Evening Star Newspaper, March 15, 1935, Page 4

A—4 xx» BLANTON DENIES POLICE PLOT' ROLE Probe in Uproar as Texan Resents Being Called “Just Another Witness.” (Continued From First Page.) the House engrossed in conversation. The nature of the conference was not révealed. Blanton failed to complete his state- ment to the committee because of a roll call in the House, which caused an abrupt adjournment of the hearing until this afternoon. Blanton First Witness. Blanton was the first witness. He refused as in a previous instance to testify with photograpners present. As a result the cameramen were or- dered from the committee room. Although the committee previously adopted a rule forbidding any one in the committee room during a hearing except the witness and newspaper men, Mrs. Louise King Marx, Blan- ton's secretary; Maj. Brown and In- spector Headley were permitted to remain at the insistance of the Texan. John R. Fitzpatrick, committee | counsel, called Blanton's attention to the rule as soon as he took the wit- | ness stand. “This matter affects me in my own | rights,” Blanton declared, “and I want them present. I want these men to hear what I say. I want things open and above board. That's the kind of man I am.” At the very outset of his testimony, Blanton told the committee why he | was interested in the Washington| Police Department. “When 1 came to Washington 18 years ago,” he said, “the basic salary of members of the Police Department was $1,400 a year—a wage on which members of the force could not live. I and my colleagues went to work and got a bill through Congress making the basic salary $1,800 a year with an increase of $100 annually for three years which gave members of the de- partment a total of $2,100 after three years’ service. Day Off Provided. “During my investigation of the | salary situation I learned that police and firemen had to buy their own uniforms. I introduced a bill to fur- nish free uniforms which was passed “I also tound out that police and | firemen did not have a day off. I thought that was outrageous. I in- | troduced @ bill to give them a day | off each week. That passed and since then they have had a day off “I was a member of the Gibson Investigating Commuttee of the House some years ago. Mr. Gibson at that time was a member of the House. Now he is a United States Senator. “That committee went into various phases of crime in Washington as well as the problems of both the metropolita. and park police forces. The man who gave that committee the greatest service—a man who we could rely on for information—was Inspector Headley. He then was a captain. “Capt. Headley was as honest as| Paul, fearless as a lion, and a perfect gentlemen at all times. He had splen- did poise, perfect judgment and was i fair and square with the committee as he was with everybody else. “Capt. Headely was then in charge of traffic. He tried to force the wife of a police commissioner to move her car. She requested the commissioner to reprimand him. The order to him read something like this: ‘Capt. Head- ley you are reprimanded for doing your duty.’ Indorsed Headley. “But shortly afterward Capt. Head- ley was demoted. It was an out- rageous affair and so unjust. As a result I introduced a bill to restore Capt. Headley and to give him his back pay. I had no interest in Capt. Headley other than to give him a square deal. I became his close friend after that. “When the question came up some time ago about the appointment of an assistant superintendent I indorsed Capt. Headley. My indorsement is just like the indorsement of any other Congressman, “I indorsed him for whatever it was worth. “Some of Inspector Bean's friends came to me immediately and asked me to help them with Bean. Maj. Brown was one of them.” Blanton stated that friends of Bean had come to him and asked that he ;\'nhdra:\ “my indorsement of Head- ey.” They told me Bean could not stay in Washington another Winter and that he wanted the post so he could get the benefit of advanced salary | for life. | “I said ‘yes, I'll go along’.” Here Blanton was interrupted and asked by a member of the committee if it was necessary for a police offi- cer to have Blanton's congressional indorsement. He replied “no” and cited cases where Congressmen in- dorsed persons for various jobs. “Why only yesterday,” he said, “the United States Senate appointed one of my very dear friends as a postmaster, after I had indorsed him.” | “In other words,” Representative Schulte of Indiana said, “your politi- | cal power and prestige goes even into the Senate. Is that it?” Blanton replied no. H In showing how Inspector Headley agreed to step aside and let Bean THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTOX D. C, Figures in District Crime Hearing REPRI NTATIVE BLANTON. Inspector Headley (left) and Supt. Brown (right) talking to a reporter during the luncheon recess in today's crime hearing at the Capitol —Star Staff Photos. JOHN R. FITZPATRICK. take the post of assistant superin- | tendent at the request of Blanton, Blanton said: “When I broached this to Inspector Headley the inspector said: ‘Why, | certainly. Bean and I have been friends—old-time police offic » Blanton said: “I've never seen a man more generous than Headley. | So I went through Headley's indorse- ment and supported Bean and he was appointed.” Bean Story “Unjust.” In recalling the testimony of Bean erday, the charge that brought | nton to the stand today, the Texan said “There never was a statement more unjust than the statement made here yesterday by Inspector Bean. If it had not been for Maj. Brown and Inspector Headley, Bean could not | have been appointed to the position | he now holds. Talking about a plot? Why that's all there is to this situa- tion. There was someihing said about a letter. There wer® only two letters | that I wrote to Maj. and Supt. of Police Brown. And I want them in | the record.’ | Blanton then read a letter ‘which he had written from his home in Satu s e - day!| Have Your Child’s Picture Taken fine 8x10 $ pictures* and . . . a very attractive PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM with space for eight 8x10 pictures. Just the thing to keep and add to through the precious years of childhood as a permanent record of those never-to- be-forgotten days . . . No Appointment Necessary Come in While Shopping SUnmounted ready for framing DOWNSTAIRS BOOK STORE. Texas. In it he addressed Brown as “My Dear Major” and began: “You will remember the gentlemen's agree- ment that we had that the assistant superintendent would hold the place | only a short time.” The letter then went on to recall the plan whereby Bean would step aside and let Head- ley become his successor. Brown's reply to this letter also was read into the record and then another letter from Blanton, in which he endeavored to straighten out cer- tain details not clear to him. Fitzpatrick, ccunsel for the com- mittee, wanted to know why Blanton should have all this interest in the metropolitan police force. Blanton reached into his pocket, drew out a wallet and threw a card onto the “On ac- count of the work I've done for the Police Department and the few ac- complishments I have made in their behalf, they made me an honorary member of the Policemen's Associ- ation.” i Schulte wanted to know “why the rest of the Ccngressmen couldn't get honorary membership tickets to the Policemen’s Association.” Fitzpatrick asked of Blanton: “Why were you so interested in having Bean retired?” | In answer, Blanton went over his previous testimony about friends tell- ing him Bean could not live another Winter in Washington, and explained he wanted Bean retired so Bean could get more money. The name of Bean never figured in the correspondence between the major and Blanton. In asking Blanton to explain thal [a flare-up was started in the commit- | tee. | “Why,"” asked Fitzpatrick, “was Ma}. Brown telling you all this?” “Because we had a gentlemen's agreement,” responded Blanton. “Why did you have a gentlemen's ;Aagreemm!?" Fitzpatrick asked. | “Because——" Blanton said, | finishing. He went on to explain that from the time he had written the letter in Texas to Maj. Brown “until I came to Washington I never had anything more to say about Bean or Headley.” Blanton Gets Mad. Fitzpatrick interjected the “gentle- men's agreement” again and got Blanton mad. “Just & not gentlemen's agreement 38 Luxurious arpen Quality Chairs Specially Priced These are all splendid values! Easy chairs, barrel type, down pillow back styles and others in beautiful new up- holsteries and with the famous Karpen inner construction. Two Low Price Groups Some Selling Originally from $50 to $65 FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1935. gnmonz friends who had no control of the situation,” Blanton said. “What are you doing here, trying to find out crime conditions in the Dis- trict or stir up trouble in Congress?” | Blanton asked looking at Fitzpatrick. “I am & member of Congress,” Blanton shouted, and intimated that if neces- sary he would take this case to the floor of the House. Fitzpatrick sallled: “You may be a member of Congress but you're just another witness here.” Chairman Jennings Randolph called for order and expressed regret that Blanton had said anything against the committee’s counsel. “We have every confidence in Mr. Fitzpatrick,” Randolph said. Blanton wanted to know if they had any confidence in him, and Randolph said “yes.” ‘The chairman then asked that the proceedings be conducted with dig- nity. “When they treat me right,” Blan- ton said, “I'll treat them right.” The testimony then swung around to Blanton's return to Washington and the visit of Bean to the Repre- sentative’s office. Fitzpatrick wanted to know if Blanton actually summoned Bean to the House Office Building. “No.” replied Blanton. “In talk- ing with Maj. Brown I said: ‘T'd like to speak to Beanw—.'" Fitzpatrick challenged: “In effect, you did ask for Bean?"” “OR, no,” Blanton replied. “He was not summoned. The visit was not compulsory. He came voluntarily to my office.” Denies Notes on Talk. Blanton next called attention to Bean's testimony regarding a visit to | his office at which the retirement question was discussed. He took par- ticular offense to a statement Bean | made indicating that a stenographer had taken stenographic notes of the conversation “Bean testified that the stenog- rapher was sitting behind him,” de- clared Blanton. “Why she couldn't get behind him to save her soul. As a matter of fact, she was attending to her duties. “I am just talking about the unfair- ness and injustice of that statement. If you members of the committee will come to my office you can see the sit- uation for yourself. | “Inspector Bean said something about me being a high Mason. The only time that question came up was about a year ago—" A roll call in the House interrupted the hearing at this point and the committee recessed until 1:30 o'clock, *x % * | + Here' * when Blanton will return to the wit- | ness stand to complete his testimony. Felt Rights Invaded. When the hearing resumed at 1 30 | Blanton returned to the witness stand, | apparently quite disturbed. Chairman Randolph told the com- | mittee he wished that Blanton be al- lowed to complete his statement with- Jut further interruption. “I want to tell why I lost my tem- | Blanton began. | per this morning.” “I felt that my rights were invaded. “I want to call attention to the right of a member of the House, to | rule No. 12 of the House.” Blanton read the rule pointing out that it applied to a standing com- mittee as well as to the House itself. “Now I appeared here in my ca- pacity on privilege,” Blanton con- tinued. “In a newspaper this after- noon there is a big headline which reads: ‘Police Plot Laid to Blanton'. That brings my name into improper notoriety.” Next Blanton read several other newspaper headlines and said: “I had a right to appear before the com- mittee on the questioh of privilege. Reputed by Schulte. “When I was told by Mr. Schulte that I was just an ordinary witness I felt it was improper. I am on the Appropriations Committee and any time you gentlemen have anything to bring before that Committee I will see that you get your rights.” “You cited us a rule; kindly give us that page,” interrupted Schulte. “That was on page 324 of the House manual,” said Blanton. “See rule 12, subdivision 49.” “This is not a standing committee,” declared Schulte. “I have spoken to several members of the Rules Com- mittee and they have told me I am right.” “I felt that you gentlemen were a little abrupt,” Blanton declared. “If | any of you gentlemen appear before a committee on which I am a member I will see that your rights are pro- tected.” “I have never plotted with Maj Brown. Inspector Headley or any per- con in this country with regard to a police job. I have had a gentle- man’s agreement with lots of people just like I had in the case of In- spector Bean Definition of “Plot.” Brewster, Representative Repub- Ilican of Maine, interrupted Blanton | at this point and said: “I take it you draw a difference between a plot and a gentleman’s agreement?” “A plot,” said Blanton, * * * s how! you can take advantage of the conveniences of the THE CORNER udget Plan (First Offered to Washington) AT Sol Herzog e IN MEN'S WEA You'll like the new 1935 Clermont Suits 330 The new models are just about the finest we've offered in years . . . fine fabrics of hew pattern and effect in single breasted, full chested, shirred back and bi-swing models, as well as the new double breasted bottom button styles. The new value-line 1 or 2 Pants Suits 20 tinctive patterns breasted models . Here's value plus . . . new and dis- in single and double . . you'll marvel at the prospect of so fine a group of suits at such | press his point any farther. to do somebody an injury. The only thing I have done is to do this fellow Bean a kindness.” Schulte then interrupted Blanton's statement and raised a point of order ?egeairnsl;nthg ;[rbscnce in the commit- 0om of Maj. Brow o n and Inspector Chairman Randolph explained thaf Schulte was absent when the commnE tee agreed at the morning session, at the insistence of Blanton, to allow tha two police officials to remain in the committee room while he testified. Brown, Headley Leave. Maj. Brown and Inspector Headley left the room after Blanton refused to Blanton had declared previously that “I have appeared before congressional com= mittees for the past 18 years and this is the first time I have ever been de- nied my rights.” When Blanton agreed that Brown and Headley should not be with him in the same room while he was giving testimony, Inspector Headley jumped to his feet, clicked his heels together in military fashion, and strolled out | of the room. He was followed by Maj. Brown. Even after Brown and Headley left the room, the discussion over this particular point of order kept up for a few minutes. “I believe that if these friends had gone down the line for Headley in- stead of Bean, Headley would have been appointed as assistant superin- | tendent of police.” In refuting the statement made by Inspector Bean that Blanton's secre- tary was in the office and he believed she was taking down a stenographic report of their conversation, Blan« ton said: “My secretary was in there about her business—in and out. I don't believe she heard anything we said. “Inspector Bean in his statemes to this mmittee went on about my being a high Mason pose not one-half a leagues have ever heard me say I was a Mason. The only thing that brought out that 5 people Bean's bigotr: Sewers to Be Discussed. EAST FALLS CHURCH, Va.. March 15 (Special). —Commonwealth’s Attor- ney Lawrence W. Douglas and Thomas W. 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