Evening star., 1950-09-07
Missing Witness
In Wire-Tapping
Probe Located
FBI Subpoenos
GrunewoId, Wins
Over Fay Posse
By Don S. Warren

ing key" witness sought in the
1947 wire-tapping of the phones OF
millionaire plane builder Howard
Hughes, was to appear today be-
fore the District Grand Jury.
The FBI is said to have located
Mr.. Grunewald at 2:30 pm. yes
terday near The Plains, Va, and
reports to the Senate investigators
of wire-tapping were that the long
standing Government subpoena
had then been served on him to
testify before the Grand Jury
forthwith.
He was expected to arrive dur
ing the afternoon.
In testimony before the Senate
District Subcommittee probing in
to eavesdropping by police, Mr..
Grunewald has been called the
link between Police 1t. Joseph w.
Shimon-an admitted wiretapper
and a 1947 war investigating
committee.
FBI Wins Race.
Service of the subpoena on Mr..
Grunewald-confirmed last night
by a prosecutor attached to the
Justice Department-came at a
time when the momentum of the
chase to find him had been dra-
matically stepped up by both the
Government and the Senate Dis
trict Committee agents.
The FBI won the race.
Under circumstances still some
what mysterious, as far as the
Senate District Committee agents
were concerned, the FBI found
their man repeatedly on a rented
farm quarter near The Plains,
some SO miles west of Washing
ton.
Two weeks ago representatives
of the Justice Department and
the Senate District Committee an
nounced they had reached a
mutual aid agreement" under
which both sides would exchange
information obtained on the wire
tapping situation.
Fay Posse" Sallies Out.
Attorney Martin Fay of the Dis
trict Committee staff learned late
yesterday that FBI men had 10
Gated Mr.. Grunewald. He imme-
diately organized a posse" to go
out into Virginia. He was accom-
panied by several reporters.
The autocade ran into a maze
of misinformation and undesig-
mated roads as soon as it arrived
at The Plains. &sf ~
The party interviewed a letter
carrier, a filling station operator, !
several farmers, the Fauquieri
County deputy sheriff, the local
telephone operator and others for
information where the missing
Mr.. Grunewald might be.
They didn't know.
Far, Far Into Night.
Down miles of dust-clouded
country roads went the caravan.
The pursuers. abetted by Deputy
Sheriff Keith James of Fauquier
County. stopped at a farm in
Hopewell, Va. There they dis
covered what appeared to be a
dwelling was actually a dairy
barn. They also routed out of bed
a sleepy character attired only in
denims. who said he'd never heard
of Mr.. Grunewald and had just
moved there himself from South
ern Maryland.
Midnight was long past when
the Fay cavalcade drove to an
estate owned by Florida woman
but supposedly the type of place
Mr.. Grunewald might have rented.
Lack of search warrant and the
lateness of the hour discouraged
them from rousing the residents.
When various telephone calls
also produced no results, the Fay
party drove back to Washington
somewhat daunted but not yet
through.
Invade Westchester.
They went to the Westchester
apartments where Mr.. Fay dis
closed he had been told mail was
awaiting Mr.. Grunewald. But
there was no answer at his
apartment door.
Then the group journeyed to
the Washington Hotel, where Mr..
Grunewald on occasion had used
a suite. The night desk clerk
said he had no knowledge the
suite was occupied.
Not content. Mr.. Fay and his
fellow travellers pounded on the
door of the suite, encouraged by
the presence nearby of service
pushcart on which rested the
remnants of a steak dinner for
two.
A bald-headed man opened the
door.
"Mr. Grunewald is not here" he
said. "Is that what you woke me
up for?"
. A check at the hotel desk dis
closed one w. P. Maloney had
signed for the steak dinner. Mr..
Fay said he was going to check
further on that.