Evening star., 1934-03-03
BEDEL[ REFUSES
TO BACK CHARGES
Tells Lorton Probers Rec
ordS Are in Shoemak-
er's Hands.

Edward Bedell, ex-convict and star
witness in the Lorton Reformatory
inquiry, which opened at the District
Building this morning, declined to
back up his charges of graft at Dis
trict Reformatory. He told the In
vestigating Committee his subStanti-
ating records were in the hands OF
Representative Shoemaker, Farmer
Labor, of Minnesota, who refused to
give them up.
Bedell spoke freely, however, of i'm
morality, social diseases, drinking and
special privileges of wealthy prisoners
which he said existed in the reforma-
tory.
1t was as a result of Bedells allie
ga tons to the Department of Justice
after being paroled from Lorton thai
the investigation was ordered about
two weeks ago by the District Com
missioners Representative Shoemaker
a day or two before had made sensa-
tional allegations against the admin
istration of the penitentiary on the
floor of the House
For the first time Bedell revealed
he became acquainted with Repre-
sentative Shoemaker when both he
and the member of Congress were
prisoners in Leavenworth Federal
Penitentiary. He said he went to
Shoemaker with his charges only
after letter to Commissioner Melvin
c. Hazen, requesting an investigation
had failed to produce results.
The name of A. c. Tawse, former
superintendent at Lorton, whom
Capt M NJ Barnard, veteran super
intendent of penal institutions,
charges with pushing the accusations,
was brought into the investigation
by Bedell. The witness said he went
to Tawse about month ago in the
hope he would be able to furnish him
further information Of improper con-
ditions at Lorton.
Shows No Sign Of Beating.
but he was reluctant to help me
because he thought I was connected
with the Department of Justice" p"
Bedell added in telling Of his visit to
Tawse.
Under questioning by w. w. MILAN,
chairman Of the Board of Public We'll
fare, Bedell touched on every point
he made in recent statements at the
Justice Department.
The witness showed no signs of the
beating he said he received recently
at the hands Of two men who ordered
him to get out of town." He was
neatly dressed in gray suit and
spoke in a low voice, evidencing in
dignation only when questioned con-
cerning immortality among the prison.
ers and special privileges received by
wealthy prisoners.
He said G.. Bryant Pitts, former
head of the F. H. Smith Co., and
Edmund Rheem of the Swartzel,
Rheem & Hensey Co. were among the
prisoners who rented" space on the
porch" He said number Of inmates
were allowed to sleep on the hospital
veranda for payment of from $50 to
500 a year, according to the mans
wealth and ability to pay.
"Big Shots" Given Blankets.
"These psuedo big shots on the porch
had four or five blankets, while some
of the other prisoners had only one,
Bedell told the committee. "They
also had two or three lockers which
they kept crammed with contraband
food purchased in town"
Two former officers at Lorton and
one now employed there visited Rep
resentative Shoemaker's Office the
other day." Bedell said, and congrat-
ulated him on his courage in making
the charges against the reformatory.
but said they were afraid to appear
as witnesses in the present invesd-
cation.
Bedell said he tried to persuade
Representative Shoemaker to turn
over to him the approximately $50
documents, taken or copied from the
prison files, on which he based his
allegations Of graft.
Il told him I felt this investigation
was on the level, but he replied that
he had seen too many Of this kind Of
Investigations, and that he knew the
maneuvering the Board Of Public We'll
fare would 60 through" Bedell de-
clared
The former Lorton prisoner quoted
shoemAkx - saying that ~ thav