The evening world., 1921-01-10
WHITMAN BEGINS
WORK ON INQUIRY
INTO GRAFT IN CITY
Goes Before Grand Jury
Offices Allotted to Him by
District Attorney Swami.


Former District Attorney Charles
s. Whitman, designated by District
Attorney Swami as a Special Deputy
District Attorney to take charge Of
the Investigation Of the Hyian Ad-
ministration, appeared before the
Grand Jury to-day and stated that
he was not prepared to submit evi-
dence to the body at present.
1t is understood that he said that
he was averse to calling newspaper
men as witnesses before the inquis-
itors, saying in effect that the men
gathered news for their papers and
that their sources OF information
we're known and were open to him
as wen as to them and that he pre-
ferred to get such information at
first hand.
There Is no indication that he will
accept any Of the men for his assist
ants suggested by either Mayor
Hylan or District Attorney Swami.
Rather he will name his own assist
ants, and some Of them, according to
report, will be from the central police
office. Members Of the department
who are at outsg with the Enrlght
regime some OF whom are out of the
department, nave offered their ser
vices to Mr.. Whitman in the police
investigation.
It appears now that the efforts Of
Mr.. Whitman and his aids will be
directed against the Police Depart
ment.
Mr.. whitman to-day moved into the
offices assigned to him by District
Attorney Swami. They are on the
third floor OF the Criminal Courts
Building, adjoining Mr.. SWANS Of
fees. Here anybody with a griev-
ance against or information in regard
to the Mayors administrati ton or that
Of Police Commissioner Enright will
be welcomed.
On the Whitman staff will be a
number of prominent lawyers, Grim
inal and others, and it is promised
that the office will be in full swing
in ~ few days, with experts, detec-
tives, stenographers and investiga-
tors. Among the detectives will be
men who were under Whitman when
hn was niatr.tct Attorney
1t is understood that the prosecutor
spent half an hour befors the Crane
Jury and was much impressed with
the intelligence and high standing OF
that body. He assured them, it is said
that nothing but material evidence will
be submitted to them, so that there viii
| be no possibility Of confusing them
with mass of testimony The in,
staff will be carefully gone over and
put into concrete form before it is sub
mitted to the Grand Jury.
At the suggestion Of Mr.. Whitman,
| District Attorney Swami To-day com
municated with Mayor Hylan asking
| him to abrOgate Section No. 1874 OF
the new rules OF the Police Depart
ment, so far as 1t applied to the pres
! ent investigation. The section pro-
vides that any member Of the de-
partment summoned before the Dis
trict Attorney in case where he OF
a fellow member is apt to be made
| a defendant must report the facts
in detail at once to the Police Com
| missioner.
Special Deputy Whitman said that
il policeman had to be summoned
he would tell the Commissioner any
how. He concluded: MY personal
opinion, however is that the rule
does not apply in a case where tn.
policeman volunteers, as many did
| in the former Investigations. ANY
policeman can come to me and tel
me as much as he wants to-"