Evening star., 1952-11-23
Decision in Shimon
e-Tapping Case ID
BE Given Next Week

The Police Trial Board which
heard wire-t pping-perjury
charges against 1t. Joseph w
Shimon will announce its decision
next week.
Albert E. Steinem, chairman of
the special three-man civilian
board. said he has scheduled one
more meeting with his colleagues
Louis Urow and H. Clay Espey, for
the early part of this week.
At that time. Mr.. Steinem said,
final conclusions will be reached
on the formal opinion that is being
written now by the three men,
bers, all attorneys.
The board chairman refused to
give clue on the nature of the
ruling. No would he say how long
the written decision will be.
Complicated Case.
1t has been a complicated" case,
he said, however. This, he added,
is due to the fact that testimony
taken during the six months of
scattered hearings comes to more
than 500 transcript pages. The
hearings ended September 30.
In addition, Mr.. Steinen said,
the board has had to study some
200 pages of pertinent testimony
taken by the Senate Wire-Tapping
Investigation Committee, which
first had 1t. Shimon on the grill.
The trial body. however, ac-
cepted about 20 documents in evil
dence. In all, nearly three score
witnesses testified in the case. Fur
ther complications arose from
periodic delays occasioned by the
midsummer vacation season.
To pull all the loose ends to-
|gether required nearly a score OF
meetings among the trial board
members. Mr.. Steinem said.
Stationed in "Siberia."
1t. Shimon. meanwhile, report
edly went on sick leave about four
days ago. Police said he has under
gone a minor operation that re-
quired brief disqualification.
The police officer has been as
signed to the End Precinct for more
than two years. Prior to his present
tour, he was stationed briefly at
the 14th Precfnct-an outlying
Siberia" among precincts-where
he was transferred in l949 after
the wire-tapping furore was first
raised.
Remained on Duty.
Unlike number of other po-
licemen currently in a jam with
authorities, 1t. Shimon has re-
mained on active duty during
trial board proceedings. Police
Chief Robert v. Murray decided
against suspension last May,
pointing out that the case had
been pending before one body
or another for the previous three
years and that "a few more
weeks wouldn't change the facts.
Chief Murray certified the case
for trial board action.
Prior to his assignment to pre-
cinct duty, 1t. Shimon had
served as head of a special in
vestigations police detail report
ing directly to the United States
Attorney. He got that job in
1910 when the police chief at the
time, Ernest w. Brown. agreed to
a request by United States At
torney Edward M. Curran, now a
Federal District judge here.
Until former Police Chief
Robert j. Barrett ordered the
transfer of 1t. Shimon and abol-
ished the Investigations unit, the
lieutenant was stationed in the
courthouse.
Perjury is Charged.
In the course Of the Senate
overlapping inquiry, 1t. Shimon
was accused of tapping the tele-
phone wires of agents of Howard
Hughes, when the millionaire air.
craft builder was being investi-
gated by a Senate Committee
looking into wartime airplane
contracts.
In the specifications brought
against the lieutenant. it was
charged that he violated Federal
law and police regulations by his
alleged wire-tapping activities ano
that he lied to the Senate Com
mittee and his superior police
officers in some of his testimony
and written reports.