Evening star., 1952-10-01
ShiIllon Awaits
Board Findings
|nW!iretapCase
Long Hearing Ends
After Loppin Denies
Shodowing Brewster

VOuuy lao u1AOCA OO44o1OCA dt1O1l
charges that Police 1t. Joseph w
Shimon tapped wires and lied to
his superior officers.
The marathon hearings, begun
last May, ended at II o'clock last
night, with Abner w. Lappin
Self-styled public relations coun-
sci and investigator, being called
as a surprise rebuttal witness for
the prosecution.
Mr.. Lappin, a breezy man
about-town. kept the board cool
ing its heels for an hour after
the deadline set for his appear
ance.
Once on the stand, Mr.. Lappin
fatty denied shadowing Senator
Brewster. Republican, of Maine
in July. 1947.
1t. Shimon has testified he
tapped telephones at the request
of the Maine Republican because
the latter felt Mr.. Lappin was
shadowing him in 1947.
Denies Meeting Brewster.
II followed Senator Brewster at
no time in my life in any year."
Mr.. Lappin said, in answer to q
question by Assistant Corporation
Counsel Henry E. Wixon.
You knew Senator Brewster,
Of course?" asked 1t. Simmons
lawyer, Robert E. Lynch.
II never met the gentleman in
my life" Mr.. Lappin replied.
In answer to statements by 1t.
Shimon that he spotted Mr.
Lappin lurking outside Senator
BreWster's Office and thereby set
in motion an investigation that
led to the wire taps at the Occi-
dental. Carlton and Mayflower
Hotels. the public relations man
said:
I've never had any investiga-
tive experience in my life. Fur
thermore, I'd probably get elec-
trocuted if I tried to tap a phone
Il was never on the fourth floor
OF the Senate Office Building and
didn't ascertain. for a year after
the Senate hearings, that Senator
Brewster's office was on that
floor"
Earlier, both ex-Police Chief
Robert j. Barrett and his success
sor. Robert v. Murray, contradict
ed statements by Detective John
McHale concerning narcotics
found in 1t. Simmons desk.
Found Some.
Each said Mr.. McHale told him
1t. Shimon had between $7OO and
$1,000 worth of dope in a desk
drawer. Their investigation dis
closed the amount to be only $40
worth.
Detective McHale followed the
two on the stand and admitted
making the report. But he fatty
denied ever mentioning the value
Of the narcotics.
Mr.. McHale, along with Detec-
tives George Robinson and James
Bryant, have testified they tapped
wires for 1t. Shimon in 1946 and
1947. when all four were assigned
as special investigators for the
United States attorneys office.
In a lengthy summation, Prose-
cutor Wixon tore into 1t. Simmons S
defense.
1T stretches the imagination
that 1t. Shimon didn't know that
a phone he tapped in the Occi-
dental Hotel belonged to Hugh
Fulton, an attorney for (airplane
manufacturer) Howard Hughes.
1T is inconceivable that 1t. Shi-
mon spent weeks at the Mayflower
and Carlton not knowing whose
lines he was tapping.
"Lappin was brought in as an
excuse for these several cases OF
intercepting messages. Mr.. Lap
pin was not the reason for them.
Puts Blame on Two.
Attorney Lynch characterized
Mr.. McHale as a man unworthy
of belief and laid all of his clients
troubles at the feet Of the detec-
tive and William j. Nolan, opera
tor of a small loan agency and
one-time close friend of 1t. Shi-
mon.
"It was popular in 1949 to gel
Shimon." the lawyer shouted.
''McHale cooked this up with
Nolan. We have no testimony thai
Shimon ever lied to his superiors
or ever personally intercepted OF
divulged any information by wire.
tap.
Nolan was sore at Shimon. The
evidence and his testimony shows
he is a mean and vicious indi-
vidual. He even told Maj. Barrett
that Shimon was tapping thu
majors phone. all Of which proved
to be untrue"
Silent on Conversations.
Throughout the lengthy hearing
1t. Shimon successfully kept mum
about conversations his aides re.
layed to him as a result of tn,
taps. He blocked each question
with a refusal to divulge the in
formation on the ground he nigh
lay himself open to crimina
charges.
1t. Shimon said he feared h,
would violate a Federal Communi
cations Commission regulation
making it a crime to divulge an,
information learned as a result o
intercepting telephone messages.
Trial Board Chairman Alber
Steinem and members Louis Uroy
and H. Clay Espey concluded tn
hearings by promising to reach
conclusion on the charges "as sool
as possible"