The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1929-10-15
JOINS. PLEA
FOR NEW
INQUIRY
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Thought her in Chicago with Mara.
gon. he said
scrivener had, on September. %,
1926, called at the office of the
Lewis Thayer Printing Company,
900 Twelfth st. N. W., and ar
ranged with Howard S. Fiske, 3
close friend, for the engraving of
his wedding invitations, the draft
for which was made by his fiancee.
He seemed happy about the com.
ing event, according to Fiske, and
returned three days later for the
finished products. They had sent
them out before the Staying. it is
believed. The invitations. which
had not been heard of before, were
found by The Times today. They
reveal the fact that the wedding
date was to have been October 80
instead of October 10, as previously
supposed.
Scrivener had kept plans for The
wedding a secret and until after his
death few of his closest friends
even, did not know he contemplated
matrimony.
Other Plans Ahead
William F. Franklin. prominent
1egionnaire and an intimate friend
of the detective sergeant, said today
that Scrivener had planned on
going to Philadelphia to the Ameri
can Legion convention the morning
his body was found.
When the Washington division of
the legion paraded to the station,
to go to Philadelphia. Scrivener.
who was a member of the Vincent
B. Costello Post went with it and
helped place flags and other para
phernalia aboard the train, Frank
lin says. AS the train pulled out.
he assured his comrades he would
be there two days later and he ap-
peared sincere in his words. He
was always in the best of good
humor. Franklin says. and. APP
parently had no troubles OF Conse-
uuence or any days of depression.
Enlisted as War Started
When the United States entered
the war in 1917, SCrivener rendered
his resignation to then Chief of De
tectives Grant and went to Wash
ington Barracks to enlist in the en-
M to the late superintendent of
Police Pullman, who declined to &C
cent it. only to learn that SCrivener
had already enlisted.
Major Pullman went to Secretary
of War Baker and convinced him,
Franklin says, that Scrivener would
be of more value to the country as
q detective sergeant here than as
a private soldier, and a special dis
charge was ordered Detective
Sergeant ScriVener was enlisted in
the Army and muster out the same
day. over his own protest.
The charge upon which Maragon
Is shortly to Sbe tried in Maryland
is violating the Sunday blue laws.
Washington police said today that
he had also been arrested on a
minor charge in this city.
Inquiry Starts Soon
The Senate's promised inVestiga-
ton into the Scrivener death mys'
terry probably will get under way
tomorrow.
1t is expected that with the re-
turn of Senator Sackett of Ken
lucky he will call together mem
bers of the subcommittee appointed
to investigate the local police
scandal and that general summary
of alleged bungling of the police
department will be made.
The popular theory, however was
that Scrivener had grappled with
some assailant and had torn off his
necktie before he was shot. Police
held, however, that the necktie was
q "blind.''
Case Long Dormant
The Scrivener case, which has
lain dormant for three years. was
revived on the complaint of the
elderly parents of Detective Scriv-
ener that the police never did
investigate the case properly.
To the complaint of ScriVener's
parents last night was added that
of his brother, Garner Scrivener
a detective of the Akron (Ohio)
police force. L am willing to go
to Washington and tell the Senate
Committee why / think Arthur was
murdered" the brother said.
He said that when he was here at.
tending Schrivener's funeral local
detectives tried to convince him that
his brother was a suicide. but they
never shook his belief that he had
been murdered.
The Scrivener case, however, was
not among the matters mentioned
in the Blease resolution, which the
Senate adopted last week, calling
for the probe.
Other Charges Pending
The subcommittee also is to in
vestigate charges of corruption AMI
tnefficiency against the, District |
Commissioners. police officials. and |
the District Attorneys office. Even
these questions may not be reached
for a considerable time, as Bleaso
hopes to begin the inquiry with All
examination of facts which may
tend to show an unhoIy alliance
between District authorities and the
lawless element in Washington S
Chinatown
The South Carolinian is impa-
tientlv awaiting the return to Wash
ington of Senator Sackett, who is
expected here tomorrow, in order to
start the machinery of the investi-
cation.
The Police Department has always
contended that ScriVener committed |
suicide early on the morning of .Octo.
Der ID, 1925. in such a manner as to
make it appear he was murdered.
A gun was found near his body and
a torn necktie in his right rand. The
popular theory was that ScriVener
had grappled with some assailant
and had torn off his necktie before
he was shot Police held, however.
that the necktie was blind"
Most of the witnesses interviewed