Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-29
TESTIMONY
T0START MONDAY
Defense Outline Completed,
With Attack Upon Mortimer,
Star Prosecution Witness.
By the Associated Press.

CHICAGO. November 2s-Opening
statements Of counsel were completed
late yesterday and the way cleared
for Introduction Of testimony Monday
in the trial in Federal Court here of
Charles r.. Forbes and John w.
Thompson for defrauding the Gov
eminent in the ALLEGATION of veterans
hospital contracts, while Forbes was
head of the Veterans Bureau in 1929
The enmity Of Elias H Mortim err,
chief Government witness. was in
CURED by Forbes, according to de-
Tense counsel. when Forbes notified
one contractor ne could do no work
for the Veterans Bureau If Mortimer
was his agent.
This whole case Is built upon a
cleverly constructed fabrication by
Elias II. Mortimer" declared Col.
James g. Easby-Smith, Forbes coun-
sci. I'm the Fall OF 1922 Mortimer
began to spread a small part of these
charges against Col. Forbes. but no
one in Washington paid any attention
to Mortimer. This story grew as
Mortimer obtained additional informa-
ton from Government files, but of all
these 80 overt acts charged in this
Indictment. only 3 are even open to
suspicion"
Counsel for Thompson, a st. Louis
contractor, told the jury he would
prove that Thompson never had
dollar invested in the compan MES which
secured hospital contracts and never
bid on but one project. his bid in that
case being rejected as too high.
Refused Loan to Mortimer.
The $4,000 loan from Thompson's
partner. James A. Black. now de-
ceased, was covered in detail by
Thompsou's counsel. Rudolph Tough
lin OF ST. Louis. OF this sum, Forbes
is charged with receiving $1,000.
Thompson only participated in this
loan to Mortimer at Blacks solicita-
ton, Mr.. Loughlin declared. This was
on June 10, 1922, while the Forbes
party was in Chicago en- route to the
Pacific Coast to inspect hospital sites.
In October. 1922, Mortimer tried to
borrow from Thompson the purchase
price OF a new automobile in Phila-
delphia, but Thompson refused the
loan, Mr.. Loughlin declared.
About that time William Sutherland
of ST. Louis, a contractor. with his
assistants and Mortimer, met Forbes
in his office at the Veterans Bureau
to talk over bureau hospital contracts
in which Sutherland was interested.
Mr.. Loughlin said. Forbes advised
Sutherland he would get no contracts
as long as Mortimer was associated
with him, Mr.. Loughlin declared, and
that night Vice President Williams Of
the Sutherland Construction Company
staff publicly denounced Mortimer.
And thus began Mortimer's enmity
for Forbes, Mr.. Loughlin said, but it
was not until a year after that time
that Thompson was drawn into this
cleverly constructed fabrication by
Elias H. Mortimer"
Court Halts Attack.
Mr.. Laughlin had launched into a
vigorous denunciation OF Mortimer,
described by Government counsel as
"the paid informant of the Govern
ment," when Judge George A. Car
penter restrained him. suggesting
that personalities be confined to tes-
timony.
The defense today indicated its list
Of witnesses would depend largely on
the extent OF the Government case.
Defense counsel IN opening state
ments reviewed many covert acts"
only remotely related to the award
ing Of veterans hospital contracts
Among these were the Goodheil case
in which Thompson sued in the Court
Of Claims for 100000 more than the
Government paid him for the steamer
Goodheil, salvaged by Thompson and
taken over by the Navy during the
war, and the Colombian syndicate,
composed of Thompson, Black and
others, to build railroads in Colombia,
South America, Of which Forbes de-
clined the post Of chief engineer at
a salary Of $4,000 q year.
The defense indicated a surprise
was in store in regard to the story Of
the Mortimer $4,000 loan in Chicago.
With this purpose, 1t Is understood,
the defense plans to use the testi-
mony ofthe former Mrs. Mortimer and
possibly her mother, Mrs. Tuiledge of
Philadelphia. There were intimations
TODAY that tho Government expects to
counter with testimony of the former
Mrs. Forbes.