Evening star., 1929-11-22
Religious Affiliations of Off,
ciaIs and Others Taking
Part in Probe Brought Up
by Senator.
LETTER FROM ANONYMOUS
WRITER READ BY CLERK
District Commissioners Vote to Re-
fer Cases of Inspector Shelby and
Lieut.. Kelly Back to Special
Board Appointed to Make In
vestigation.


Dismissal of Policeman Robert
j. Allen, whose unauthorized in
veStigation of the death of Vir-
ginia Mcpherson led to the indict-
ment of her husband, Robert A.
Mcpherson, jr.. and a debate in
the Senate on the handling OF the
case were the chief developments
today in the aftermath of Nc
Pherson's exoneration.
Meanwhile, the District Com
miSsioners voted to refer back to
the special investigating board the
disposition of the cases of Inspec-
tor William S. Shelby and Lieut..
Edward j. Kelly, who were relieved
from duty when the first grand
jury criticized them for handling
OF the Mcpherson case. The board
is composed of Maj. Donald A.
Dawson, assistant engineer COM
missioner, and w. w. Bride, cor
poration counsel. The board
originally appointed to investigate
the grand Jury'S charges, dropped
the inquiry when it found Itself
without power to subpoena wit
neSSeS and few seemed willing to
testify voluntarily.
Senator Blease of South Carolina
touched of the Senate debate today,
intimating that the death Of Mrs. Nc
Pherson may be further investigated by
a future grand jury.
The question of the religious affilia-
tons OF various officials ana others con-
nected with the Mcpherson investiga-
ton was brought into the discussion
when Senator Blease had the clerk read
an anonymous letter, which said that
the names OF those connected with the
investigation might suggest a Knight
OF Columbus lodge"
Check Of Affiliations Asked.
After Senator Blease had finished his
speech Senator Hefiin, Democrat of
Alabama, asked to have printed In the
Record list Of names of the personnel
OF the district attorneys off1ce, with
their afhliations. purporting to show a
large number of Catholics in the dis
trict attorneys office. This memoran-
dunn was dated September 80, 1929, and
SNANAAASA UAOAA tAAG 4O4OWA4lS ODSCIN0~
ton:
If you will check the church connec-
tlons OF Shelby and Kelly, together with
the above information, you can possibly
shed some additional light on the NC
Pherson case" (The McPhersons are
Presbyterians, Mrs. Mcpherson said
today.)
In addition to discussing the Nc
PherSon case, Senator Blease took UP
q nHA ~E -
the eighth precinct. who was recently
exonerated by trial board of charges
preferred by Supt. Pratt.
Capt Doyle was reinstated," Senator
BleaSe declared. "and the common talk
on the streets is that he was reinstated
because they were afraid of a church
night In Washington and they were not
ready for 1t right now. It has been
said that Doyle had been a Catholic
and quit the Catholic Church and there
was a certain hatred against him and
a strong effort was being made to un-
dermine him and kick him out in dis
grace, but that he was reinstated be-
cause they were afraid of that fight at
this time.
Says He DeplOres Church Issue.
Every Senator on the floor knows
and I call upon the distinguished SEN
ator from Alabama (Mr. Hefiin) If it is
necessary as witnesS-that I have been
one man who stood on this floor and
deplored the bringing in of the re-
ligious issue. AS have stated, I grad
uated at Catholic university; I have
a sister who married Catholic, have
two nephewS who are Catholics and
some OF the very best friends have
in South Carolina are Catholics.
Il deplore bringing the question Of
RELIGION in and + YaorftnyH
morning to show how far the Police
Department and the district attorneys
ONCE, honeycombed with little Ireland,
as the letter which has been read at
the desk suggests, have gone in the
to which they have resorted in
order to try to humiliate somebody
connected with the Mcpherson case"
referred stated that the writer was not
surprised at the result of the grand
jury investigation when I recall the
names of those interested in clearing
the names of those who seem to have
deliberately Influenced the coroner's
jury verdict" Continuing, this letter
read as follows:
The following names might suggest
a knights of Columbus Lodge even.
Attorney General; Laskey, his
appointee; Cullen, his appointee:
Dougherty. Commissioner of Police;
Shelby, detective: Kelly. detective: Nc
Pherson: Fitzpatrick. foreman of the
grand jury: Leahy, counsel. Now. SEN
ator. if this isn't the roll call of little
Ireland then I am taking up your time
for nothing. Senator'S I am an expert
enced lawyer now in the military service
so cannot sign this. am also a tax
payer in the District and not q radical
on religious matters, but encountered
their work overseas and know how they
work. 1t might pay you to look into
this version of the Mcpherson case.
(SignedD
ONE WHO BELIEVES SHE WAS
MURDERED"
Senator Blease said he only mentioned
the religious question because of the
to it in information that had
come to him.
Walsh Interrupts.
Senator Walsh, Democrat, of Massa-
chusettS interrupted, saying:
II am sure the Senator does not
mean that any oficial Of the Catholic