The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-26
SAVED MILLIONS
 FOR GOVERNMENT
 GETS $1OO FINE

New Haven, Feb. 26.---Edwin L.. Montgomery of Bridgeport, 28 years old, was fined but s1O0 by Judge Thomas, though he pleaded guilty to 8 charge of forging and passing check drawn on the treasurer of the United States drawn to the order of J. L. Walsh for $112.5o, while he was employed by the United States Ship ping Board at Arlington, Staten Is land. He stole seven cheeks from a desk that were drawn to the order Of various persons, among them the Walsh check endorsed it and present ed it for payment at the Bridgeport Trust Company on September IT, and received the money. The other cheeks were passed in New York. Because of the fact that he had furnished in formation to the government that had saved the United States between 4,- GOO, GOO and 5000, GOO, Assistant United States Attorney George H. Cohen rec commended leniency. That the court i was inclined to take this view was shown in the action of Judge Thomas. who, when Montgomery was unable ] to pay his fine yesterday, permitted his release from custody for 24 hours 1 so that he could raise the money. The 1 information was furnished the district attorneys office by secret service men l of New York, of the services rendered i by Montgomery to the government, l but the nature of the service was not i disclosed
 John Swan and Ernest H. Roiston of Seymour, the first a promin ent manufacturer in that town, and the 1 latter a storekeeper, pleaded not guilty l in the United States District Court yesterday before Judge Edwin s | Thomas to charges of receiving know r1f he TY7It that had been stolen and their cases
 were set for the week of March 23 for trial. They were represented by Judge Stoddard of Woodbridge.
 l Swan and Rolston had a, hearing yesterday before United States Com
 missioner Bernard Lynch and were
 heId for the federal court, the case:
 immediately going to the grand jury
 who returned indictments. Indict
 ments were also returned againS
 Daniel D. Gardner of Detroit, Mich. ICharfes A. Wirth of Bridgeport ana Captain Harry 6. Hegy of Bridgeport
 who pleaded guilty before Unites
 States Commissioner Frederic J. Cor
 bett in Hartford of conspiracy t' ? defraud the government by appropri
 ating government property. It devel
 oped that the men were employed b. the government in the ordnance de
 
 plant and took six Liberty motors an' : sent them to Seymour where the,
 were concealed by Swan and Rolstol : in their warehouse. Gardner, Writ
 and Hegy were not put to plea yes
 terday, and it is assumed they will no \ be until after the Swan and Rolstol . cases are disposed of
 Six pleas of guilty were accepted t :, charges of violating the national pro
 h1hdtion act, and fines were impose , as follows: Sabato Defiice of Hart \ ford, s75; Giacomo Giagunto, bar
 tender for DefiIce, $75; John Ffot 7 and Frank Heredosky of Bridgepor = S1OO each; Timothy J. O'ReiIly of Wa . terfbury, $75; Steve Seres of Bridge
 port, $75.
 = Giuseppe BarceHano, alias Joeep S Barslna of Stamford, pleaded nc u guilty to a charge of raising $1 bil U to s10 and his case was assigned fc trial in the week of March Is. AT
 tonic Bilotta of Waterbury and Jc u seph Iompbardi of Stamford, charge Il with like offenses, will be put to pie
 during the same week The three Ina is no counsel and the court designate l. Andrew w Gardella of Bridgeport k act for them.