Evening star., 1947-12-05
|Dirksen Drops
Publish
|kurphyData
Commissioners Lift
16-Month Time Limit
On Scope of Hearing

Chairman Dirksen of the House
District Committee has decided not
to request publication of records
of the investigation of Fire Chief
Clement Murphy, it was learned
today.
Special Assistant Corporation
Counsel Daniel B. Maher was in
formed of Representative Dirksen's
decision shortly after he had con-
ferred with Miss Mabel Haller, Sec
retary of the committee, in an effort
to decide whether the TOO pages
of reports and statements should be
made public.
At the same time, the Commis-
sioners announced they had re-
moved the 16-month time limit they
had originally set on the scope Of
the impending trial board hearing
of Chief Murphy.
Maher Gives Reasons.
Mr.. Maher said he gave Miss Hal
Ter detailed reasons for not releas-
ing the results of the Corporation
Counsel's investigation into the
Murphy case. Following their con-
ference, Miss Haller and Mr.. Maher
jointly agreed on the following
statement to Mr.. Dirksen for his
consideration:
1.-The Commissioners feel that the
afhdavits and documents should not
be released to anyone until such
time as the Commissioners and Mr..
Dirksen can discuss them. The rea-
son for this is that there are grave
legal questions presented by the
proposal to release the record in this
case"
Miss Haller conferred with Mr..
Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois as
soon as Mr. Maher left the Capitol.
Mr.. Dirksen then agreed the House
District Committee would not re-
quest publication of the report, The
Star learned
Trial Delay Seen.
The Commissioners action in
broadening the scope of the inquiry
may set back for two weeks the
trial of Chief Murphy on charges
of demoralizing the Fire Depart
ment.
Mr.. Maher said he had begun
drafting the official specification
against Chief Murphy under the
previous ruling of the city heads,
which limited the scope of the in
uuiry to the first 16 months after
the fire chief was appointed March,
1946,
Now Mr.. Maher, who will prose-
cute the case before a special trial
board of three private citizens, will
have to revaluate the evidence on
the basis of the new ruling and
prepare an entirely new specifica-
ton. After that, he said, Martin
F. O'Donoghue, attorney for Chief
Murphy, will want time to review
the specification.
Two more weeks of delay would
be a conservative estimate" MI.
Maher declared.
Reasons Given for Change.
The Commissioners change Of
attitude was announced yesterday
as follows:
Upon further consideration Of
the question of the scope of the
prospective charges against Fire
Chief Murphy, the Commissioners
are of the opinion that the time
limitation set forth in the order
appointing the special trial board
would unduly limit the nature Of
the proof to be offered by the prose-
cutting attorney (Mr. Maher).
For that reason. we are modify
ing the time limitation in the order,
and we are vesting in him and
the trial board absolute discretion
with respect to the nature of evi-
dence to be offered by him or
requested by the board"
Mr.. Dirksen, through Miss Haller.
entered the case when Representa-
tive Jones, Republican, of Wash
ington asked the committee chair
man to call on the Commissioners
for release of the report.
Earlier, William J. Rowan, attor-
ney for the anti-Murphy firemen,
who brought the decentralization
charges against the fire chief, had
demanded and had been refused a
copy of the corporation counsel's
report. Mr.. ODonoghue. since he
represents the defendant in the i'm
pending trial board. has been fur
nished with the results of the in
vestigation.