Evening star., 1918-06-22
Morris Within and Henry B.
Terrett Arrested and
Give Bond.
SAID TO HAVE CONSPIRED
WITH MESS SERGEANTS
Charged With Billing More Goods
Than Were Delivered-District
Attorney Investigating.

ostV4ASy AASVctASdtAh6'
Two Washington commission mer-
chants were arrested shortly before
noon today. following searching in
vestigation begun by the United States
district attorneys Office into charges
that local merchants and mess ser
geents at nearby Army camps have
been conspiring to defraud the United
States by submitting bills for more
goods than were delivered.
The men under arrest are Morris
Within, thirty-nine years old, of $685.
s42 Louisiana avenue. and Henry b.
Terrett, forty-one. of $50 Louisiana
avenue. Both were charged with vio-
lating section 35 Of the penal code,
which concerns itself with filing false
vouchers.
were released to await action OF the
grand jury.
The arrests were made on warrants
sworn out by Detectives Helan and
Weber. hTe warrants recite that the
defendants caused to be presented
upon the government which, the war
rants allege, was false and fraudu-
lent.
Although no further arrests are ex-
pected today. 1t was officially stated
that the district attorneys Office is
termine IL other merchants are in
volved in alleged illegal practices
with mess sergeants.
Billed More Than Delivery.
It is alleged by the authorities that
the merchants under arrest submitted
for payment bills which contained
more than the authorities say was ac-
tually delivered to the camp.
Some time ago the district attor-
ney's office received Information that
mess sergeants were entering into
posely ''short-weight" orders before
delivering them to the camps AND
then "split" the value of the supplies
which had been cut.
District Attorney Laskey instructed
Assistant United States Attorney
vestigate. It was upon the report of
his inquiry that today's arrests were
made.
The civil authorities will take no
action, 1t is understood. against mess
sergeants involved in ythe alleged IL
tary authorities will handle that end
Of the cases.
Case for Grand Jury.
The information gathered against
Terrett and Within will be presented
to the grand jury by District Attor-
In the case of Within the short
weight is alleged to have been in
,noaf THE ollored frauduJepf youcber
was presented for payment on June
19 to First Lieut.. Frank A. Stein,
seth Engineers, the warrant recites.
A food supply other than meat, it is
charged, was involved in the case of
Terrett.
Within an hour after their arrest
both Within and Terrett secured their
release on bonds of $4,000 each.
Provisions Of Statute.
Section a5 of the penal code. under
which the prosecutions were insti-
tuted, provides that:
whoever shall make or cause to be
made, or present or cause to be pre-
sented, for payment or approval, to
or by any person or officer in the
civil, military or naval service of the
United States, any claim upon or
States, or any department thereof,
knowing such claim to be false, f1c-
titious or fraudulent; or whoever, for
the purpose OF obtaining or aiding to
obtain the payment or approval of
such claim, shall make or use, or cause
to be made or used, any false bill, re-
ceipt. voucher. roll. account, claim,
certificate, affidavit or deposition.
knowing the same to contain any
fraudulent or fictitious statement or
entry; or whoever shall enter into
any agreement, combination or con-
nTv - I~F l.
the United States, or any department
or officer thereof, by obtaining or aid
ing to obtain the payment or allow
ance of any false or fraudulent claim
or whoever having charge, possess
sion. custody or control of any money
used, in the military or naval service, !
with intent to defraud the United |
States or willfully to CONCEAL such |
money or other property, shall deliver
or cause to be delivered, to any per-
son having authority to receive
than that for which he received a GER
tifcate or took receipt: or whoever, |
being authorized, to make or deliver
other paper certifying the receipt of
arms. ammunition. provisions, cloth
Ing or other property so used or to |
be used. shall make or deliver the |
same to any other person without a |
full knowledge of the truth of the
facts stated therein. and with intent |
to defraud the United States. shall be !
fined not more than $4,000 or i'm
prisoned not more than five years, or
both.
"And whoever shall knowingly pur-
chase or receive in pledge for any OBJ
tgation or Indebtedness from any SOL
lier. officer, sailor or other person
,alled into or employed in the mill
ary or naval service, any arms,
equipment. ammunition, clothes, mill
AIRY stores or other public property,
whether furnished to the soldier, sail
,r, officer or other person, under a
clothing allowance or otherwise, such
Ioldier, sailor, officer or other person |.
lot having the lawful right to pledge
,r sell the same, shall be fined not
more than $500 and imprisoned not
more than two years."