The Washington times., 1938-02-25

(The tOIIotDi1t0 story by Car.
Tol Peeke concerns the tictionGl
trial of Baron Don Bldu,. Which is
to be presented By Radio Station
VOL and through the columns OF
The Washington Times. In any
case Dhere a tiction1l character
appears the use of the name OF
any lUing person is purely cotnci-
dentGLJ
BY CARROLL PEEKE
New angles. New faces. More
mystery. That's the way this
story Is going. The more think
have it figured out-the more
things happen to confuse me.
Today 1 learned that Represen-
tative Francis Case of South Da-
kota had been elected foreman
Of the blue ribbon special Grand
Jury which on Monday night will
open its investigation into the
murder of Ronald Brooks. 1 un-
derStand that every walk of Wash
ington's social life is represented
on that jury-saleSwomen, news
papermen, housewives, architects
and that brings me to another
new angle.
CORNING TO SERVE
e. Burton Corning, prominent
Washington builder and architect,
who was once associated in bust
ness with Ronald Brooks, and who
knew him as well as any of his
professional associates, has been
drawn to serve on that jury. This
is one of those weird condolences
that crop up. There is, of course,
no connection between that fact
and the extraordinary fact that
he is one of those whom Special
Prosecutor Ray Neudecker wishes
to appear as a witness.
I understand that Mr.. Corning
knows something of the building
record of Andrew P. Kalhorn,
whose foreman or superintendent
was a man named Blauheim. It
seems likely that Mr.. Corning will
ask to be excused from service on
the special Grand Jury and offer
to appear in behalf Of the prosecu-
ton. We will not know, probably,
before Monday.
It looks today as though Neu-
decker had about wound up his
case.
I brought him letter I had re-
ceived from Harrison r. Hatha-
way, c. L. u, whose office is in
the Transportation Building, re-
garding some aspects of the case
that have me worried. Why did
Brooks insure his life in a policy
in Ruby Roberts favor? Or did
he? Hathaway claims he has some
sort of insurance records, which I
am to see today, and If they are
what he says they are-well this
case is more mixed up than I
thought it was!
MRS. HADEN BUSY
Then, too, Puby Robert reported
to me early this morning that Mrs.
j. Haden was buSying herself in
some way with the service Of GER
tain papers on certain people. I
know what they are. That's an
other of those things I can't talk
about-yet. But somebody very
close to persons high in Washing
tons affairs knows something.
And they are going to tell it,
Mehitable Larkin, Brooks usu-
ally voluble neighbor, is looking
volumes at the reporters. But she
does know how to keep still when
she wants to! I can say this,
though. Mrs. Caldwell and Mrs.
Haden asked for a subpoena for
an acquaintance of Ronald Brooks
whom they are eager to have re-
ply to one question-just one-be-
fore that Grand Jury. They must
have got it, for Ruby said they left
with an officer. They went to the
Wardman Park.
I guess there may be something
to that Hathaway letter. have
just shown it to Mr.. Neudecker,
and his face beamed when he read
1t. He said:
"Great! That's the stuff
wanted to know about! My boy,
you're a reporter all right, but
II you can't see through this,
then your eyes need fixing"
CAN'T SEE THROUGH 1T
Well, I can't see through it. But
you have Mr.. Neudecker's word
it has some bearing on the case!
The whole thing is beginning to
fog up a little, for I have had no
sleep-no real sleep-for days.
The details get distorted, and the
effort of trying to report while
trying not to report is not so
simple as it seems.