Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06
Jury TO RESUME
PROBE THIS WEEK
Montgomery Body Meets To-
morrow, but Docket Must
Be Disposed of First.
BY. WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY,
stan Correspondent Of The Star.

stan Correspondent Of The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Nd, April 5.--Facins a
tense situation in the political arena of
Montgomery County over the charges
and counter charges flowing back and
forth between representatives Of the two
factions Of Democrats, the March term
grand jury will reassemble on Monday.
However, it is not probable that it
will 20 Immediately into its recessed in
vestigation, which was demanded of it
by the county commissioners and E.
Brooke Lee, when it convenes the first
of the week, as States Attorney Robert
Peter, IT,. indicated that since it re-
cessed an unusual situation has arisen
In the county involving the arrest of a
number of persons on criminal charges.
which he desires to dispose Of before the
inquisitorial body again goes into the
investigation Of county affairs.
Jail Gases Demand Action.
Mr.. Peter said that there were num-
Der of people now In the Rockville Jail
whose cases would demand the atten-
ton Of the grand Jury, and he would
like to have the body dispose OF these
cases before 1t goes again into the mat
ter of the charges alleged to have been
made against the county off1cials by
the Rockville Independent. 1t is the
investigation of the truth or falsity OF
these latter charges which the county
officials demanded and which served to
keep the present grand jury in session
long past the usual life OF such bodies
in the county.
However, Mr.. Peter said that the mat
ter rests with the grand Jury itself aS
to whether IL would first handle the
criminal cases now before the States
attorney, but he indicated that he
would recommend this course. If the
grand jury complies with this, it prob
ably will be Tuesday or Wednesday be-
fore 1t gets back to its investigation OF
county affairs and the allegations Of
malfeaSance and miSfeasance in once
No Lull in Politics.
While neither side has shown signs
of giving any ground In the fight, anc
the move for an investigation has servec
to draw the political lines sharply
there seems to have been no lull in the
political affairs. The smolderine EN-.
bers of the flame f1ared forth again last
week when Mrs. Jesse W. Nicholson o!
Montgomery County Democratic Law
Enforcement League held in the county
building ct Bethesda, hurled q series Of
charges against the present administra.
| ton in q speech which she delivered
Among other things, she charged tina
the county commissioners are directors
and stockholders in the Maryland News
! q paper issued at Silver Spring anc
headed by Lee. DR.. Benjamin c. Perry
! president, and Lacy Shaw, vice presi
dent, OF the board Of county commits
7 cinnnrR "A - A.,
members Of the board whose name;
appear weekly in the paper as directors
! Mrs. Nicholson then alleged in hel
| speech that the commissioners aware
{ to the paper much Of the county print
! Ing and says that one such item owe
| $4,000 appears in the county treasurer
| report for one six months period al
payment for printing notices. report
and blanks" She charged that it wa!
illegal and cited sections Of the Mary
land Code Of Laws as specifically for
bidding the commissioners being inter
ested directly or indirectly "in am
contract or agreement made with tn
commissioners"
Terms Of Code.
She cited sections II, 10 and 10 o
article as Of the code, which are q
J follows:
at Shall not be lawful for any coun
| ty commissioner, during his term o
ONCE, to hold, possess, purchase or &C
duire any share or interest in any agree
nent or contract made, entered into O
concluded with any party or partie
! whomsoever by the county commission
erS Of his county, In their characte
and capacity as such commissioners, o
to have, receive, enjoy or participate
either directly or indirectly, in any o
the benefits. profits or emoluments o
any such agreement or contract.
ut shall not be lawful for any coun
| ty commissioner, during his term o
of1ce, to accept hold, purchase or &C
| quire any claim on or against the coun
| ty of which he is a commissioner. o
any share or interest In such claim
which said claim has been or is to b
passed upon and approved by the boar,
Of county commissioners of which h
is member.
IF any county commissioner shaI
violate any of the provisions of the tw
preceding sections, he shall be liabl
to indictment and, upon conviction
shall forfeit his ONCE and shall ais
forfeit his share In the agreement, con
tract or claim, as aforesaid, as the cas-
may be-"
| News Answers Charges.
| Answering aCCaCkS ON The GROUND o
alleged violation of the secrecy Of tn
grand jury proceedings by the purport
| ed divulging Of testimony given benin
| closed doors, the Maryland News, Il
an editorial In its current issue, point
out that the secrecy requirements ap
ply only to the deliberations of the bod
itself and do not apply to those VIII
appeared before it. It contends tina
| any witness before a grand jury ha
the right to make known his teStimon
given behind the closed doors.
The grand jury, so far as it coult
be ascertained, has not mapped out an,
plan Of procedure to follow when It re
sumes the consideration of the count,
administration investigation. It wa
recessed because Of the fact that tn
| States attorney had to appear in crimi
nal court to prosecute cases there, ant
the inquisitorial body could not pro
coed without his presence. It probabl
will launch, however. into a considera
ton of the testimony already adducec
as practically all Of the witnesses hat
been examined up to the time it de
cided on the recess.
| It is possible also that some of tn
witnesses who have already appeare
might be recalled to amplify their pre-
vious testimony But this seems doubt
| full now. as 1t was indicated that tn
body was about prepared to make re
| port at the time the recess became nee
eSSary.