New-York tribune., 1921-01-31

publiclv statsd mi ka beiisysd lssis-
ia{iv4 body, pEoperly directed, could set
at fh6 real conditions faster than q
grand Jury, which Is limited to handling
caSes ii which crime has been COM
mifted.
=. Whitman has said to those who
have his confidence several times since
assuming HE present task that he be-
lieved conditions were never 90 rotten
ia New York as they are now. He also
however, instead Of clearing up the
situation, would give loop-hole to the
Hylan- Hearst T Tammany outfit through
which they could crawl, crying politics.
More lmAistmsnts
For that reason Mr. Whitman In.
tends, it is said, to continue his invessi-
CATION until all leads are exhausted.
He is Of the opinion that when his in-
vestigation IL over there will be =
popular clanor Tor a thorough house
cleaning of the Hyian administration.
With that object in view he and his
four assistants, James e. Smith. As
sistant District Attorney; William
Chilvers, Arthur M. King and ex-Mag-
istfate Frederick j. Groehl, gava up
their day of rest yesterday to complete
several cases which have engaged their
attention throughout the week.
As result Of the work yesterday
and on Saturday Mr.. Whitman is pre-
pared to 60 before the grand jury this
rant asking fol. the INDICTMENT Of three
and possibly Ave dettstive sergearts
attached to the Police department auto
mobile squad. M
The stolen automobile scandal and its
alleged attendant graft by policemen
have already resulted in the sensa-
tional Indictment of Sergeant Marty"
Owens, the police idol Of the World
and his partner, Sergeant Thomas J..
Koran.
The outstanding feature Of the in
vestigation SO far, however, not ex-
cepting the indictment Of two captains
and the two detective sergeafits, 10 the
secrecy which has been thrown about
the recent activity Of "Jim" Smith, the
Assistant District Attorney credited
with intimate knowledge OF the work
Smith spent Friday and Saturday
night and all day yesterday in Visiting
we'll known resorts and interviewing
men and women connected with the
little known side Of New York life. He
will have before him to-day, it is said,
mass Of police records which, when
interpreted along the leads disclosed
by his investigation, will produce some
thing Of a sensation. He refused again
this new phase Of the investigation to
lead.
Expects Sensations
Arthur M. King, the Whitman aid
who has been investigating leads
turned over by Meier Steinbrink, spe-
cial counsel to the Board of Estimates
city contract inquiry, admitted yester-
day that he expected some startling de-
velopments to-day or Tomorrow. !.
It is known that he has ten or twelve
leads on the courthouse scandal, which
has engaged the attention OF the Lock-
wood committee, but that he has been
handicapped by the disappearance Of
witnesses who could furnish material
evidence.
1--WE have. however, located three of
the men, and they will be in the Grim
inal Courts Building Monday morning
voluntarily or they will be brought in
on something stronger than q grand
jury subpoena" Mr. King said yester-
day; x;ns,. ;nv..4,o.4,oa -. a..
closed the further fact that a serious
leak exists in the Whitman irvestiga4
tion.. The first evidence Of such leak
was found last week, when indictments
were returned against Owens and
Horan, the policemen in the auto scan
dial. Before the warrants had been
issued, and before they could have been
officially notified of their indictment,
both men walked into the Criminal
Courts detective bureau, said they
understood they were wanted asd
offered to surrender. The men at
tached to the bureau had to 60 to Mr..
Whitman's Office to find out If Owens
and Koran really were wanted.
The same condition, 1t is said, has
developed in the Investigation by King
OF the Steinbrink charges. It is known
that almost all Che witnesses knew days
ia advance that they were subpoei1aed
and either left the jurisdiction of the
grand jury or. assumed defiant atti-
tude.
The mature Of the work Of Mr.. Chill
vers and Mr.. Groehl was not revealed
yesterday. Both men promised inter-
essing developments within a day or
two, but would say nothing more.
It is expected, however, that the in
yestigation will lead during the week
Into Police Headquarters and into two
other city departments, and will i'm
plicate two police captains and possibly
one police inspector.