Evening star., 1948-04-23
Detroit Police Quiz
Mystery Witness in
Shooting Of Reuther.
BY The Asseciotsd Press


DETROIT, April %. Oficers
wt1isked mystery witness into
police headquarters today as they
pressed their manhunt for the gun
man who tried to kill Walter P.
Reuther Tuesday night.
Prosecutor James N. McNally said
the witness, not identified, was the
one who first gave information
to police about Nelson Davis, an ad-
mitted Communist, now in custody
for questioning.
Mr.. McNally said the witness told
police he heard Davis say he knew
who shot the 40-year-old president
l>f the CIO United Auto Workers.
Davis, 81, Negro foundry worker
at the Ford Motor Co., denied that
he ever made such remark. Davis
was said by Mr.. McNally to have
signed a formal statement admit
ting that he was a Communist.
Mr.. McNally emphasized, how
ever, that no charge has been placed
against the foundry worker. There
is conclusive evidence that he was
at work when Mr.. Reuther was at
tackled, Mr.. McNally added.
Held without Charge.
Davis was taken to police head
quarters yesterday along with three
other UAW members. Mr. McNally
informed his attorney Davis would
be held without charge for further
questioning today 'by court order
II necessary"
The others, Sheldon Tapes, 81,
former secretary of Ford Local 600:
Percy Llewellyn, expresident of the
local, and Wilfred Grant, left the
station after questioning by police
officers.
Mr.. McNally said yesterday he
had talked to the tipster who gave
police news Of Davis, and had re-
ceived some valuable information
He is the father of six children
and leading respectable life" the
prosecutor added His name will
not be disclosed"
AppCdl VI 1COlkC nuuCS,
former UAW secretary-treasurer at
police headquarters also marked last
nights developments.
Talks With McNally.
The ex-official, a political oppo-
nent Of Mr.. Reuther in UAW circles,
talked to Mr. McNally for a long
time. Then the two held a press
conference.
The prosecutor explained to news
men police had been informed that
on Tuesday morning Mr.. Adde's
had been seen on a street corner
in Detroit talking to two men in a
red car similar to the one seen at
the scene of the Reuther shooting
Tuesday night"
Adde's denied that such was the
case and said at the time he was
repairing his motor boat at the De-
troit River several miles away" Mr..
McNally continued. Adde's has told
me that he knows nothing whatso-
ever about the Reuther shooting"
Mr.. McNally said Mr. Adde's gave
an emphatic mo" when asked if he
was a Communist.
Mr.. Adde's then expressed hope
that the individual or individuals
responsible for trying to rub Reu-
ther out will be apprehended and
prosecuted"
No knowledge Of Shooting.
II have no knowledge of the
shooting" he added, but II I can
I will be delighted to shed any light
on IT.
OF the three possibilities for the
attack suggested by Mr.. Reuther,
management, communists or
screwball," Mr. Adde's declared he
could not see how management
could be involved" That the shoot
ing might have been done by IAN
ordinary crank" he deemed mot an
unlikely possibility"
And I am sure it has nothing to
do with internal differences within
the union" he asserted.
While Mr. Reuther was reported
by his physician to be doing fine"
the House of Representatives con-
sidered Pennsylvania members
suggestion that its Un-American
Activities Committee Immediately
investigate "the Communist situa-
tion in the entire Detroit area"
Reuther Second Target.
Representative Mcdowell, Repub-
lican member of the committee, said
in statement Mr.. Reuther was the
second target of assassins" in the
vicinity during recent months. The
first was John Bankhead, American
consul at Windsor, Ontario, who
was fired at March % when he
stepped from his car in the Cana
dian city.
Both the auto workers president
and Mr.. Bankhead have been active
foes of communism.
!: Physicians said Mr.. Reuthers
right arm probably would be saved,
but added he could expect to be in
the hospital at least six weeks.
Rewards totaling s117,900-pos-
sibly the largest amount ever offered
in this country-have been put up
for information leading to the
would-be killers arrest. The gun
man aimed through the window OF
Mr.. Reuther's home while the labor
leader was getting a late snack
Tuesday night.