Evening star., 1950-08-15
FB||nvestigdting
Shimon Activity
For orHouseUnit
Grand Jury to Get
Wire Topping Data
On Groy-Morket Probe


wire-tapping by Police 1t. Joseph
w. Shimon for the House commit
tee which probed gray market"
deals and the Government is plan
ming to take that case before the
grand jury, informed sources re-
vealed today.
The Justice Department, it was
learned, has testimony that wire
tapping at the Graylyn Hotel in
1948 was done to get information
for the House committee headed
by Representative Macy. Repub-
lican, of New York.
The Government, according to
these sources, hopes to find a wit
ness who will testify that tele-
phone conversations overheard at
the Graylyn were subsequently
divulged.
That was the stumbling block
to prosecution of 1t. Shimon for
his alleged overlapping of tele-
phones used by Howard Hughes,
the millionaire industrialist, while
he was here to testify before the
Senate committee investigating
wartime plane contracts in 1947.
Fay Explains Failure to Indict.
United States Attorney George
Morris Fay, in his appearance yes
terday before the Pepper subcom-
mittee of the Senate District Com.
mittee, explained under repeated
questioning that the grand jury
failed to indict 1t. Shimon last
week because it could not prove
he had divulged any of the in
formation gained by eavesdropping
on telephone conversations.
At the time 1t. Shimon was
working for the Macy committee,
it was learned, he was the uni
formed liaiSon officer between po-
lice headquarters and the court.
He also was assigned as chief in
vestigator for Mr.. Fay's Office, but
for the Macy committee job, &C
cording to informed sources, he
was given two police detectives to
assist him without Mr.. Fay's
knowledge.
Mr.. Macy told The Star he had
called on Police Supt. Robert j.
Barrett for aid during the 1943
investigation. which dealt mainly
with automobiles. Mr.. Macy said
Maj. Barrett gave him the assist
ance of 1t. Shimon. Mr.. Macy
added that he had no knowledge
of any overlapping involved in
the work of 1t. Shimon.
In another development, Sena-
tor Bridges, Republican of New
Hampshire. acknowledged that he
had praised the services of 1t.
Shimon but denied any knowledge
that 1t. Shimon engaged in wire
tapping.
More Testimony Due Today.
His statement came as the
Pepper Subcommittee plowed
ahead with its s~ investigation of
police wire-tapping, still seeking
to learn who got the information.
Five members of the Metropoli-
tan Police Department already
have told the subcommittee Of
tapping or GStening-in on private
phone conversations but the group
as yet apparently has not estab-
lished definitely for whom it was
done.
Several more witnesses were
to be heard at another closed
session at 3 pm. today, includ-
ing telephone company and hotel
officials. The first open hear
ing is scheduled for 10 am. Thurs
day in the big Caucus Room in
the Senate Office Building, when
one of the principal accusers of 1t.
Shimon will take the Stand-Pvt.
John McHale.
There were confirmed reports
last night that Senator Bridges
was the one who brought 1t.
Shimon into the picture in the
summer of 1947 to chase away a
"rogues' gallery" man who had
been "shadowing" Senator Brew
ster, Republican, of Maine.
Senator Brewster was head Of
the 80th Congress War Investi-
!; eating Committee of the Senate.
He became embroiled at that
time in hot controversies with
Howard Hughes, West Coast plane
builder and movie maker, during
an inquiry into the plane build
(See WIRE-TAPPING, Page A-4J