Evening star., 1935-11-03
FIREWORKS SEEN
AS 0EHMANN CASE
DRAWS NEAR END
Startling Testimony Hlnted
and Militant Attitudes
Are Taken.
DRAM TO BE CALLED
TO STAND TOMORROW
Most Important of Nine Charges
Against Building Inspectors
Office Yet Unreached.-

Promises of startling testimony ana
off-the-record expressions of militant
desires on the part of several whose
tempers have been ruff1ed during the
past week indicate an exciting close
for hearings being held on nine charges
of maladministration of the office of
the District building inspector, Col.
John w. Oehmann.
The hearings, which are being held
before Commissioner George E. Allen
and H. Winship Wheatley, president OF
the District Bar Association, will re-
sumo at 1915 am. tomorrow.
At that time, it was disclosed last
night by Defense Counsel w. Gwynn
Gardiner, the defense will call for
testimony from Capt. Hugh P. Dram,
chief of inspection, the official through
whom Col. Oehmann reports to Engi-
neer Commissioner Dan I. Sultan. Ru-
mors of friction between Oehmann
and Dram have been circulated freely,
and in connection with one Of the
charges against Oehmann the defend
ant testified that he took the criticized
action upon recommendation Of Capt.
Dram.
Sultan May Be Called.
Furthermore, Gardiner said, he may
also call upon Capt. H. c. Whitehurst,
director of highway inspection, and
upon Commissioner Sultan. Names Of
both have been mentioned in the back
ground of gossip about cliques in the
District Building.
Col. Oehmann also will return to
the stand and it was said that Robert
Goodman, builder, whose testimony in
connection with one of the charges
later was contradicted by another wit
ness, may be called back.
Thus far, six of the nine charges
have been answered, partly, at least,
by the defense, but with the one con-
sidered most important still on the
list. Specifically, this is the ninth, in
which the Office of the inspector of
Buildings is accused of recommending
and urging immediate vacating of the
logan Hotel at Logan Circle on the
&IOuIldS IlldO - ~ " 90 U44So4C. @4AAo
action was taken in the Summer Of
1882 and the tenant at that time
vacated. It has since been reoccupied,
however.
Since Gardiner declared last night
that the defense will be unable to
finish its testimony in one more day,
it now seems likely that the hearing
will proceed well into the coming week.
Rebuttal Plans Await.
Meanwhile. Prosecution Attorneys
Elwood Seal and Chester Gray, as
sistants to the corporation counsel
are holding in allegiance any plans fol-
rebuttal of the defense until that side
of the case is completed.
In case the two-man tribunal finds
q preponderant number of the
charges are sustained, several alterna-
tive recommendations face them
Most likely of them, however, in such
a finding would be that of a revision
Of administrative practices of the
Office in effort to increase efficiency
and expedite work of the Office.
1t was in connection with this same
problem of expediting that Col. Och
mann made vigorous protest on Fri
day against the reductions in per-
sonnel of his Office. Inquiry into this
circumstance shows that 66 persons
were on the staff in 1882, but that
this force was cut to SO in 1888,
to "a in 1884 and to As this year. At
the same time, since early 1888 there
has been a steady increase in build
ing operations and in duties which
fall to the Office.