Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-23
RRgWERS' BOOKS
on 'SLUSF' FUNDS
RIIMORED HIDDEN
u 4 Probers at Pittsburgh
uear Damaging Evidence
Is Removed
0uttADELPH1ANs CALLED
oe,ial of Associations Balks at
Court Order to Pro-
duce Books

rept,RGH, Feb. 23.-The United
Plt proyers' Association, national or
hns. ,ion of the brewing interests of the
f'h,s,, was reported last night to have
auI.,,a or hidden its correspondence and
eelg,s containing evidence of its political
r,,,s r.oigs IN an effort to defeat the Gov
ii'sl., IN its investigation OF brewery
.,wndltures In politics.
rs said that since the beginning OF
v.deraI Grand Jury probe the brew
~ usssociations involved have been work.
u ~ and night to cover up alleged
ns,.s,ons of law, largely by removing
N9,hi w. heir files copies of letters and other
wv . Aid 10 have been of an discriminating
raiure. ..
4. r,n,ted states Brewers Association,
ss,d 10 have failed to produce GER
". w ,ecnrds subpoenaed by the Govern
~, hAfore the Grand Jury Monday was
ssgt nr,tpd to have been because those
,.rords no longer existed.
An the correspondence of the brewers
..,loral organization for several years
~ was said to have been removed from
\. oNoe files in New York, and either
s,.,r6yed or concealed. The same state
~ oifslrs is said to obtain in the offices
4 ,he Brewers Association of Pennsyl-
,suIa in Philadelphia.
|, IA said Neil w. Bonner. OF Phila-
s.lnhla and "Jim" Mulvihill, who are
,sported to be evading the service of SUBJ
soenas, can throw considerable light on
the situation.
MAY JAIL WITNESS.
Judge Thomson, presiding at the sush
fsnd trial, heard arguments this morning
an the question of whether he should
direct Fox to testify before the Federal
Grand Jury and produce records of the
United States Brewers Association or
crder that he be sent to Jail for contempt
ef court.
Al the hearing Fox agreed to produce
he books of the brewers associations.
bat declined to testify on the ground
nat II might incriminate him. This
uomise was accepted by the court, but
this Afternoon when summoned to turn
uyer the records, Fox evidently had
changed his mind, and he refused to COM
pR
This Is the step that the Government
hoped that counsel for the brewers would
take as 1t will be accepted as a con-
fsssion, the first made that there is
utihhhaltb III bOOho
o. the brewers association.
The Grand Jury then returned pre-
I,htment notifying the court of the re-
fusal Another hearing this afternoon
will determine the case.
On the outcome of the, Fox case hinges
The governments future plans in the in
ysstigatlon. Mr.. Fox last Monday refused
10 answer questions put to him in the
presence OF the Grand Jury and the Jurors
made presentment to court asking that
he Be compelled to testify
PHILADELPHIANS ARRIVE.
John P. Gardiner, of Philadelphia, pres.
tent OF the Pennsylvania Brewers Asso-
ation, and Edwin A. Schmidt, of Phila.
dsphia, treasurer of the Pennsylvania
Brewers Association and president of the
United States Brewers Association, ar
fged here this morning to testify before
ne Grand Jury Charles +. Ettla, also
q Philadelphia, secretary of the Pennsyl-
iana Brewers Association, was to have
lsen on hand, but 1t was said counsel
Ior the brewers would inform the court
~ Ettla had been detained at home on
iecount Of illness.