Evening star., 1935-11-06
OEHMANNCLEARED
AS POSSIBILITY OF
NEW PROBE LOOMS
Building Inspector Conn.,
mended on One of Nine
Accusations.
GREEN AGAIN FAILS
TO TESTIFY FREELY"
Vindication on Eight Maladmin-
istration Charges Brings Hint of
Other Investigations.
Pictures on Page BIZ

- fCtu'co OH EuSt b-IJ
Exonerated on ali counts and even
commended for his action in one of
the controversial cases. Col. John w.
Oehmann, District building inspector.
today returned to his Office, free for
the first time in several weeks from
the shadow of nine charges of mall
administration of his office.
Meanwhile. however. the District
Building awaited developments, Won
dering whether the testimony Of some
of the witnesses or the statements
of counsel in the case might lead to
further inquiries or in departmental
Shake-upS.
Col Oehmann's vindication came
last night, at the end of a dramatic
four hours which marked the close of
a five-day hearing. During the course
of the evening some of the long
awaited fireworks flashed and impli-
cation became almost promises that
new investigations will be made into
some of the activities Of the District
Building. with sensational disclosures
to be expected.
The decision of the special two-man
trial board composed of Commissioner
George E. Allen and Attorney H. VIII
ship Wheatley was made known by the
latter in a comprehensive verbal re-
port which followed about 20 minutes
of deliberation after the close of tic
hearing In his summation Wheatley
declared no culpability had been estah-
lished in eight of the counts, while the
other was the subject of suggested cor
rective action rather than disciplinary.
Green Again on Stand.
Most of the drama of the night ses-
sion centered around the temperance
of william l. Green. identified earlieT
Yesterday as the original complainant
against the Office of the building in-
spector. Ordered on this first occasion
to leave the witness stand. consult his
attorney and return last night ready
to disclose the background of his
charges, Green appeared last night
still adamant in his refusal to talk
freely.
He did, however, testify sufficiently
to explain that he had submitted
more extensive list of charges which
involved not only Col. Oehmann. but
also Capt. Hugh P. Dram. director of
inspection and immediate superior To
the defendant.
When and if new investigation is
started and is complete in its scope,
Green said, he will be willing to testify.
Before he left the stand Green also
said he had made a serious verbal
charge against a District official. but
that it had been ignored. He declined
tc say who was involved in this case
or to disclose who his associates we're
in preparing any of the charges or to
whom he had talked in the District
Building in their preparation.
Full responsibility for selection OF
the nine charges finally brought, and
their concentration upon Col. Och
mann only, was assumed at this point
by Elwood Seal, assistant corporation
counsel, who was conducting the prose-
cution. No irregularities in the con-
duct of Capt. Dram had been found,
he said.
Sought for questioning this morning
as to whether he planned any further
inquiry. Seal declined to comment.
Gardeners Accusations.
Early in last nights session Seal
attacked previous statements of De-
fense Counsel w Gwynn Gardiner
that the whole case was conspiracy
by former Army officers to get Col.
Oehmann's job while there is no au-
thority in law for their own positions
in the District government. Gardiner
offered to submit full evidence on his
charges, but it was decided by Allen
and Wheatley that such information
was beyond the limits of the current
inquiry. They ruled however. that
GARDENERS accusations should remain
in the record.
Following a review of the charges by
Seal, in which he declared proof
established in all but the sixth charge,
Gardiner made dramatic appeal for
exoneration of the defendant. Refer
ring contemptuously to "angel friends
with daggers in their hands" Gardiner
declared Oehmann had been betrayed
by employees in his own office and had
been made the victim of an unfair
course of action by two Commissioners.
Commissioner Allen was not one OF
these, he added.
1--WE hear a lot about Russia and
Japan" the attorney concluded. but
God knows they would blush to treat
one of their public servants of Is years
as this man is being treated"
Further reviews of the case were
made by James M. Earnest, associated
with Gardiner, and by Chester Gray,
(See OEHMANN, Page 2.)