Evening star., 1926-06-06
MANEUVER OF RANKIN BLOCKS
CLOSE OF FENNINC INQUIRY

| JecIS anu QWelC OIL ebCH lOnS SIiOuSi
to bring out the defense view of th'
question. Referring to the retiremen
of Sergt. Robert r. Lee, the Commis
sioner declared at the time he was ex
amined last December, along with 12l
others who were above the age of 30
46 were rated in class &C." OF thi:
number there were II ,sergeants
lieutenants and captains and
were retired for physical disabilit,
on recommendation of the board o.
police surgeons.
The dismissal of DIR. f. c. Wilson
from the position of medical inspector
of schools was made on unanimou.
action of the Board of Commits
sioners.
why was he removed" asked Mr.
Hogan.
TT was my desire to increase ths
standards of the medical inspection
of the schools" replied Mr.. Fenning
Did you know anything about DR.
Wilson's reputation?"
1T was not good from all that
have heard" replied the Commits
sioner. He added he gave the doctor
he refused the Board of Commits
sioners acted.
Official Records Shown.
Most of the testimony in the case
of Policeman II. G. Blackman was
given by Mr.. Hogan from the official
records. He summed UP the case by
saying the officer, with three others,
had obtained employment at the
Hecht Co. on their Saturdays off and
that the four had been ordered to
turn over the money they received to
the Police Department. Three ac-
| ,,I hi ,.nt Na1
to the store. Blackman refused. on
advice of counsel, and he was tried
for violating the police regulations.
The testimony showed the officers
acted in the capacity of detectives or
watchmen. although given orders not
to arrest any one. Mr.. Hogan said.
Mr.. Fenning added nothing TO the
! testimony given by DR.. w. A. White
on the stand concerning their joint
business relations and which was one
of the specifications in the inpeach-
ment. He thought the doctors testi-
mony explained the arrangement sat
isfactorily.
The last specification charged Mr..
Fenning with deceiving Congress in
that he denied he ever opposed trans
fer of his wards. whereas DIR. Henry
| Ladd Stickney, Veterans Bureau
doctor. in confidential report to the
director of the bureau charged Mr..
Fenning constantly opposes" their
| transfer. The only case he could re-
call, Mr. Fenning said, was where the
ward had no relatives and the trans
fer was made for administrative rea-
sons. He never opposed their trans.
| fer If the relatives or medical author
tiles recommended it, he declared
Bennett Case Discussed.
| The Bennett case, to which Wilton
j. Lambert, Washington attorney
testified and which Mr.. Blanton
charged was dropped by Mr.. Fem
ming when the former decided to
Commissioner said he had been en-
ployed by w. A. Slade. MIR. Bennett S
nephew, to draw up petition in lu-
macy and that when the case came
| for hearing question of jurisdiction
was raised and the proceedings dis
continued.
Mrs. Hanna Cooke now i'll St.
Elizabeth's Hospital and for whom
| Mr.. Fenning is guardian, was dis
cussed next. Mr.. Blanton had made
vague allegations in this case and
Mr.. Fenning explained the matter as
follows: The woman was sent to
| Gallinger Hospital, petition in lu-
macy was prepared by the Commits,
sioners and she was paroled on writ
| of habeas corpus. pending the adju-
| dication of the case. The day before
the trial she withdrew $500 from
bank and her attorney. II. Mason
Welch, on discovering this. took the
| money away from her and redeposit-
ed it to her credit. Mr.. Welch on
the stand testified Mr. Fenning held
him responsible for the SIS interest
! which the bank refused TO allow, ow-
ing to the withdrawal. MIR. WelCh re-
| fused to pay il.
Supported by Attorney.
Mrs. Mary V. Bumbrey, colored,
who testified Mr.. FenninS tricked her
into signing a petition having himself
appointed guardian, told the Commits
sioner. he testified, she desired to get
an allotment from her sons Navy
pay. Mr.. F'enning had no recollection
of the woman's reading the petition
or of his reading it to her. but main
tanned either practice was "inVaria-
ble'' and such must have obtained in
this case.
J. Louis Taylor. colored attorney,
employed by Mrs. Bumbrey in probate
proceedings. testified she never com
planned to him about Mr.. Fenning act
ing as guardian.
The incident surrounding the at
tempt of Miss Margaret Schoenfeld
and her mother to get possession of
their property during the war, in
which Mr.. Fenning was charged by
| Mr.. Blanton with abusive" language
| toward them. was explained. When
| summoned to the Schoenfeld property
by the then occupants, he found T.. o.
Irish of the Department of Justice
and Philander Johnson already there.
Mr.. Fenning said he told the Schoen-
| fields they could not get possession
without an order of the court and in
the words that followed he threat
ened to get q warrant. Such an in
strument was obtained, he added, and
orders were given to serve it If an
other attempt was made to get the
| property without court order.
A correction" of testimony given
by Representative Hammer, Demo
crat, North Carolina, that Mr.. Fen
ming told him the law regarding
guardianship fees here was from 1 to
10 per cent, was made by the Commits
siOner, who declared he said there was
no law on that subject, but the prac-
tice was to charge within that range.
Explains Chauffeur's Job.
When Mr.. Fenning took office he
found fireman driving the official
car of Commissioner Rudolph, and
that the practice had been in existence
for many years. Mrs. Fenning usually
rides down to work with him in the
morning. and several times has
stopped at different places on the way
home. he explained. adding that there
are not many instances of this kind.
In addition to the official car, Mr..
Fenning personally operates car of
his own, which he has used several
times in the pursuit of his official
duties and at his own expense, he
said.
AT this point Mr.. Fenning volun.
| teered the statement that ,,rha,, he