Evening star., 1926-04-08
Blanton Says District Head
Solicited Lunacy
Business.
CITES INVESTIGATION
IN CONGRESS IN 1906
156 Committed to Asylum in Last
Four Months by D. c. Chiefs,
Texan Ayers.

A. Fenning in the House TODAY, ac.
cusins him Of "barratry." and charT-
ing that his record as Commissioner
has been "one long list of blunders."
Representative Blanton. Democrat. Of
Texas urged the House COMMITTEES
on rules TO vote out and pass his
resolution. which the committee has
held since March %. and 'let US have
committee that will clean up thes.
institutions and stop these abuses"
Mr.. Blanton told his colleagues
The time has come when we must
call spade spade. l have done
that in this discussion. On matters
Of this Importance TO all the people
of the United States these abuses
have continued because there have
been too many soft pedals and too
many whitewashes.'
Testimony and what he considered
as "damning admissions made by Mr..
Fenning at a congressional investi-
cation 20 years ago. which, ne said
showed that Mr.. Fenning admitted
seeking a wholesale business in
guardianship cases for former service
men and others incarcerated in ST.
Elizabeth's Hospital. and all other
institutions" was presented TO the
House by Mr.. Blanton.
He submitted report made BY
Gen. Hines. director of the Veterans
Bureau, that Mr.. Fenning is receiv-
ing 10 per cent of all the personal
estate of she'll shocked ex-service
men and 10 per cent of their annual
income.
Lists Alleged Payments.
He asserted that the Veterans
Bureau has paid Mr. Fenning the
enormous sum of S733855.s7." He
also presented a report from Herbert
L. Davis, auditor for the Supreme
Court of the District to the effect
that s1oo o,0702o had been paid to Mr.
some recent cases of Commissioner
Fennirg. and he emphasized the
fact that the Commissioner 10 a a.
rector of the National Savings and
Trust Co. in which institution he
deposits all his fduciary funds.
Chara cterizins as "a crime upon
common decency." the case of Lieut..
Francis d. Allen. for whom Com
missioner Fenning acted as attorney,
Mr.. Blanton charged that this officer
had been "shanghaied. and told his
collea CUES how he himself had per
sonally visited Lieut.. Allen AT st.
Elizabeth's Hospital.
Commissioners Fenning grinds out
lunatics by Wholesale Mr.. Blanton
declared during his speech, and de-
clared that Corporation Counsel
Francis n. Stephens is under the
absolute influence and control OF
Commissioner Frederick A. Fennins.
who by a stroke of the pen could
make or ruin him. During the last.
four months Corporation Counsel
c. knL IF he
sioners of the District. has had $50
human beings thrown into insane
asylums. either Gallinger or st.
Elizabeths Hospital.
Presses Madden's Promise.
MIR. Blanton cited one case in which
Mr.. Fenning almost got bonanza
through appointment as receiver by
Chief Justice Mccoy over the objec-
tion of the attorneys, but before ne
could qualify an appeal was taken,
which prevented him from qualifying.
This was a case of immense proper.
tions, there being over S1.o00,ooo in
cash on deposit" said Mr.. Blanton-
Reminding his colleagues of prom
Use made by Chairman Madden of the
House appropriations committee on
the floor on March Is, when Mr.. Blan'
ton was endeavoring to persuade Con
gress to put Commissioner FenninS
out of office. that if Mr.. Fennins was
doing as Mr.. Blanton claimed then
''he ought to be put out of ONCE"
Mr.. Rlanton told the House:
II have done the work of 20 men
to gather this evidence and proof for
Mr.. Madden and the Congress. Now.
what is going TO be done about il?
If Frederick A. Fenning does not have
enough sense to resign, the President
ought to kick him out of ONCE with
out ceremony. And 1 believe the
President will do so. And If the
President does not do so. this Con
gress ought to force his expulsion
from office. He ought TO be in the
penitentiary. and il the district at
torney does his duty, he viii be placed
behind the bars, just as he kept poor
Mrs. Corbett and her daughter behind
the bars of St. Elizabeth's for two
wears ard four months and robbed
them while they were in there help
less"
Charges Many Interests.
That Commissioner Fenning "is in
terested in too many businesses in
Washington" also was discussed by
Mr.. Blanton as part of the outcrop-
pings of his investigation. He in.
serted letters showing that Mr.. Fen
ming is a director of the Law Re
porter Printing Co; that he has been
on the pay roll of the Washington
Gas Light Co. as an agent for col
lecting delinquent accounts, and he
asked
How may the people of Washing
ton expect Mr.. Fenning to do justice
to them as their Public Utility Com
missioner when he has been on the
pay roll of one of the big utility
companies of Washington"
He also pointed out that he is a
director of the Washington Loan and
Trust Co.. attorney for the Medical
Society OF the District and that he
and DR.. White have been making
property investments together"
MIR. Blanton charged that the king
of all bootleggers' is being protected
here. that hotels and taxicabs are
being protected. and he challenged
that politics must not CONTROL" say
ing:
1--WE must keep politics out of this
question. Too many ex.service men
are involved. 1t is true that when
Frederick A. Fenning was appointed
Commissioner he was then secretary
of the local Republican organization
here in Washington. And Ii Is true
Continued on Page 2. Col,ll.an 81