The Washington times., 1928-03-05

While the District Commits
sioners were clearing the decks
today for an investigation Of
Repr ese d / alive Thomas p.
Blantons sensational charges
against Major Edwin p. Hesse,
s,lperintendent Of police, the
possibility that the allegations
Of police corruption may be
brought before the District
Grand Jury developed rapidly.
Hesss Makes Request
was learned at the District
building that Major Hesse himself
Icste tlfe Kla Jury 81
slppl lllo rum scar
which has rocked the municipal
admin trat0in.
Martin AIcQuade, foreman q
the Grand Jury conferred with
the Commissioners early today IN
an informal meeting Of the city
heads on the Hesse affair. Mr..
McQuade was seeking affidaylts
on the case.
d. G. Heads Ask Data
The Commissioners however have
no affidavits. They sent letters to-
day to Representative Ernest ".
Gibson, chairman OF the slibcorll-
mittee investigating Blanton's
charges, and also to the Texan him.
self, asking for a transcript ~
testimony before the subcommittee.
and for any affidavits or infOrnaa-
ton in the hands Of either.
IL the Commissioners investlga-
ton should warrant further action.
it was stated today, an act OF Con
gress authorizing the city heads
to sit as a trial board may be IN
voked. This trial would be public
and would be in the nature OF pro-
ceedings before the Police Trial
Board. Following their meeting
early today, the Commissioners said
they would be unable to predict
what method of action they may
adopt until they receive the neces.
sary affidavits and other fnforma.
ton which they have requested
from the Gibson subcommittee and
from Representative Blanton.
Letter To BIantOn
In the letter to Blanton, the Com
missioners said:
According to the press, you
made, in the course of speech
on the floor of the House on
March 8, 1928. specific and grave
charges as to the conduct of the
major and superintendent of
police, which. it is stated in the
press, were supported by affidavit. !"
The Commissioners told Blanton
they did not know whether the
| matters referred to in his speech
had been laid before the sub
committee, but requested him to
furnish the Commissioners with
l "all the information which you
may have in respect to these
| matters
Major Hesse said he would not
comment further on the charges,
nor would he take any action In
! his own defense until the allega.
tions were laid before him officially
| by his superiors.
] He admitted freely that he had
been in the delicatessen store and
| the northeast corner of Fifth and
East Capitol Streets, where, &C.
cording to Blanton, the police chief
was frequently seen drinking.
Drank Lemon Soda
Major Hesse said he had been
in the store on various occasions
to buy cigarettes, sandwiches. or
other small articles. AS to the
drinking charge, intimates of Major
Hesse said, that as far as it went,
it was perfectly true, as the police
chief often drank lemon soda or
near beer with sandwiches.
The other establishments men
toned by Blanton as being places
where liquor was being sold openly
have been the subject of police in.
vestigations-sone recently, some
Of the past several months
One of these places is now in
volved in q, court case, and has
been Tor some time, following a
police raid Other. addresses, the
police say, are entirely above aus.
picion. 1t was learned, however.
that various public and private
agencies have attempted within the
last few years to make a case
against the delicatessen store ut
Ccontiaued on Pass- 4. Column -,