Evening star., 1926-04-28

| Fenning completed his testimony and
| cross-eXamination. with a statement
in rebuttal. last night, before the Glib
! son subcommittee of the House Dis
| triCt committee in the caucus room or
| the House Office Building. He com.
planned to the committee that he had
not been treated fairly, because the
| court records AMI official papers in
particular cases about which he was
| being questioned had not been brought
to the hearings, as he had asked that
! they should be provided and had been
! assured by the committee that they
would be brought in.
| Hearings will be continued tonight
| before the Gibson subcommittee at D
| o'clock in the caucus room. III MS
| closing statement last night MI. Fen
ming submitted eight names, men,
| toned during the hearing, ana asked
| that these persons be summoned as
witnesses to support his testimony.
| Representative Blanton. referred to
| hv Mr.. Fenning as both prosecutor
| and n member of the court asked
| that three witnesses whose names ne
will supply to the chairman also pe
called.
Hearing Is Unusual.
The hearing last night was oe
cidedlv unusual, in the opinion OF
! members of Congress and veteran
employes about the Capitol. Repeal-
edlv the crowd applauded vigorously
| or expressed disapproval in Misses
| This threatened to disrupt the meet
| ING and at one stage the motlon was
made for adjournment. Several llilles
| cha irman Gibson warned the croWu,
and he also warned both the eAall-
iner. Mr.. Blanton, and the Witness,
| Mr.. Fenning, that they must proceeu
| in an orderly manner. sa+
| This was occasioned by the Iacl
| that Mr.. Banton resented caustlc
comments by Mr.. Fenning, who, ne
! said ..nust desist from insulting me,
and equally emphatic resentment py
| MIR Fenning of Mr.. Blanton'S methoa
| of cross-examina ton. AL one Stdse
| of the proceeding also Representa-
| tive Bowman, Republican, OF west
| Virginia and Mr. Blanton We're ~
heated controversy. the latter ihVlt-
ing Mr. Bowman TO go INTO eAecu-
+;Ta session outside"-but this flare
I'm between the two members or the
! committee was amicably settled, with
broad smiles from both. .
| At one time, when there was Missing
| and then applause from rlVal au'
herents in the audience, Mr.. Bowman
Moved that the committee go into
| executive session. Ion, no, we
! won't" ratorted Mr.. Blanton-"thats S
all moneky business" Chairman Niu.
son stated: IF there is any more ol
/ this sort of manifestation we VIII au,
! iourn." Mr.. Blanton then appeaieu
| 10 the crowd to express whether II
would stand with him ana again
there was applause and misses
Bowman Resents Point.
| Mr.. Bowman resented an 1mputa-
tim nv Mr.. Blanton that he was par
| tial toward the Commissioner. lie
| aid. IAN | want is a fair, impartial,
romnlete hearing. l am opposed 10
| the gentleman from Texas asking
questions and answering them HIM
| self. AS long as l am on TINS com
mittee l am going to see falr pay
and that justice is done MI blan
| ton retorted: ESPECIALLY to the Com
missioner" Again Mir Bowman re-
! scented that and Blanton sald ne
could resent all you please
| Then Representative Houston, Re-
! publican. of Delaware, said he re-
sented Mr.. Blanton's remark about
! s'monkev business He said he had
| voted for an open hearing, but II
this sort of thing continues am
going to vote for an executive session.
| Mr.. Blanton replied: And Foteu
| for an executive session, but the
Commissioner wanted an open near
| ing and 1 am giving him all ne
wants of it," Mr.. Gibson stated he
/ was .'perfectlv willing for the hear
ing to proceed if we can have orderly
procedure on the part of the eX-
aminer. on the part of the witness
and on the part of the audience.
Turning to the audience Mr.. GIBSON
said: "You are not trying TINS case.
The burden is not on the people OF the
District. the burden. is on this COM
uittee. I think you ought not TO nave
acted in this way. l think the gentle
man from Texas ought not to nave
asked you for such showing.
Breach Quickly Bridged.
When Mr.. Bowman renewed his mo-
tion the most spirited clash between
himself and Mr.. Blanton occurred,
during which Mr.. Blanton invited MN
70 IAN executive session outside. "A
counle of minutes later, with smile,
Mr. Bowman asked if Mr.. Blanton
woI,,d like TO have him withdraw his
motion. and he did So Mr.. Blanton
then said he would withdraw all re-
marks about the gentleman from
West Virginia"
A little later Mr.. Blanton came out
of n mass of court papers to ask the
| commissioner suddenly: Ito name one
! important case he ever tlleu III lhe
court house." When Mr.. Fennlng re-
fnead To do so. with a remark that the
record would show, Mr.. Blanton came
hack with: "Aren't you just a lunacy
,awver?" Then he stopped in ms read
! ing of a court paper to say that TINS
| is the most remarkable petition ever
cav" and said he based that on 81
years experience as a lawyer:
Mr.. Fcnning interrupted, on. are
vo,, a LAWYER. Mr.. Blanton?' Then
he commented: standards are not
very high in some sections. Leaning
across the table toward MN. MT
Blanton shouted: "They are higher IN
nv state of Texas than they are here
| When a judge signs a paper ne KNOWS
what he is signing.
BIanton Calls ElfIridge.
Early in the hearing Mr.. Blantor
caIled Traffic Director NJ. O. Eldridge
from the audience as a witness anc
questioned him about the provision II
the pending bill relating to checking
the practice of hotels selling space III
the streets near the hotels to taXlcat
companies for exclusive privileges. Ht
claimed that Mr.. Eldridge had frs
told him he favored such Legislation
and that later he had testified in oppo
sition to it before Senate hearing
and he read from the hearing.
! Mr. Eldridge was allowed to make {
statement in which he said he favored
the original provision, but thought thu
later provision lacked force and dit
not have necessary teeth in it. Mr.
Blanton then advised Mr.. Eldridge tt
"get up his red blood and put som,
steel in his spine to stiffen it" ant
Congress would help him to cure thu
situation.
After questioning Mr.. Fenning abou
certain court papers and whether M
had made any effort to bring them t.