Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-26
Grand Jury Probe Ordered by
Rover on Charges Against
Police Officials.
STAPLES MAY APPEAR
AT HEARING AUGUST 10
Statement of Ex-Policeman Says
He Was Sent to Get" Latter
and Took Shot at Him.

The grand jury will investigate Ger
tain charges of malfeasance" made
against certain District and Federal
officials" by Frederick A. Schenck,
former Washington policeman, now
serving 20-year term for robbery, ac-
Oording to a formal statement issued
last night by Leo A. Rover, United
States attorney.
Schenck, once a teammate of Orvllle
Staples and, like Staples, credited with
a hectic career on the local police force,
will be brought here from LeavenWorth
penitentiary, in Kansas to testify before
the grand jury, on August 10, Rover
announced.
Rover Announces Probe.
Mr. Rover's: statement follows:
Frederick A. Schenck, who is now
serving a 20-year sentence in the
Leavenworth penitentiary, as result
of his pleas Of guilty to two cases OF
robbery, has made certain charges Of
malfeaSance in Office, naming certain
District and Federal officials. These
charges will be presented by me to the
grand jury on August 10. Schenck will
be brought from the penitentiary to
testify and all persons who are in
position to shed any light on the mat
ters involved in the charges will be
summoned as witnesses.
Agents of the Bureau of 1nvestiga-
ton of the Department Of Justice,
under the direction of j. Edgar Hoover,
director of the bureau. are actively as
sisting me in the preparation Of this
matter for presentation to the grand
jury"
Officials Unidentified.
The identity of the officials against
whom Schenck has aimed his charges
and the specific nature of the charges
were not made known.
Rumors OF an impending grand jury
probe of reported charges by Schenck
against high police and prosecuting
officials here have been current for
several weeks. 1t is known that
Schenck has been in communication
with Staples recently. 1t is understood
Staples may be among other persons
who will be summoned to appear be-
fore the grand jury.
Statement Held Two Years.
A photostatic copy of a lengthy
statement, supposedly written by
Schenck while an inmate of the Dis
trict Jail two years ago, has been in
the flies of the Department Of Justice
for many months, The Star learned
This statement was brought to the
department by ? local newspaper man,
who desired an official investigation
OF sensational charges made against
several police officials and of allega-
tons Of widespread police corruption.
The statement was not signed. but on
its face purported TO be confession"
by Schenck
Because of the lack of signature and
the record of its reputed author. the
document was not taken very seriously
in official circles. At the time the De-
partment of Justice declined to take
any action on the ground Of lack OF
jurisdiction
Says Told Ito Get" Staples.
The 1929 statement was rather ram
bling and incoherent, officials said. II
outlined its authors experiences as q
policeman in Washington, including his
difficulties in keeping straight" in the
face of general corruption"
II contained a charge that the author
and another policeman were called INTO
the Office Of one of his superiors and
instructed" to get" Policeman Staples
because he had done too much
"squawking." This was about the time
that Staples was cooperating with
Representative Blanton of Texas in the
latter campaign to clean up the po-
lice department"
Tells of Firing at Staples.
The statement declared the police
man carried out the orders and he and
a brother officer lay in wait at Staples
home and that his companion shot al
Staples as he entered his garage One
shot was fired and then, the statement
declared, Schenck and his companion
left hurriedly and threw the weapon
they used into the Potomac at the foot
of New Hampshire avenue, thus avoid
ing discovery when their service pis-
tolls subsequently were examined in the
police station after Staples made q
complaint that he had been fired upon
The statement ascribed to Schenck
also charged that an assistant district
attorney received $700 for releasing an
automobile which had been used by
bootlegger in a manslaughter case. In
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