The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-16
District Attorney
Calls Witness for
Hearing On Monday
Price Is Hurt Because
Daily" Calls Quiz
g. Farce

those records that he did ex-
anime yesterday decided to continue
with the investigation into the brutal
murder on Welfare Island of James
Matthews, North Carolina Negro
battered to death by a prison keeper
After concluding his examination
of Mark Shahian, eyewitness to the
murder first exposed by the Daily
Worker, with the curt announcement
IF I need you again I'll call you, y
Prize yesterday telephoned Edward
Kuntz, International Labor Defense
attorney asking him to have Shahiarl
at his office Monday morning for
a resumption of the examination.
At that time, if arrangements can
be made with Commissioner of Cor
rection William j. Cahill, guards will
be brought down in uniform for
Shahians examination. If that is
not possible, Price said, he woulc
take Shahian and the attorney to
Welfare Island to try to identify the
accused keepers. ..
"Ask Me Anything"
The assistant district attorney did
not think the Daily Worker was
playing fair" with him in its pub
lished stories and he invited a re-
porter to come down and task any
questions you wish"
II am not trying to shield anyone,
he protested.
The reporter decided to find out
and went to see Price. The former
asked whether the district attorney
had the records which Commissioner
Cahill so bitterly tried to keep from
becoming public.
mo, I haven't" Price said apol-
ogetically. 'I had them here for
several days, but they've gone back
to Welfare Island"
During the course of the interview
when Price quoted certain statements
made to him by witnesses and as
sured the reporter that he himself
had seen certain records and the
reporter in turn assured him that
he, too, had seen those records and
that Prices recollection YVES inaccu-
rate, the records which we're supposed
to have been returned to Welfare
Island appeared mysteriously in his
desk. They were necessary to check
the reporters memory. The reporter
was right.
fIhrn1Y0bn1,f sr,ta D,-i,e
persisted in reading from the testi-
mony of Tammany officials or for
mer Tammany officials who may be
involved in the suppression OF the
Matthews murder.
For instance, when Price had some
Is guards down in civilian clothes
for Shahian to try to identify and
failed Price said:
1.-The guard who was supposed tc
have struck Shahian and assaulted
Matthews was among them"
"Took Warden's Word" of Course!
Did you check ON the official rec
ords to determine whether those
guards We're actually on duty on the
days Shahian says the assaults took
placer" the reporter asked.
why, no." Price returned. 81 took
the warden's word for it,"
''But suppose the warden is in
volved in this suppression of crime?
the reporter persisted.
1.-THE wardens impressed me as re-
liable men," the district attorney re-
turned.
Regarding the testimony thai
James M. Nara, Harris Island pris.
oner, gave to the effect that he wa:
the one who knocked out Shahian'.
teeth and that he had slept on the
cot alongside Shahians the reporter
asked
did you check on the official.
records whether Nara actually slep
even in the same dormitory with
Shahian?'
II haven't seen those records
Price returned. IT took Warder
Breen's statement for it that NaiIr
slept alongside Shahian.'
All Kinds of Records
The hospital records dealing will
Shahian's injury and Matthew
death are recorded on loose-lea
sheets. The dentists record on Hart
Island is alleged to contain Shahian,
signature that he fell on the stair
when he lost his teeth. The record
at Correction Hospital state tina
Shahian lost his teeth while flight
ing with an inmate" Price said hi
testimony showed, the inmate, O
course, being the convict Marin.
What does the actual hospital rec
ord show?" the reporter persisted.
That he was struck by an in
mate" the district attorney returned
That's what the doctor testified"
Didn't you examine the officia
record? And doesn't 1t say severa
inmates?"
The official record was hunted VI
in the district attorneys desk. 1t sal,
"a few inmates" Price did not &C
count for the discrepancy.
Regarding the Matthews murde
Price stated that his attorney show
that there were four guards in tn
area where the assault Is said to hav
taken place, and that he had thos
four guards in the line up for Sha
hian to identify.
did you check the official record
to find that those four men wer
really on duty on the day Of the muir
der and that they were in the sec
ton where Shahian saw the keepe
kill the Negro?" the reporter asked.
Warden Joseph A. McCann toll
me those were the guards that day
SO 7 did not check the records my
self" the investigating district attor
ney said.
There were other prisoners there
according to Shahian, when the muir