New Britain herald., 1925-01-09
Brands As False State ment By Mortimer That Syndicate Prof. fered Million For h. Auence.
Letters From Late Presi- dent to Former Head of Veterans Bureau Are Brought Into Court.
By Tho Associated Press.

By Tho Associated Press.
 Chicago, Jan. 9.-Francis F. Pope of Spokane. Wash. a cousin of for mer President Harding, denied to- day in the Forbes-Thompson Vet erans' bureau conspiracy trial, that he had ever been offered s1,000,O00 by ship contractors as "a bribe to help influence the sale of the gov ernment's wooden fleet.
 Denies Bribe Talk
 Pope also emphatically denied that he had ever talked with for mer President Harding about hav- ing been offered bribe in connec- ton with the sale of the fleet.
 Elias H. Mortimer previously had testified for the prosecution that Pope had been offered $1,O00,00o by a syndicate which sought to pur- chase the wartime wooden fleet. comprising approximately 250 ves- sells.
 Pope Identified a letter signed by President Harding offered in evil dence by James E. Easby- Smith, counsel for Charles R. Forbes, for mer director of the Veterans bu. reau. The prosecution objected to the introduction of the presidents letter and the court sustained the objection.
 Says He Knew Mortimer
 Pope said he knew Mortimer. He was asked if Mortimer had reserved his hotel accommodations when he went to Washington for President Haraing's inauguration.
 I ls' smith objected to the ques- tion anu }he court ruled the witness need not answer.
 Pope said he had been invited 10 participate in syndicate sponsored by the Chesapeake Engineering com- pany to salvage the fleet on a cost plus basis, and had approached Chairman Lasker, Of the shipping board with rather indefinite offer under which the vessels would be dismantled for lumber.
 Lasker stated the fleet then was involved in a lawsuit and that he could do nothing for three or six months,
 The Harding letter, dated April 7, 1922, was addressed My Dear Forbes"
 It said that Forbes had been con- sidered for various places in the gov ernment including a post on the shipping board and the governor ship of Alaska.
 Mcdonald First Witness
 A, NJ. Mcdonald, partner in the Patterson Mcdonald shipbuilding company of Seattle, Washington, in which Thompson was financially in- terested, was the first defense wit ness today He told of ship seizure claims of his firm still pending against the United States and Aus tralian governments and of con- tracts with Mortimer In Washington in 1922. Mortimer represented him self as a close friend of President Harding, the witness said.
 Mcdonald controverted details or Mortimers story relative 10 a meet ing in Forbes apartment in the Wardman Park hotel, Washington. June 15, 1922, at which 1t was al- legged Forbes. Thompson. his part ner, J. w. Black. and Mortimer reached the agreement held by the government 10 have been the basis of the conspiracy.
 Identities Telegrams
 Mcdonald identified telegrams be- tween himself at Washington. D. C.. and Thompson at St. Louis, on June 12 and IS. 1922, relative to shipping board matters.
 The Chesapeake Engineering com pany, iu which Thompson. Black and Mcdonald were interested ob- tained a contract from the ship ping board to dismantlc and salvage twe boats of the wooden fleet, half the profits of the project to be re- turned to the government.
 Mortimer had testified the Chesa- peake company had at that time launched upon a plan aiming at the acquisition of the entire fleet of s54 vessels
 Mcdonald testified he had made proposition to Vice Chairman Far ley of the shipping board for the purchase of the entire fleet. He off, fered 2,9o0 each for the boatsJ and later raised the bid to sS,O0o each. The witness also admitted having talked with Pope about his offer, and Pope was the first person to whom he broached the subject Of forming an independent syndicate to finance the enterprise. Pope agreed % become a member of the syIr1i- cate. and later Thompson and Black both accepted participation.
 The question of Pope's financial share or pay in the ship deal never lad been discussed because the plan was abandoned and Pope returned to Washington state.
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 MARX GIVES UP