San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-17
JURY WILL GET.
FORGERY CASE
WEDNESDAY
Soldiers on Trial for Hos
pital Compensation
Check Fraud.
ARGUMENTS ARE ON
Other Indictments Pending
Against Men on SINH
lar Charges.
ARGUMENTS ARE ON

Arguments in the case Of Charles w.
Murphy and Charles A. Gwinn, now
on trial in the federal court for alleged
conspiracy to pass and the passing of
forged government obligations, occupied
the entire morning Wednesday. Fol-
lowing the noon recess, the arguments
will be resumed at . o'clock and the
case is expected to be in the hands of
the jury by the middle of the after
noon.
According to testimony brought out
at the trial, I'D. TyrrelI, secret service
agent, asserted that approximately
$4,000 worth of government compensa-
ton checks to disabled veterans of the
World war had been stolen and cashed
by Others than to whom the checks had
been made payable. 1t may be several
months before the exact amount be-
comes known, Mr.. Tyrrell said.
William II. Moran, chief of the
United States secret service, was in
San Antonio in connection with the
case, Tuesday. Mr.. Moran produced
the original checks from the Treasury
Department at Washington. The secret
service head returned to Washington.
Tuesday night.
The indictment returned by the fed
eral grand jury, alleged that Murphy.
Gwinn, Joseph W. Clevenger and
James NJ. Muir. conspired to extract
checks sent TO disabled veterans at the
base hospital at Fort Sam Houston,
and to forge endorsements on the
checks and cash them. At the ar
raignment of the defendants before
Judge Duval West Monday, Clevenger
and Muir entered pleas of guilty and
Murphy and Gwinn entered pleas Of
not guilty.
Have Another Indictment.
Murphy was first sergeant at the
base hospital; Clevengcr, was in charge
Of the postoffice at the hospital: Muir
was a private at Fort Sam Houston,
and Gwinn, an ex-soldier, at the time
of the alleged otfense, was a shoe
maker.
Another indictment is outstanding
against the four defendants and two
others who were not named in the first
indictment. The second indictment re-
turned by the federal grand jury al
leges that the four defendants, together
with Tom Emerson, baker at the base
hospital. and =. ii. Moore. an Cx-soldier,
employed as n waiter at cafe near
the army post, forged an endorsement
upon a veterans bureau compensation
check for S151J.4S made payable to
William z. Tucker, disabled veteran,
then at the base hospital.
Banks Will Lose.
Although the alleged conspiracy to
intercept thousands of dollars that was
due TO disabled veterans Of the World
war. neither the government nor the
veterans will suffer any loss. it was
explained. The bank at which the checks
were cashed must look to the one who
cashed the checks TO assume the loss.
Notwithstanding the fact that the dis
abled veterans received their cOmpensa-
ton in due course of time, long delays
were experienced by them in receiving
payment. The activities were alleged
to have occurred between February 4
and May, when the defendants were ar
rested. A number of the disabled vet
Grams did not receive their cOmpensa-
tons until the first part of December.
Many suffered hardships as a result of
the delay in receiving their compensa-
ton payments.