The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-25
MILLIONS SPENT
 FOR PROHIBITION
Anderson Says He Handled Approximately ..
 $2,0OO,000'
By RODNEY F. pUTcAgR

NEW 1Ohh, Jhn. <f.-p dctS ana figures on the profits of prohibition" poured forth from the trial of William H. Anderson as the New York state ness stand in defense against charges of forgery involving his manipulation of the leagues finances. f-..
 Wet organizations, politicians and others learned something they had been highly curious about fer long time, when Anderson freely admitted Thurs day that since 1914, when he first as- sumed his present position, approxi- mately S2,O0O, 900 had been collected and expended by his organization to further the cause of prohibition.
 Immediately thereafter the dry lead CT startled even the court itself when he described an amazing series of per sonal gifts. totalling $25 900, which he said were donated to him by a mysteri- ous stranger named John T. King while he was head of the Maryland anti-saloon league in 1912 and 1913.
 This angle of the testimony came out just before court was adjourned late Thursday until Friday. It it now be- lieved that the case will get to the jury Friday night.
 Assistant District Attorney Ferdi- nand Pecora was questioning Anderson as to how he had been able to lend the anti-saloon league more than $2O,OO0.
 King appeared in .AndersOn's office one day as mysteriously as he later disappeared, Anderson said.
 He came in suddenly and praised my work" Anderson explained. He said, you're fool to be working for this league for $4,000 a year. But I sympathize with your work and I'm go- ing to make little investment of $1 1000 for you. .ef.
 Sf,OOO Became $25,OOO
 That was all right, the dry chief as- sured King, and in some way, King handled this little thousand-dollar acron until some time in 1913, when it has grown to great oak of $25,OOO. Then King" vanished and Anderson never saw him again.
 The courtroom was so surprised at this story that it went into an uproar. Judge TOmpkins had to rap cOntinu- ously for order.
 Anderson said he felt not only justi- fled, but quite pleased, in taking the $25.0OO as a personal gift. He de- scribed King as about 45 years old, of medium heights, with dark hair and a closely clipped moustache.
 Previously. under the direct examina tion of former Governor Whitman, his counsel, Anderson had admitted the claim of o. Birdsall Phillips, chief prosecution witness, that he had split with Phillips all the latter's commis sions on subscriptions in excess of $10,0O0.
 But he claimed that Phillips himself had suggested this arrangement. Phil lips, he said, had declared it was crying shame that one of Anderson's field agents should be making more than twice Anderson's salary, which was $5,000.
 Anderson admitted that he had trans ferred $4,40O, half of Phillips excess commissions for the year in question, to the latter's expense account, but de- nied that he had entered it as travelling expenses or that he had told Phillips of an injunction to fool the Rocke- fellers."
 Denies Pooling Rockefellers
 The witness denied that he had ever defrauded the federal government, the state or the league. Anderson explained under direct examination that he had the books altered merely to save Phil lips from having to pay income tax on commissions that he did not actually receive.
 He became surly and defiant when Pecora began to cross-examine him, but admitted that when Phillips was engaged as a solicitor the Rockefellers were contributing only $5,OOO year to the league coffers. and that after Phil lips went to work, this amount in creased to $75,000 annually.
 Phillips commissions were 20 per cent on the first $25,000 he collected and 10 per cent on all above that, An derson said