Evening star., 1950-08-16
Senate Investigators
Study New Leads
On Wire-Tapping
Continued From First PageO

contracts. But other inquiries
will be continued, Government Of
f1cials have promised.
Back in october, 1945, the late
Senator Bailey was chairman OF
the Senate Commerce Committee
There was a drive on then for g
"chosen instrument" plan fol
American engagement in inter
national plane service by one
merged line.
Senator Brewster, Republican
of Maine was fighting for the
merger plan. Chairman Bailey
fought it.
In October, 1945, according tc
the account given by Chairman
Pepper, William j. Nolan, former
associate of 1t. Shimon in a used.
car business here, drove the police
official to the $500 block of
street NV. on a wire-tappine
expedition. Mr.. Nolan was quoted
as telling the Senate group 1t
Shimon had gone there Ito tar
the phone of Senator Bailey"
The testimony at the closed
door hearing then edged even
closer to alleged connections be-
tween wire-tappers and some re-
ported contact with somebody on
the Senate War Investigating
Committee. according to Senator
Peppers account.
According to this relayed teSti-
mony, Mr.. Nolan quoted 1t. Shi-
mon as saying he had tapped the
wires of Plane Builder Hughes in
the May1ower Hotel. He told
of making trips to Capitol Hill to
make reports on this to contact
man with the Senate committee
This was referred to as the Brew
Ster committee.
Senator Brewster at the time
was head of the Senate War In
vestigating Committee. He has
made a blanket denial of any
knowledge of any wire-tapping
work.
Later, something more direct
may be available, but today it is
a case of reporting:
That Senator Pepper said that
Mr.. Nolan said 1t. Shimon had
told him (Mr. Nolan that Mr.
x was "the contact" between 1t
Shimon and the so-called Brew
ster committee and that 1t. Shi-
mon went to Capitol Hill from
time to time to report on tapping
the Hughes telephones.
While reporters were struggling
with this, up popped a story about
"the Kent jewelry theft" 1t
seemed that, back in 1914. a
wealthy bachelor and tax lawyer
named Otis Beall Kent reported
the robbery of antique jewels val
ued at more than 100000.
Recovered Jewelry.
AS Senator Pepper relayed the
story, top police department men
were detailed to solve the theft
but that, while they were dill
gently at work." 1t. Shimon, then
assigned as chief investigator fer
the United States Attorneys Of
fee, showed up suddenly in Mex
leo City with both the jewels and
the alleged culprit.
There was resentment at the
police department over this break
ing of the Kent jewel case by 1t
Shimon," Senator Pepper said
'since men there had been work
ing most diligently on it.
I'm fact, I am told faces were
red, and suspicious arose that
1t. Shimon must have used wire
tapping in order to get the break
ahead of the assigned officers.'S
Anyway. the jewels came back
along with the so-called culprit
but she was acquitted in a trial
and lot of other troubles prompt
ly developed for several persons
within sight-including perjury
heart balm and SANDER cases.
Raises Witness Issue.
While faint memories of that
famous old court case were being
recalled, questions came up as to
whether the Pepper subcommittee
was going to call on a Henry W.
Grunewald as a witness. He has
been described as a special inves-
tigator, who supposedly knew
something the grand jury had
wanted to hear but that he could
not be found in time.
Yet, there were secretarial re-
ports that such a Mr.. Grunewald
had been seen on Capitol Hill
within the past week.
Senator Pepper said there had
been no decision as yet about the
possible witness-that other leads
are being followed first.
Aside from Mr.. Nolan, two other
witnesses were heard yesterday by
the Pepper Subcommittee One
was John Howard, commercial
manager for the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co. He sale
his company did not tap wire
and did everything possible tt
protect the privacy of our sub
Scribers."
He added he had no knowledg'
Of any overlapping, although hi
staff investigated all complaint
or reported suspicious. The Pep
per Subcommittee asked him t.
check half a dozen instances il
which police had testified wire
tapping had been done.
The other witness was Rober
Corish, credit manager of tn
Mayf1ower Hotel, where allegedl
Mr.. Hughes telephones wer
tapped. Chairman Pepper sal
Mr.. Corish knew of no wire-tap
ping at the hotel-that the man
agement would not permit it.
Mr.. CoriSh also was quoted a
saying he saw Mr.. Shimon in on
of the rooms at one time bu
observed no wire-tapping.
There was testimony, Senate
DoYoYar rano1lod fhot n no1in