The New York herald., 1921-01-11
ALL TRUSTED FRIENDS
He Talks to Grand Jury for
Half Hour and Then
Studies Evidence.
NOT READY TO SUBMIT 1T
Swami Seeks to Safeguard In
vestigatOr From Possible
Police Espionage.

Charles s. Whitman took personal
charge yesterday of the Grand Jury
investigation into the alleged preva-
Ience of graft in the city administra-
ton. He talked to the jury for half
an hour, spent the rest of the day
studying the evidence in hand and
then announced the appointment or
three trusted friends who will help
him as special counsel to the District
Attorney. These three lawyers are
Frederick ]. Groehl, William Chilvers
md Arthur NJ. King.
Mr.. Groehl. as an assistant to Dis
trict Attorney Whitman, worked with
his chief on the cases of Becker and
the gunmen, the police inspectors and
the wire tappers. Later Gov. Whit
man named him as commissioner to
Investigate the State Banking Depart
ment and thereafter Mr.. Groehl was
on the bench as City Magistrate.
Mr.. Chilvers is leader Of the Re-
publican organization of the Fifteenth
Assembly district. in which ex-Goy
Whitman lives. He was formerly an
Assistant Corporation Counsel and
served for time as legal adviser to
Mr.. Whitman when the latter was
Governor.
Mr.. King was for several years an
Assistant United States Attorney.
VIII BE Tested Aids.
Under the law these men cannot be
appointed Assistant District Attorneys
because there are no vacancies in Mr..
Swann's staff at present. Therefore
they will be sworn in as special counsel.
that being one of Mr.. Whitman's titles
as well. The selection Of Messrs. Groehl,
Chilvers and King confirms an impress
sion gained last week, namely, that Mr..
Whitman will call to his side in the
Grand Jury inquiry only men whose
competency and fidelity have been
proved 10 him in past association. The
same test will be applied in the case OF
the staff of investigators, whose iden-
titles are yet to be made known.
Within the District Attorneys staff
Mr.. Whitman evidently will rely chiefly
on James +. Smith. with whom ne spent
several hours yesterday. Mr.. Smith has
been cunning for members of the Police
Department a long time. He brought
about the indictment of Col. Augustus
Drum Porter. Deputy Police Commis-
sioner, and John j. Gunson, plain clothes
man. and later the conviction on a
charge Of perjury of Inspector Dominict
Henry. who is free on bail pending de-
cision on an appeal. II is believed that
he has gathered information concerning
other members Of the department and
that he acquainted Mr.. Whitman with
II in yesterdays meeting. Mr. Smith
himself Is under an indictment found by
the Almirall Grand Jury.
Mr.. Whitman also examined 'Teads"
supplied by two newspaper men, A. J.
McKenna and John Lawrence At the
end of the day he said:
II do not expect to go before the
Grand Jury tomorrow unless the Jury
asks for me. / am not yet In the pos
session of evidence warrantlng presen-
taton 10 the Grand Jury and I do not
purpose 10 waste their time
whitman to sfft Charges.
None of the five witnesses who. at the
suggestion of District Attorney Swami,
had been subpoenaed yesterday to tes-
tify before the Grand Jury was called.
The two former policemen. Henry Jes-
SUP and Edward T. Dalton. are in the
West. The others We're newspaper men.
IL was evident that Mr.. Whitman
Thought he could make better progress
by talking with them privately and
finding out what they had He told
tho Grand Jury that he would spend his
time In the preliminary inquiry sitting
IN xl.r nj, int.
present to the jury only such material
as seemed substantial.
He expects to put in several days in
the District Attorneys office doing the
sifting The biggest room in the place
except Mr.. Swann's. has been assigned
to him. John T. Dooling. the Assistant
District Attorney. whose quarters Il
hes been, has moved up stairs and now
shares an office with another assist
ant Edward p. Kilroe.
After a talk with Mr.. Whitman yes
ferday Mr.. Swami went to City Hall 70
sec tho Mayor and ask him to have
rule tSi of the Police Department sus-
pended The Mayor was not there and
Mr.. Swami will try again to-day.
Rule tS4 says that any member or
the Police Department called 70 the Dis
trict Attorneys office in connection with
n case in which he or any other OF the
dcpartment Is likely to be a defendant
must report the facts In detail at once
10 the Police Commissioner"
As the Police Department was spe-
rfally mentioned IN the Robinson Stein
berg chnrges which Mr.. Whitman is
employed 20 investigate and as Mr..
Whitman Is to have the use Of police
men as detectives. the possibilities Of
the application of this rule are OBJ
vious MIR. Swami said he thought ut
didn't amount 20 anything" and Mr.
Whitman agreed that policemen with
Information to volunteer could bring
II 70 him es they did IN former investi-
gations. but both inen thought Il worth
while 70 ask Mayor Hylan to safeguard
Mr.. Whitman against possible cspion-