Evening star., 1935-03-14
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

Robert j. Maghan, third precinct
detective, categorically denied today
before the Special Crime Committee
of the House charges made against him
two days ago by Mrs Mary Parks dor
ley. 1910 Twenty-third street.
Taking the witness stanG at his own
request. in the face of several warm
ings that his statements might be used
for or against him in future develop
ments. Maghan related in detail his
own version of the story of a house.
breaking case involving Mrs. Morley's
17-year-old son. Richard Parks, and
two other boys. John E. Hughes. jr..
and James K. Phelps.
Maghan. who investigated the case
at the request of friend. insisted he
had not acted as Judge and jury"
as Mrs. Morley charged. nor had he
been instrumental in trying to have
her make restitution in another rob-
berry III which the boy denied his guilt.
The committee failed to question
Maghan relative to Mrs. Morley's
charges that her son was beaten in
the third precinct station. She had
testified that one of four officers who
interrogatcd the boy had struck him
in the head.
Denies Indictment Blame.
Mrs Morley also had charged her
son had been made the goat" in the
robbery in which he and the Hughes
and Phelps boys had confessed. be-
cause ne was the only one indicted
at that time. The Phelps boy was
placed on probation by Juvenile Court
Judge Fay Bentley, and an indict-
ment against the Hughes boy was not
returned until today.
Maghan declared he was not re-
sponsible for the earlier failure to
indict the Hughes boy. although under
the pressure of questions by Repre-
sentative Reed, Republican, of Illinois.
ne expressed the opinion that pos
Sibly" the youth should have been in
dlcted. He said, however. he felt
there was "a great deal Of distinction
between the two cases."
Delay in the prosecution of the
Hughes boy, Maghan testified, was due
to Assistant United States Attorney
Henry Schweinhaut, who, he said, an
nounced before the case was taken to
the grand jury that he would nolle
PROSE- an indictment involving that
youth.
Restitution Demand Denied.
Maghan told the committee Mrs.
Morley expressed a desire to make
restitution in the robbery case in
which she said her son was not in
volved. He said he told her he would
not have any objection to such an ar
rangement, although he would not
take any part in it,
Mrs. Morley previously had told the
committee Maghan had insisted that
she make restitution in the particular
case. The amount of money involved
was said to be SGT.
On the witness stand for two hours,
Maghan gave complete account Of
the part he played in the case.
Immediately after the detective took
the oath, John R. Fitzpatrick, commit
tee counsel, reminded him of his con-
stitutional rights, but Maghan said: Il
am more than anxious to make a
statement"
~ "osS JliC IIOL Gilllc SlIlCG JllC Dc-
ginning of the crime investigation
that witness had been so warned.
CoIIusion Is Alleged.
Stories of alleged collusicn between
police and underworld characters were
related to the committee at yesterday
afternoons hearing by Wilbur La
Roe, jr, who apeared in the dual role
of chairman of the District Parole
Board and head of the Committee on
Civic Affairs of the Washington Fed
Grafton of Churches.
Information given the committee
indicated that police acted as escorts
and lookouts for trucks coming into
the District laden with post-repeal |
bootleg alcohol.
The collusion angle was developed |
as La Roe told the committee why |
the Parole Board recently revoked the |
freedom Of Harry Yudelevit, notorious |
Washington bootlegger. and returned |
him to Lorton to finish sentence.
Yudelevit, La Roe testified, at |
tempted to aid a big shot" alcohol |
bootlegger named Montgomery.
We revoked Yudelevit's parole" he
(C,ontiniiod an pa9e CoIuMn 4 :