Evening star., 1925-03-06
WOMAN TEST|F|ES
. | IN OWN DEFENSE
Mrs. NJ. B. Buchanan, Con-
gressman's Former Secre-
tary, Denies Forgery.

Mrs. Margaret B. Buchanan, former
secretary of Samuel A. Kendall Rep
resentative from Pennsylvania, to-
day testified in her own behalf before
Chief Justice Mccoy and a jury in
Criminal Division in defense Of an
indictment charging her with forgery
in placing on the back of checks from
the Veterans Bureau the name OF
Martha Warfeld. the payee. and
passing the checks to her own ac-
count in trust company in Penn
sylvania. The amount of the two
checks is about $1,000.
Authorized to Sign Name.
The accused admitted that she
placed the name of Martha Warfeld
on the checks. but asserted she had
authority to do so. The woman in
whose favor the check was drawn is
illiterate. it was stated, and had told
Mrs. Buchanan that when she was
granted the money from the Govern
ment for the death of her son she
wanted Mrs. Buchanan to keep it for
her and to place it in her bank until
she was ready to use it.
Mrs. Warfeld, according to the wit
ness. said she did not want her other
son to know that she had received the
money. 1t was to carry out these in
structions, said the accused. that she
placed the name of the payee on the
back of the checks and passed them
TO her own account in the Carlisle
Trust Co, in Carlisle, Pa.
Afidavit Submitted
Mrs. Buchanan, shown an affidavit
required by the Veterans Bureau 10
perfect the claim of Mrs. Warfield
frankly admitted that she signed the
three names attached to it, one of her
.-ac a,1 Yl,A
home who knew Mrs. Warfield and the
care she had taken OF her son in his
illness. She took the paper to a notary
and he attached his seal without the
appearance of the persons whose
names were signed thereon.
The accused said she had warned
Martha Wsrfeld mot TO let the law
yers get her money" which she was
guarding from her SON.
Declares Forgery Admitted.
Michael F. McInerney. special in
vestigator OF the Veterans Bureau,
testified late yesterday afternoon that
Mrs. Buchanan had admitted to him
that she forged" the name of
Martha Warfield in indorsing two
checks from the Veterans Bureau.
Asked why she had done 1t. the wit
ness declared the accused said ''she
needed the money
when the alleged forgery was dis
covered, he said, Mrs Buchanan
turned over s1063.79. the face value
Of two of the checks, and asked the
witness if that would end the matter.
He said he told her he could not saw
what would be the outcome. This
happened, according to the witness
February "a, 1928, in his ofice at
the bureau.
The prosecution then offered Merk el
lands. president of the Carlisle Trust
Co, of Carlisle, Pa, as witness Mr.
Lands did not know the accused. hi,
had correspondence with her and
brought with him a transcript of an
account which she had in that
financial institution. The accoun,
showed that all three of the checks
offered by the Government as forged
by Mrs. Buchanan were deposited and
checked against by the defendant.
Account Later Closed.
According TO the correspondence ad-
mitted, Mrs. Buchanan at the time
owed the trust company a note and
an overdraft, which the Government
claims corroborates the testimony of
Mclnerney that she needed money.'
Mr.. Landis said the account had been
closed out by the payment of the hal
ance OF $53S to the Government which
had attached it.
Bert c. Farrar. a handwriting ex-
pert from the Treasury Department
testified that the Endorsements on the
checks in controversy were written
by Mrs. Buchanan. Representative
Kendall was son the stand for a few
minutes to identity the signature of
Mrs. Buchanan. his former secretary
to the letters brought by Mr.. Landis.