The Washington times., 1929-11-23
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8. Shelby and demanded that
formal charges be drawn against
orr client and q trial board be
convened at the earliest possible
date to hear these charges,
Asks Public Hearing
"a I'VE requested and urged thatI
this be done, even though wit
nesses should fail to appear and
the evidence gathered by the in
Vestigating board might seem
trivial and unconvincing. The
failure Of members Of the Grand
Jury to appear before the board
would seem to make it impossi-
BILE to draw specifications show
ing the precise act which formed
the basis Of these charges.
I'VE are, however, anxious TO
have a public hearing on these
charges, and, in order to bring
this about, we express to you
now the willingness OF Mr..
Shelby to go to trial upon the
general charges made by the
Grand Jury, without requiring
specifications in support thereof.
1.-THE present grand jury has
eXonerated Robert A. MCPHERSON.
The view seems to be prevalent
that this action of the grand jury
should be sufficient justification
for putting an end to all proceed
ingS looking to a hearing Of the
charges against Mr.. Shelby. We
do not share this view. Justice
to him requires that the charges
be publicly tried before tribunal
clothed with the power Of com.
polling the attendance of wit
nesses, especially those who are
his accursers. In this way, and
this way alone, can these very
serious charges be established to
the satisfaction of all as abso-
lutely groundleSS.
Lengthy Service Cited
"a quarter Of a century of
faithful service in the police de-
partment has earned for him tie
right to have not only his SUI.
periorS, but the public generally,
know that he has done nothing
to forfeit the high esteem of
those whom he has so faithfully
served"
The letter was taken to mean
that Shelby will not be satisfied
with an exoneration by the spe-
&cial board. The attorneys indicated
that they believed the public re-
action to such a procedure would
be that it was a embarrassing
job"
If the accused officers are
brought before a police trial
board, however, it was said that
a special and civilian board would
probably have to be appointed in
order to avert the same idea
which might become prevalent If
Shelby and Kelly were exonerated
by fellow-officers.
Two-Man Board Ready
The special two-man board ap-
pointed to consider the manner
in which Inspector Shelby and
Lieutenant Kelly handled the in
vestigation into the Mcpherson
death will proceed in "a different
manner" in the second stage Of
its inquiry.
This much was revealed today
by Corporation Counsel William
w. Bride, who with Major Donald
A. Dawson, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner, comprises the
board appointed early last month,
after the grand jury charged
Shelby and Kelly with "bungling. :
Bride also said today that the
investigation will take "a long
time" He added that he and
Dawson will confer late today to
perfect their plans.
There will be no further at
tempt to question members Of
the July grand jury or other wit
nesses in the MCPHERSON case,
Bride said. "They had their
chance before and they didn't
take it," he remarked, in connec-
ton with the failure Of all ex-
cept seven Of the grand jurors
to respond to the boards invita-
ton to appear and back up their
condemnation of the police Of
ficerS.
The question Of the status of
Shelby and Kelly was revived
Thursday after the Grand Jury
ignored murder charges in the
case Of Mrs. Virginia Mcpherson.
Friends See ExoneratiOn
The July Grand Jury indicted
Mcpherson on a charge Of
Strangling his wife and in a
separate report condemn the man
ner in which Shelby and Kelly
handled the case. Later the Off
GERS were transferred to minor
posts and relieved as chief of
the detective bureau and head of
the homicide squad, respectively.
Friends of the two claim that
the action Of the present Grand
Jury, in effect. exonerateS them
and vindip.tes the manner in
which they investigated the Nc
Pherson death.
Following the action Of the pre-.
vious Grand Jury, the District
Commissioners appointed Bride
and Dawson as special board
to investigate the Grand Jurys
charges for the District Govern
ment. The board was handi-
capped in its investigation, and it
became almost a farce. when the
Grand Jury members refused IT,
appear before it and back up
their opinions.
The inquiry was suspended on
October 8.