Evening star., 1950-08-19
Testimony by Shimon
Grossly Inconsistent,
Pepper Declares
By Don S. Worren

~ ~" - w Sit$"
Senate investigation of wire tap
ping here is to be resumed Tuesday
when Police 1t. Joseph w. Shimon,
admittedly active in that line will
be called to tell more about his
work.
At that time, the Pepper Sub
committee of the Senate District
Committee will seek answers to
some of the conflicts in testimony
from various witnesses.
They also will try to fill in nu-
merous gaps in other portions of
the stories.
There are "gress inconsistencies
and ambiguities" between the tes-
timony of 1t. Shimon and earlier
witnesses, Senator Pepper, Demo-
crat. of Florida, subcommittee
chairman, said
3 Heard In Open Sessions.
So far only three witnesses have
been heard in open sessions-two
former assistants of 1t. Shimon
while he was chief Investigator at
tached to the Office of the United
States Attorney and the owner of
recording machine store, who
loaned equipment to 1t. Shimon.
One of the policemen, Detec-
tive James G. Bryant. had testi-
fled earlier that 1t. Shimon had
told them they were working for
a Senate committee on the How
ard Hughes war contract investi-
CATION while they were detailed to
do hotel wire-tapping in 1947.
1t. Shimon yesterday is said
to have denied making such a
statement.
1t. Shimon had his first chance
yesterday to give his own account
to Senate probers. This was in a
three-hour closed session but a
relay on at least some of his testi-
mony was given reporters later
by Chairman Pepper.
Pepper Reveals Shimon Story.
The gist of his story yesterday,
as reported by Senator Pepper. ap-
peared to be:
1t. Shimon and his police aides
tapped wires in the hotel suites of
Plane Builder Howard Hughes
while the millionaire industrialist
was here for hearings by the Sen
ate War Investigating Committee.
This was purely incidental, 1t.
Shimon said, and he had no in
terest in Mr.. Hughes or his So
called advance men"-he merely
was trying to find out why a man
had been shadowing Senator
Brewster. Republican, Of Maine.
At the time, Senator Brewster
was chairman of the War Investi-
eating Committee where a sub
committee headed by Senator Fer
guson. Republican, of Michigan.
was inquiring into the wartime
plane contracts of Mr.. Hughes.
ShimOn Silent on Information.
The Brewster shadow has been
identified as Abner Chick Lappin
of Washington. now repeatedly in
Mexico City.
1t. Shimon repeatedly told of
doing wire tapping from time to
time" over a period Of years and
of specifying such work in at least
eight instances. He refused, how
ever. Senator investigators said, to
say anything about what he over
heard or of reporting any of this
information to anybody.
He was accompanied by Attor-
ney Robert E. Lynch, one of his
counsel. and on his advice refused
to answer such questions on the
ground that it might infringe on
his constitutional rights.
Out of a general confusion over
times and places and cases came
the story that 1t. Shimon in 1947
had received notice from some
Police Department executive that
he should see Senator Brewster.
He did so and was told man had
been trailing the Senator.
Under a plan he worked out
with Senator Brewster, the latter
walked down a corridor in the
Senate Office Building and gave
a nod when he noticed his "sha-
dow" 1t. Shimon identified this
man as Mr.. Lappin, whom he had
known of from previous police
inquiry. But, instead of arreSting
the man for investigation, he fol-
lowed him to learn his motives.
According to the Shimon story,
this business of following the
shadow led 1t. Shimon first to the
Carlton Hotel and then to the
Mayflower Hotel. where he rented
rooms in order to keep a check on
rooms he said were visited by "the
shadow"
Tapped Lines at Carlton.
At the Carlton it was reported
1t. Shimon or his assistants tap
ped wires of Mr.. Hughes or his
agents.
He then followed Mr.. Lappin to
the Mayfower where it is reported,
1t. Shimon went to much detail
in overlapping to keep tabs on
Mr. Lappin.
The story revealed that he tap
ped public phone booth with a
wire connecting with a listening
device installed on the mezzanine
level. When he saw Mr.. Lappin
go into the public booth the lieu
tenant would make a dash for his
listening post to find out who was
being called.
Then, through that process and
by talks to a bellboy, when he
found Mr.. Lappin had visited a
certain room he engaged an ad-
joining one and set up micro
phones and phone box taps.
Some of these didn't work we'll,
according to 1t. Shimon. For in
stance, a microphone was installed
in a ventilation shaft after con-