The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-04
GRAND JURY InO|CIS
IN DRAFT Gases
Franck. Mrs. Franck and PATROL
man J. j. smith Involved.
pRorIT-sHARING PIANO PLAN.
Selling Musical Instruments Face
Court At Instance of Irate Customers.

The grand jury In the United States
district court for the eastern district
of Virginia yesterday devoted a con-
siderable part of It's attention to Rich
mond cases involving charges that GER
tain well-known persons had made
false statements for the purpose OF
evading the draft or in support of such
alleged attempts TO evade.
Among those indicted were Clarence
Gilbert, son of the proprietress of Gill
berts hotel. who made affidavit 10 the
statement that his mother was de-
pendent upon his efforts for support.
Mrs. Jennie Gilbert, the mother. was
also indicted. charged with making an
affidavit that she was dependent upon
her son. Mrs. Gilbert is the owner in
fee Of the Gilbert hotel, assessed at
$4,000 and has $4,000 in money at in
terest. Both she and her son have
explained their afSidavits as meaning
that she was dependent upon him to
manage her hotel, that her health did
not permit her to assume the active
Eaana gement Of the business, and fur
thermore that at the time the affidavits
were made both Of them entertained
the belief that she merely owned an
interest In the hotel where as a mat
ter OF fact her husbands will. with the
provisions of which they had not ae-
quainted themselves. really left the
property to her in fee. a fact she has
Just learned since the present situation
arose. Young Gilbert Is now at Camp
Lee. while a younger brother is also
in the nations service.
No return was made in. the case of
Joseph Pingue. recently sent to the
iar the fyi1harf
hotel barber and signed supporting
affidavit In the Gilbert case and was
charged with completely In an attempt
to secure young Gflbert's exemption.
Three Indicted in Frnnck Case.
In the 60. u. Otto Emil Franck in
dictments wac returned against him on
the allegation that he made false state
ments in an attempt to evade the draft,
and against his wife. Laura Miller
Franck, In connection with the same
matter and against his brother-in
law, Patrolman James j. Smith. who
made a supporting affidavit in the
case. The Franck indictments hinge
on the allegation that he swore that
he was a married man with a wife and
child dependent upon him when it is
claimed that his wife has very con-
siderable independent means from
which she is reported 70 draw regular
Profit Sharing Piano Men Indicted.
An interesting indictment which will
bring up when It comes to trial
number of questions involving bust
ness and advertising methods was that
against w V. Sprinkle. J. C. Var
brough, p. r. Cowman and B. H, Chase,
in whf>h these men are allie ged to have
devised certain scheme and artifce"
TO dafraud. and for obtaining money
by false pretenses from Henry NJ.
Booth. Mrs e. c. Boytz. Mrs. ]. r. Lam
ders E. B, Luck. H. NJ. Treslow and
divers others. ~''''" @'Y
1t is charged that the men indicted
were engaged In the business Of SELL
ing pianos under the name OF the
Profit Sharing Piano Co, and that they
inserted In the Petersburg Daily Pro-
gress an advertisement offering a num-
Der Of prizes for the neatest answers
to certain "birdman puzzle" De-
velopments were not to the satisfac-
ton of those who replied to the adj
vertisement hence the Indictment.
Other indictments were one against
J. NJ. Barr In which he was charged
with transporting Ave gallons of in
toxicants from Baltimore to Hopewell
In violation of the Reed law. and
another against Walter c'%1Ffefding in
which he was charged with sending
prohibited matter through the mails
from the Richmond postoffice.
The grand Jury adjourned yesterday
subject to the call Of the court,