Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-18
TO ASK
POLICE FACTS FOR
SENATE PROBERS
Sackett Says Officials VIII
Be Called Upon for Several
Specific Explanations.
QUESTIONS HANDLING
LEE KING INDICTMENTS
Allen Suspension and Methods of
Issuing Permits for Weapons .
Are Points.


While special investigators are work.
ing quietly to find out what basis there
may be for the general charge of Gin
efficiency and corruption" in the Dis
trict government, the Senate police sub
committee will proceed at once to get
answers to the several specific questions
raised by Senator Blease, Democrat, of
South Carolina, in his investigating res
olution.
This, In a nutshell, was the course Of
action agreed upon by the subcommittee
when it met in executive session at the
Capitol yesterday afternoon and went
over the various portions Of the Blease
resolution.
Senator Sackett, Republican. of Ken
lucky, chairman, announced that letters
would be written Immediately to the
appropriate local officials asking for full
information on the following SPECIFIC
matters raised in the resolution:
Whether there was delay in the dis
trict attorneys Office in handling in
dictments returned by the grand jury
In connection with the death Of Lee
King, the Chinese who was found shot
on the street last Summer.
What the reasons were for the SuS-
pension of Policeman Robert j. Allen,
who launched a one-man investigation
into the death of Mrs. Virginia McPher-
son after the detective bureau had con-
cllIded it was suicide. The subcomm1t-
tee took the view that the recent res
toration of Allen to duty did not re-
move the necessity for inquiring into
his suspension.
A report giving full information on
the issuance of permits to carry con-
cealed weapons, with regard to which
Senator Blease said he understood such
permits could be obtained by one group
Of local Chinese, but are denied to an
other group.
Scrivener Witnesses Given.
With regard to the request that the
subcommittee reopen the case of the
late Detective Sergt. Arthur Scrivener,
who was found shot in an alley In
lGeuTRetowa three years ago. Chairman
Sackett said the subcommittee was
given the names yesterday afternoon Of
several witnesses who, it was said,
could throw light on the Scrivener
mystery and the Senator said investi-
gators would be put to work to check
up on this information.
It is a comparatively simple task for
the subcommittee to call for full data
in writing on these specific matters,
but with regard to the general allega-
tions against the Police Department
the District attorneys Office and the
local government generally, contained
in the preamble Of the resolution, the
subcommittee wants to have thorough
inquiries made to find out what founda-
ton exists for these charges before
launching upon formal hearings.
Senator Sackett's first move, there
fore, Is to ask Attorney General
Mitchell If trained investigator Of
the Department of Justice can be as
signed to do this work for the sub
committee. If necessary, the Senator
said, the subcommittee could engage a
representative of its own also.
The Senator said that all informa-
ton gathered for the subcommittee in
this manner would be taken down by
the investigator under oath. The SUBJ
committee has power to subpoena wit
nesses, and If any official or individual
should be reluctant to give informa-
tion to the investigator, Senator Sackett
said the subcommittee could summon
such a witness.
Letters Being Prepared.
@. H. Brinkman, clerk of the Senate
District committee, today Is preparing.
at the direction of Senator Sackett, the
several letters that will set in motion
the program outlined at yesterdays
executive session.
One letter will be to the Department
OF Justice, asking for the assistance of
an investigator to look into the general
charges made in the resolution, An
other will be to Supt of Police Pratt,
calling for the report on the suspension
OF Policeman Allen. District Attorney
Rover will be asked for the report on
the handling of the Lee King death
investigation and the Police Court will
be requested to submit the report on
concealed weapon permits.
The letter which Senator Blease said
yesterday he had received from a
woman who expressed the belief that
the death of the late Senator Brandegee
OF Connecticut, in this city in 1924, was
murder, was turned over to the sub
committee along with the correspond
ence on the other matters. Senator
Blease merely passed it on to the sub
committee. along with other informa-
ton that has come to him, and the sub
committee took no action regarding it
yesterday. Senator Brandegee's death
was held to be suicide by the coroner.
Senator Sackett said the subcomniit-
tee would go thoroughly into all the
questions raised in the resolution, but
he indicated it was the intention of the
senatorial group to proceed in as un-
sensational q manner as possible.
All members of the subcommittee
were present with Chairman Sackett
yesterday, namely: Senators Jones, Re-
publican, of Washington: Vandcnberg,
Republican, of Michigan: Copeland,
Democrat, of New York and BleaSe,
Denocrat of South Carolina