Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-17
Blease Tells Committee Let
ter Is Merely Opinion on
Brandegee's Fate.
TWO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
FIRST TO BE CONSIDERED
Group to Decide Today Scope Of
Investigation of Conduct
Of Police Here.

AS the senatorial subcommittee went
into executive session early this after
noon to determine what its course of
procedure should be in handling the
proposed investigation of police affairs,
Senator Blease, Democrat, Of South
Carolina, revealed that he had received
letter from woman expressing the
belief that the late Senator Frank B.
Brandegee of Connecticut was muir
dered. Senator Brandegee was found
dead in his home here In October, 1924,
and his death was held by the coroner
to have been suicide by inhaling gas.
Senator Blease said this letter was
included inathe collection of correspond
ence which he would turn over to the
subcommittee when it meets this after
noon to decide on course of procedure
in going into the various matters that
have been raised relating to manage
ment of police affairs and the District
Attorneys office.
Only An Opinion.
Senator BleaSe indicated that he had
no information bearing on the death OF
Senator Brandegree other than the ex-
preston Of opinion contained in the LETT
ter received by him, and that he was
merely passing 1t on to the subcomnit-
tee, along with the other information
that had come to him regarding police
matters.
Senator Sackett, Republican of Ken
lucky, chairman of the subcommittee
stated that there was nothing he could
say regarding the plans of the subcoTn-
mittee until the meeting adjourns this
afternoon at which time he said he
would discuss freely whatever it decided
upon.
Senator Blease, author of the resolu-
ton under which the subcommittee is
operating, will ask the subcommittee to
take steps to find out two things i'm
mediately:
Two Specific Questions.
First, whether there was delay in the
District attorneys once in handling the
investigation into the death of Lee
KING. Chinese, who was found shot
on the street early this year; second,
to get n complete report on the grant,
concealed weapons. With regard to
the first matter, Senator Blease has
been informed that there was delay
in returning indictments growing out
of the King death. AS to the second
question, the Senator wants to find
out il 1t is true that members Of one
Chinese organization here are able to
obtain permits to, carry weapons while
members of another organization are
denied such permits.
Greater interest attaches however, to
the question of what the subcommittee
will decide to do toward inquiring into
charges of police bungling In the Me-
PherSon case, and also whether IL will
decide to reopen the death Of Detective
Sergt Arthur Scrivener, who was found
shot in an alley in Georgetown three
years ago, clutching a torn necktie in
his hand
Some members of the Senate District
committee have taken the view that 1t
would be unwiSe to begin investigating
the police handling of specific cases
while those cases are pending in court.
1t is for the subcommittee to decide
at the meeting this afternoon when
and how it should proceed. The oppo-
site view also has been expressed, that
the subcommittee could inquire into
whether the police were inefficient with
out affecting other phases of the case.