The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-08
LANGLEY TRIAL
BRINGS FORTH
TALES OF GRAFT
Witnesses duplicate Con.
gressmen In Alleged Co
erciOn And Bribery

CONVICTION, KY, May Tales
of conspiracy, bribery and coercion in
volving the prohibition departments. Of
two states and men. prominent in poll
tics in Kentucky we.e told today in
| federal court here in the trial Of Con-
gresham John w. Langley of Kentucky
and four other defendants charged with
conspiracy to defraud the United States
government through Illegal removal of
whisky from a government warehouse
in 1921.
Government witnesses told of "con-
| frences' which took place in Septem-
Der, October and November, 1921, at
Lexington and Louisville. These meet
ings were arranged in advance, wit
nesses testified, and were for the pur-
pose of discussing transportation of
whisky from the Belle of Anderson dis
tillery of Lawrence, KY, to Phila-
delphia and other cities. Congressman
Langley attended most of the meetings,
testimony showed.
Defendant Is SUnmoved
As government witnesses, confessed
members of the ring, told of whisky OPP
erations and implicated Langley the
congressman sat undisturbed with his
six attorneys. Langley was paid big
sums for his influence in obtaining per-
mits, the alleged former associates of
the congressman testified. When he
needed money he appealed to men in
Washington who worked in conjunction
with whisky dealers in this state and
the money was given Langley as "loans"
not to be repaid if the congressman were
successful in any particular piece of
work, testimony revealed.
Politics was a big factor in the ar
rangement, witnesses testified. The
name of Chesley Searcy, Louisville, re-
publican national committeeman of
Kentucky, was mentioned. Searcy gave
Langley the privilege of naming fed
eral prohibition director for Kentucky,
the jury was told, and Langley sought
to influence the director in the dis
charge Of the his duties after the APP
pointing, according to the witnesses.
When the director refused to listen to
Langley's reasoning" one witness said,
Langley grew angry and threatened to
break him politically in his home
state" 49,.
Tries To Air Conferences
United States District Attorney
Smith directed special effort toward re-
weaving WHAT. tOOh pace ut tue cUu-
ferences" in Lexington and Louisville.
Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt, as
sistant United States attorney general
of Washington, assisting.
Cancelled bank checks and pages from
hotel registers more than three years
old were produced,
Three OF the governments star wit
nesses were used today. Thomas J.
Finn, Columbus, Ohio, and formerly a
partner of III. q. Ruth, Alliance, Ohio,
and Walter b. Carey, Canton, Ohio,
two defendants with Langley, was the
FIRST. Finn told of his partnership with
Ruth and Carey and of the purchase
Of the Belle Of Anderson distillery by
the three. The purchase was to remain
in effect only until all whisky then on
hand was disposed Of. The partners
sold the whisky without inquiry Of buy
ers at from $40 to $75 per case, Finn
testified. BE did not know whether
any of it was sold for medical purposes.
Finn; Ruth and Carey bought whisky
permit for $4,000 from Milton, Lip
schultz, then a clerk in the federal pro-
hibition office at Philadelphia and now
one of the defendants. Finn said.