Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-19
OFFICIALS DEMAND
GRAND Jury QUIZ
Montgomery Commissioners
and Lee Ask Probe of News
papers Charges.
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY,
star correspondent of The Star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, March 19.-Sharp
lines were drawn shortly before noon
today between the Democratic organiza-
ton in Power in Montgomery County
and the group known as the "antls"
when the Board of County Commits
sioners, at a special meeting today, de-
cided TO demand an investigation OF
charges said to have appeared in a local
newspaper rejecting on the manner in
which the government had been run.
A formal statement later was present.
ed to the grand jury by the five COM
missioners DR.. Benjamin G. Perry,
president; Downey Williams, Clagett c..
Hilton, Robert L. HickerSon and Lacy
Shaw. This statement demanded an in
vestigation of the charges contained in
the newspaper, and if found to be true
then to indict the officials responsible,
but If, on the other hand, they were
found to be untrue. then to indict those
responsible for making the charges. A
similar statement was read by E. Brooke
Lee, speaker Of the House of Delegates
and county Democratic leader, in which
he pointed out that he had been made
the target of some of the charges, and
asking a full investigation, VIVA re-
sultant indictments If the grand jury
found that crime had been committed.
The action was taken following long
session of the board OF commissioners
in the court house here which was at
tended by Lee, j. Forrest Walker,
county treasurer; Berry E. Clarke, clerk
to the board, and Capt. Joseph C. Cis-
sci, counsel to the board of commits
Sioners.
The county officials and the Demo-
cratic organization men, it is known,
have felt strongly the allegations made
against the present county government.
There Is q strong belief that the state
ments of Encouragement Of the county
government have resulted In an in
creased following for the anti organiza-
ton, especially at this time when the
two factions are moving in q campaign
for the primaries in September, when
the candidates for the Democratic party
at the November elections will be
selected.
Charges Widely Discussed.
The charges have been widely dis
cuSSed, but no of1cial action had been
taken to counterfeit them until today'S
action Of the full board, and that of
Brooke Lee.
The formal statement, signed by all
members of the board, was read to the
grand jury by Capt. Cissel, and was said
to have been. supplemented by verbal
statements of DR.. Perry and Lacy Shaw,
who is vice president of the board. DR..
Perry said that the statement was re-
ceived by the inquisitorial body, but it
made no comment.
The commissioners. in their state
ment, after expressing their under
standing that State law places respon-
sibility upon the grand jury to indict
public officials guilty of illegal acts and
to indict any persons who may have
committed libel, declare:
1T must be true that either the
County Commissioners of Montgomery
County have been guilty of, conspired
in or participated In the illegal or i'm
proper expenditure of public money
and acquired profit for themselves or
others at the expense Of public funds
and have as well committed other i'm
proper or other illegal acts contrary
to the public good, or else the charges
and statements which have for a period
Of more than year past appeared al
most weekly in the Montgomery hide
pendent published in Rockville, under
two different ownerships, constitute a
series of criminal libels against the
several members of this board.
Investigation Is Demanded.
GAS public officials- of Montgomery
County who have been charged with
these offenses We respectfully demand,
both as citizens and officials, that your
honorable body, now in regular session,
take cognizance of these charges of the
Montgomery Independent and that you
investigate the truth or falsity of the
matters therein contained and If, in
your judgment, they be substantiated,
then we demand that such officials be
indicted and so given the opportunity
of q speedy and public trial, or else
you find the charges are not SUBJ
stantiated, that those responsible
therefor, whether names appear at the
head of the editorial columns of the
paper or not, shall be indicted for such
crime as you may find them to have
committed, which we believe and are
advised Is that Of criminal libel"
In support of the demand the COM
misSioners presented for examination q
nearly complete file Of the Montgomery
Independent.
Members declared the board has en-
deavored to discharge its duties with
conscience and fidelity and to enhance
the reputation of Montgomery County
as safe and well-governed community.
The continued reiteration of the charges
made in the Montgomery Independent
without trial In a court of law can have
no other effect than to undermine the
confidence of the people of the county
in the integrity of their government"
The statement was signed by Board
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