Evening star., 1952-12-26
|re|an Creates
0wnForceof
Investigators
Walden Will Head
New Division for
u. S. District Attorney
By Charles 6. Brooks

United States Attorney Charles
M. Irelan today announced the
creation of an independent Divi-
sion of Investigation as part of his
Office in order to crack down more
thoroughly on crime in the Dis
trict.
Mr.. Irelan said the establish
ment of the division will make
permanent the work of the special
rackets grand jury which has been
investigating crime here since last
December 1t will be headed by
Assistant United States Attorney
Thomas A. Walden, jr.
"At the present time we have
mo investigators in our Office and
have been able to carry on our
fight against District crime-par-
ticularly the narcotics traffic-be-
cause of the help Police Chief
Robert v. Murray has extended"
Mr.. Irelan said.
Small Investigating Unit.
For a number of years, the
United States Attorneys Office had
Ia small investigating unit of police,
headed by 1t. Joseph Shimon, re-
Gently cleared by trial board on
overlapping charges. After 1t.
Shimon got into difficulties over
his alleged wire-tapping, the then
Police Chief Robert j. Barrett
recalled the police loaned to the
prosecutor.
Recently. Chief Murray has
lent Mr.. Irelan a few men at a
time for investigative duties. Last
summer, the Senate District Crime
Investigating subcommittee, in its
final report, urged creation of an
independent investigative unit in
the United States attorneys Office.
"This new DIVISION" MIR. Irelan
said, lis something new in the
United States as far as United
States attorneys are concerned
and may be compared to the in
vestigative staff of Tom Dewey's
when he was New York County
district attorney"
Will Keep Master File.
Mr.. Irelan declared that a mas
ter file of the names of all persons
suspected of involvement in local
crime will be maintained. He
compared the file to the system
used by the Federal Bureau Of
Investigation.
The file, which will be secret,
will contain names of every per-
son indicted by a grand jury. pos
sible witnesses who may in the
future be used by the divisions
special grand jury and of per-
sons implicated by known GRIM
Iinals.
Mr.. Irelan said the new divi-
sion has been in the process Of
formation ever since the special
Irackets grand jury was set up to
work. on gambling and narcotics
syndicates here.
Mr.. Walden rose to prominence
in the District since he has been
directing the rackets grand jury.
His assistant will be Robert L.
Ackerly.
Mr.. Irelan pointed out that only
recently his criminal division tried
a case and because of previous lack
of coordination did not have
access to work which the special
rackets grand jury had done and
which would have helped progress
of the trial. He said establish.
ment of the new division will pre-
clude any such mistakes in the
future.
Dealt Severe Blows.
The United States attorney de-
c1ared that the years work by the
rackets grand jury has resulted in
"a number of severe blows"
against District crime. particu-
larly the narcotics traffic. 1--WE
don't intend to let up bit," he
said.
Mr.. Irelan said he intends to
broaden his Offices investigations
into local crime as part of the
year-long drive by District agen-