52

WMAL, Evening Star Broadcasting Co., editorial dated May 12, 1968, entitled "Troops in Washington".

65

APPENDIX

Staff Memorandum, May 15, 1968-The April 1968 Civil Disturbances in Washington_.

87-94

Arrests by Metropolitan Police Department, March 30-April 14,
1968___

93

Estimates of real property and other losses_

87-88

Estimates of costs and revenue losses to the District of Columbia
government...

88-92

Estimates of costs of Federalizing the National Guard and bringing
in Army troops_--

92

Estimates of hotel and business losses.

94

Fires and false alarms, March 30-April 14, 1968

93

Troops called out in Civil Disturbances:

Authority for Use of Troops in the Suppression of Riots..

92

Executive communications dealing with same..

95-103

CIVIL DISTURBANCES IN WASHINGTON

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1968

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

Washington, D.C.

The Full Committee met, pursuant to recess, at 10:40 a.m., in Room 1310, Longworth House Office Building, Honorable John L. McMillan, Chairman, presiding.

Present: Representatives McMillan (presiding), Abernethy, Dowdy, Whitener, Sisk, Diggs, Fuqua, Fraser, Adams, Jacobs, Walker, Kyros, Nelsen, O'Konski, Harsha, Mathias, Horton, Broyhill, Winn, Gude, Zwach, and Steiger.

Also present: James T. Clark, Clerk; Sara Watson, Assistant Counsel; Donald Tubridy, Minority Clerk; and Leonard D. Hilder, Investigator.

The CHAIRMAN. The Full Committee will come to order.

Mr. Murphy, will you come to the table, and Chief Layton, Chief Galotta, and the Under Secretary of the Army, and any other people that are around here.

Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Chairman, this is Mr. Bress, United States Attorney, who was good enough to come in accordance with your invitation. The CHAIRMAN. We will be happy to have him sit at the table with

you.

Mr. Murphy, I want to thank you and the other gentlemen for taking time to appear before our Committee this morning. We hope that we will be able to bring to light some of the rumors that have been flying around ever since you arrived; as to what the police were doing on the first day and night of the April civil disturbances; and a number of other accusations that have been made, and the reason for not stopping some of the looting that appeared here in the Nation's Capital on these days.

You might make a little statement first as to the type of orders that were given by you or whoever gave out the orders.

I would also like to have the orders given the troops by the Under Secretary, please. I would like to know if you were given authority to use force in handling these people, and whether they were permitted to walk in and take anything they wanted, as those are the rumors that have been flying around.

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