Evening star., 1949-04-25
Smith .Queried
For Fu|EDay
On Handwriting
Probers Soy Clues
Are Locking in
Brentwood Attack

prolonged questioning OF Brent
wood Police Sergt. Blackstone
Smith and others over the week.
end has failed to produce a single
clue in the investigation of the
policeman's story of being gagged
and handcuffed by unknown as
sailants, Prince Georges County
police said today.
States Attorney A. Gwynn
Bowie and county detectives have
been working almost continuously
on the case since the policeman
was found handcuffed Saturday
morning In his Brentwood home
with gas flowing from four open
burners.
Mr.. Bowie expressed conviction,
however, that there. was no con-
nection between the alleged as
sault and the dismissal Of Sergt.
Smith from the Brentwood police
force. The Town Council of Brent
wood voted to drop him Thursday
night and he was notified. he said,
Saturday afternoon.
Mayor Issues Statement.
Sergt. Smith said he believed
his attackers were convinced he
was working with United States
Attorney George Morris Fay in
his gambling investigation. Sergt.
Smith said he was not working
with MIR. Fay. The policeman
testified. however, before the
Prince Georges County grand jury
In its gambling investigation last
Tuesday and Wednesday.
In a formal statement addressed
to the newspapers, Mayor James
L. Russell of Brentwood said the
sergeant's discharge from the
Brentwood force "is in no way
connected to the recent gambling
investigations of Mr.. Fay, etc."
After an almost sleepless week
end, 1t. Charles Thomson. chief
Of county detectives. declared:
I'VE haven't reached any con-
clusions. There are no further
Developments. except that we're
still working on It,"
Friends are interviewed.
1t. Thomson and other detec-
tives worked with Mr.. Bowie on
the investigation until $50 a. m.
yesterday. They questioned Sergt.
Smith almost continuously from
8 p. m. Saturday until they quit
for the night. They also brought
N several persons from Washing
ton for brief questioning and in
terviewed friends Of Sergt. Smith
on the Mount Rainier and Hyatts-
vile police forces.
Mr.. Bowie and 1t. Thomson
resumed their investigation at
pm. Sunday and worked until
last night without results.
Sergt. Smith spent what was left
of the week end at the home Of
friends in Washington but 1t.
Thomson said police kept in touch
with him.
No clues were forthcoming from
Sergt. Smith on the identity Of
the men he says gagged and hand
cuffed him with his own cuffs. He
said he could not describe them
and did not whether they were
white or colored, tall of short.
young or old.
Attack Is Regretted.
Mayor RusselPs statement ex-
pressed regreat for the alleged at
tack on Sergt. Blackstone Smith"
"The dropping of Mr.. Smith
from the town force last Thurs
day." he said, lis in no way to be
construed as reflection on his
character or his services as po-
liceman. The Brentwood police
force is made up of upright citi-
zens, of very good character and
above reproach in every respect.
Mr.. Smith is no exception.
The Mayor said the Town Coun-
Gil decided to drop a man from
the force for financial reasons and
chose the only sergeant for dis
missal because he was looking for
work away from Washington and
had told the police chief he would
remain on the force only a short
time.