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0219 (Rev, e369) Spettal U.SrFury "To Examine Deaths “OF Black Panthers \. By FRED P. GRAHAM * Gpectal to The New York Times WASHINGTON, Dec. 19—/ e Justice Department has designated @ special grand jury té investigate the fatal shooting of two Black Panthers in Chi- cago on Dec, 4, _ Attorney. General John N.: tchell dispatched today a seyen-man team of lawyers, headed by’ Jerri Leonard, as-; sistant attorney general in: charge of the Civil Rights Di- vision, to conduct the investi- gation. fm Mr. Mitchell sald that the team would employ the grand 'fury’s ‘subpoena power in an. leffort to “end the rumors and speculation” that have sur- rounded the incident. linois, and .Mark Clark, a member of the party, were shot to death and four other Chicago. on Dev. LI “has ‘not produ any meaningful results because several’ witnésses: declined ‘to (cooperate, voluntarily with Fed. eral investigators.” Justice’ Department sources confirmed reports that the in- had f tee oo oF cooperation by the Black Pan- thers and by state’s attorney, Edward V. Hanrahan. On Dec. 11, Mr. Mitchell ounced that ‘the Justice De- artment would look into the shooting. Chicago police of- ficials had said that the Pan- thers started the shooting, as the police were attempting ‘to serve ai se warrant to look for weapons. : Negro feaders had questioned this version, and, citing tumors of a national plot among law enforcement officials to ex- terminate the Black Panthers, ps called upon the Justt epartment to investigate. The Chicago policemen who staged the raid on Dec. 4 were assigned to Mr. Hanrahan’s of- fice. In Chicago today, United States Attorney Thomas A. ‘Foran explained that Mr, Han- rahan had told investigating §.B.I. agents that they could question the policemen only if he were sent a copy of each statement and if an attorney. from Mr, Foran's office and one: from Mr. Hanrahan's office were present during the inter- views. - It was learned here today that Mr. Hanrahan, a former United States attorney in Chi- cago who has had strained re-' ations with the F.B.L, also de- anded copies of’ other F.B.L! reports on the investigation. Since this would have been a violation of F.B.I. regulations, interviews were not con- ducted. i Mr. Hanrahan said at a news: conference in Chicago this morning that Mr. Leonard ex- plained in a telephone conversa- tion today that the grand jury, investigation was being used because the Black Panthers had refused to cooperate. “As g consequence of this refusal by the Black Panthers, . Leonard told me that the partment of Justice was ee eon SePEb ite, Dies = tigation and wou! YY - wHr02 19 FNCLS&. * =—_— ger Opi FYred* JEN | sow ty “io get B testimony through a Federal grand joy.” ” Mr. Hanrahan said. He added that the decision had been made “despite: the continuing willingness of. our officers to be interviewed by /FB.L agents.” ‘Mr, Hanrahan‘s office elabo- rated on this in a statement t said that the F.B.I. had been fiered access to the police- men, and déclared that any statement that Mr. Hanrahan hed not cooperated was “posi-! tively false." The reasons for the failure of the Black Panthers to co- operate were unclear, except that some Panthers have said at the F.B.I. and the Justice partment are parties to the alleged plot against them. Their suspicion of the Fed- eral officials was heightened n July 4, when a raiding party f F.B.I, agents, wearing bullet- proof vests and white arm- ‘bands identifying them as Jus- tice Pepartment officers, staged an early-morning search of ;Panther headquarters in Chi- jwcago, They were searching fos: 2 fugitive, Panther, noi Tolson Del.oach Walters Mok: Bishop Caspe- Callchan Conrad Felt Gale Rosen Sullivan Tavel Soyars Tele. Room Holmes Gandy The Washington Post Times Herald —__ The Washington Daily News The Evening Star (Washington) __ __ The Sunday Star (Washington) Daily News (New York) Sunday News (New York) New York Post The New York Times 7 The Sun (Baltimore) The Daily World The New Leader The Wall Street Journal The National Observer People’s Wortd Examiner (Washington) Date _.