Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-20
GRAND INQUEST
TO QUERY BUTLER
Michigan Committee Asked to
Sit In on Examination
of Convicted Man.
BY staf Correspondent of The Star.


ANNAPOLIS, Md, February 20. -
Examination of Thomas A. Butler, con-
victed purchasing agent of the State
r. Ids Commission, now serving three
year term in the Maryland Penitentiary,
will begin next Tuesday before the
grand inquest sitting here. AT the same
time the Michigan committee, the gov
ernor's special commission, which is
conducting an inquiry in the State road
defalcations, will be invited to sit with
the grand inquest, in accordance with a
resolution offered by James j. Lindsay
of Baltimore County. The resolution
provides that William Purnel Hall, Bal
timore, who laid 40 charges alleged to
have been made by Butler, before the
inquest at a previous hearing, and
Richard B. Tippett, attorney for one OF
the alleged peculators. will be invited.
Edwin q. Baetger of Baltimore, counsel
for the Nelligan committee, will conduct
the examinations.
The inquest met yesterday to formu-
late a plan of action for its future
meeting, and during the short session
there were several clashes between Re-
publican members and the Democratic
leaders. The first came when Delegate
Paul Berman of Baltimore offered a
resolution which he said was prepared
by Daniel c. Joseph, insurgent Demo-
cratic leader, asking that two Balti-
more detectives be assigned to the sub
committee investigating the disposal of
war material given the State by the
Federal government for use In its road
work.
Holds Detectives Unnecessary.
Speaker E. Brooke Lee, Silver Spring,
said he saw no need for the detectives,
but Berman countered that the subcom-
mittee could not run down the DISPOSE
ton of the various articles, and pointed
out that he had information that bicy-
cles were sold by one State employe
for $40 each Lee insisted that the
purpose of the detectives was to permit
Joseph to go to Baltimore and ''dig
up a lot of Dirt
Berman charged that the grand jury
had failed to indict certain people that
it should have, and Lee asked him on
what authority he made that. statement,
and Berman added on the evidence
adduced. Asked how he had the evil
dence, Beranan said that Haskins and
Sells reports showed defalcation Of
more than $500, 900 and the men were
only charged with taking some $50, 900.
Lee moved that States Attorney
Herbert r. O'Conor of Baltimore be
advised that there had been illegal dis
position of Federal property, and Sena-
tor Harry o. Levin interjected that
possibly the overt acts might have taken
place in places outside Of Baltimore.
Then, Lee said, it should be referred
to the grand jury in the county IN
which any overt act of this kind occur
red. The Lee resolution was passed.
Asks for Statement.
The inquest also passed resolution
proposed by Senator Levin which called
on the attorney general as to whether
the State Roads Commission had ever
asked him for an opinion as to whether
it could spend State road funds for cele-
brations incident to the opening of prof.
ects, and If so, what was his reply?
Berman moved that Charles w. Drew,
w. Albert Caldwell and DR.. r. M. Regain
of Conowingo, Md, be summoned to
appear before the committee to tell what
they knew of an alleged flooding Of a
road in connection with the construc-
ton of the Conowingo Dam. This was
rejected by the committee on the ground
that it was not its function to probe
into such matters.
Senator s. Scott Beck of Kent County,
chairman of the grand inquest, read into
the record lengthy communication
from the Nelligan committee. giving de-
tails of the amount of war material
shipped to the State by the Federal
public roads Office.
The committee will meet at o'clock
this afternoon. when representatives Of
Haskins and Sells win be examined on
the matter of their attempts to collect
$25A000.