The Washington times., 1924-03-21
INSPECTOR
ANSWERS
CRITIC;
Police Officer Says Charges
Made by Congressman
Were Followed Up.

Retraction of certain remarks
made on the floor of the House
several days ago by Congressman
Thomas L. Blanton of Texas, is
demanded by Inspector William S.
Shelby, executive aid to Major
Daniel Sullivan, superintendent Of
police, in a letter to the Congress
man today.
Wants Charges Filed.
Replying to Congressman Blan.
TONS charge that he is incompetent
ana not a. fit person to hold his DO
slt1on, Inspector Shelby requests and
urges Congressman Blanton to file
specific charges against him with
the District Commissioners, so that
ne may be brought to trial and
and either vindicated or, if the
charges are sustained, removed from
the force.
Answering Blanton's complain. re-
garding prohibition law violations,
Shelby says:
You state further that you made
lations of the prohibition laws and
that I was not interested enough to
even take the, numbers down. In
this you do me most grave in
justice.
Place Had Been Raided.
True, I did not personally make
a note OF the two specific violations
that you mentioned and / recall that
your knowledge as to the locations
at which these violations were &C.
curing was not definite, but, at
my direction, notes were made Of
the information conveyed by you
and in one instance 1t was found
that the place referred to had been
raided two and possibly three times
and have to advise you that since
that time. further evidence has been
obtained and when the case is COM
plete a further arrest will be made.
In the. other case referred to by
you have to advise you that on
the very day you impaired the in.
formation an investigation was
started and facts are now in pos
session OF the police in connection
Herewith, as well as certain evi.
dence, and this case also when
complete will be taken to court.
Demands Retraction.
'1n simple Justice to me I ask
that you retract on the floor Of the
House that part OF your statement,
at least, in which you allege that
took no cognizance Of your com.
plants Of violations Of the law"
Inspector Shelby in his letter com.
ments on the existing astonishing
era Of attempted character assas.
sination under the cloak of legisla.
tive IMMUNITY"
Congressman Blanton in his
speech charged that Shelby spent
most of, his time in his office com.
piling statistics and discussing the
dry law. He further declared Shelby
spends considerable time reading
statistics before committees in an
effort to show that the dry law
causes crime and is not effective.
Denies Charges.
AS a matter Of fact, I do not
believe that I have spent @ total
Of more than three hours before
all of the committees or sub-com.
mittees Of which you are q member
and the statistics which you state
have recited before committees
were in every instances statistics
which were specifically asked for
by the chairman Of such commit
tee" says Shelby's letter, cor by
some member thereof. and the
main purpose Of my endeavor to
present such statistics in as
forcible g. manner as possible was
to impress the committee and the
public with the undeniable fact
that the Metropolitan Police De.
partment Of the District has since
the enactment Of the prohibition
law been more active and energetic
in its enforcement than any other
law enforcement body In the coun.