Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-23
Formal Demand Filed as Spe-
ciaI Board Prepares to Re-
sumo Investigation.
ATTITUDE OF D. C. HEADS
AS YET Undetermined
Letter to Commissioners Says JUS
tice Requires Accusers
to Face Inspector.

A formal demand for a public trial
for Inspector william S. Shelby and
Lieut.. Edward j. Kelly who were trans
ferred from the Detective Bureau as a
result Of the July grand jury's charges
of inefficiency in the investigation of
the Mcpherson case, was made today
by Henry !. Quinn and George E.
Strong, counsel for the veteran police
official.
The lawyers fled the request with the
District Commissioners at 10:45 o'clock
this morning as the two-man board Of
inquiry appointed to investigate the
charges against Shelby and Kelly was
making preparations to resume its sus-
pended probe.
The letter of shelby's attorney to
the Commissioners read as follows:
"On october 4, 1929, we appeared be-
fore the special board appointed by you
to investigate the grand jury charges
against Assistant Superintendent Will
liam S. Shelby, and demanded that
formal charges be drawn against our
client and trial board be convened
at the earliest possible date to hear
these charges. We requested and urged
144nO O4A1o NC OOllCS CNCIl JIIOuBn WIZ
nesses should fail to appear, and the
evidence gathered by the investigating
board might seem trivial and uncon-
vincing. The failure of the members of
the grand jury to appear before the
investigating board would seem to make
it impossible to draw specifications
showing the precise acts which formed
the bases Of these charges. We are,
however, ANXIOUS to have a public hear
inc IN thaca Rhornpc and In order IN
bring this about, we express to you now
the willingness of Mr.. Shelby to 60 to
trial upon the general charges made by
the grand jury without requiring Spect-
fications IN support thereof.
Wants Accussers Summoned.
"The present grand jury has exon
seems to be prevalent that this action OF
the grand jury should be sufficient JUS
tification Tor putting an end to all pro-
ceedings looking to hearing of the
charges against Mr.. Shelby. We do not
share this view Justice to him requires
that the charges be publicly tried be-
fore a tribunal clothed with the power
of compelling the. attendance OF wit
neSSeS, especially those who are his ac-
cusers. In this way and this way alone
can these very serious charges be es-
tablished to the satisfaction Of all as
absolutely groundleSS.
"a quarter Of q century Of faithful
service in the Police Department of the
District of Columbia has earned for
him the 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"
There was no indication as to the
attitude of the Commissioners with re-
spect to the request Of Shelby's attor-
neys. In the meantime, the inyestigat-
ing board, composed of Corporation
Council William w. Bride and Maj.
Donald A. Dawson, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner, considered plans for re-
Suming the inquiry.
Bride and Dawson suspended the IN
vestigation october 9, and were direct
ed by the Commissioners yesterday to
resume it in view of the action of the
present grand jury in exonerating Nc
Pherson. The status of Shelby and
Kelly, it was said, will remain un-
changed pending its completion, the two
officers continuing the duties to which
they were assigned upon their tranS4
fer from the Detective Bureau.
There Is likelihood that If the Com
nissioners turn down the request of
Shelby for a public trial that the
voluminous report of the Department
OF Justice on its exhaustive inveStiga-
tion into the mysterious death of Mrs.
Virginia Mcpherson may be used to
(Continued on Page 2, Column 81