Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-09-13

ton, VINO was named to COM
mand the new police reserve
force authorized by the Com
missioners yesterday.
Williams Granted New
Morals Case Trial;
Evidence Given FBI
Robert Snead Williams, jr., {
former District school teacher
who for five months has insisted
he is innocent of a morals charge
has been granted a new trial.
The retrial was ordered yester'
day by Municipal Court judge
Aubrey B. Fenneu in a dramatic
finale to a series of hearings il
which the Government sought tt
prove Williams daughter hae
written two anonymous comics.
sion" letters. The defense denied
this and commended the letter.
were grounds for a new trial.
Warning that the letters nigh
be the product of a mature mind
deliberately trying to obstruc
Justice, Judge Fennell ordered al
evidence impounded and turned
over to the FBI for further in.
vestigation.
Judge Fennell, obviously upse
over the appearance of the anony.
nous letters and three anonymous
telephone calls to a Government
prosecutor, added that, "in thes'
times, it (the sending of thu
letters) transcends this misde
meanor for which Williams wa
convicted"
May Become Evidence.
He indicated the letters and an,
findings by the FBI should b,
introduced at the retrial, if tn,
new judge will admit them. Cour
attaches said Judge Fennell i
ineligible to hear the retrial, al
though the iurist himself tolc
reporters he had mo comment
on this question.
Judge Fennell agreed with AS
sistant Corporation Counsel Clarl
F. King that, in view OF markedly
conflicting expert opinions. it wa,
not possible at this time to con-
clude who wrote the controver-
sial letters. He suggested that
possibly more than one person
was responsible for them.
The original assertion that Miss
Evangeline Williams, 18-year-olc
daughter of the defendant, wrote
the notes came from Ira N. Gul.
dickson, police handwriting expert
His views were disputed by twt
defense experts, including a for
mer director of the FBI hand
writing analysis bureau.
Shortly before Judge Fennell'
order setting aside Williams con
viction, Mr.. King was called as
surprise witness by Defense Coun
sci Paul Connolly.
Another Experts Opinion.
Mr.. King admitted that d.
Wilmer Souder, an internationally
known handwriting expert at tn
Bureau of Standards, had toll,
him he was of the strong opinion
Miss Williams did not write tn
letters.
The prosecutor pointed out h
had told Mr.. Connolly Tuesday h
planned to bring this fact t.
Judge Fennell's attention. MI
Connolly agreed he had received
this assurance.
Mr.. King added, however, tina
three experts at the Veterans Ad
ministration reported, after an in
formal examination. they though
the defendants daughter hat
written the notes. He said the VI
experts now are making a NOR
thorough examination.
The prosecutor also testified h
had received three telephone call
from someone purporting to b.
the actual offender. He said tn
voice sounded like that of youn,
man and that he was positive h
would recognize it if he heard j
again.
Mr.. King said he had promise,
complete immunity to the caller
and had promised to drop charge
against Williams, if the man coult
satisfy him Williams was innocent
The prosecutor said, despite al
offer to meet the man under cir
cumstances in which no identified
ton could be made, the Gale
did not appear.
"Great Tragedy" Seen.
In concluding his argument OF
the new trial motion, Mr.. Con
molly said Williams life and repu
tation had been ''irreparably dam
aged" by the April conviction OF
an indecent-exposure charge. H
said it was a great tragedy"
the two teen-age girls who testi
fled in the case were mistaken il
their Identification of Williams a
the man who committed the of
Tense near American University.
Mr.. King said there is a pos
sibility" of innocence in ever.
case, but that the law does not dea
with possibilities. He insisted n,
new evidence had been presented
during the lengthy hearings.
!. Williams is a. trustee of All Soul
Unitarian Church and a Worlt