Evening star., 1925-03-05
WOMAN ACCUSED
OF FORGERY TRIED
Former Secretary to House
Member Charged in Case
Involving S981.73.

Mrs. Margaret B. Buchanan. former
seer etary of Representative Kendall
of Pennsylvania, was placed on trial
today before Chief Justice Mccoy and
a jury in criminal division 2 of the
District Supreme Court on an indict-
ment charging forgery. 1t is alleged
that she forged the name of Mrs.
Martha Warfield. an illiterate colored
woman, to two checks from the Vet
erans' Bureau aggregating s9S1.73.
made payable to the colored woman
as compensation due her son. William
Henry Warfield, and for war risk in
surance held by him.
Mrs. Buchanan was recently acquit-
ted by jury in criminal division ! OF
a charge of altering an Endorsement
made by Representative Kendall on a
check for $4,000. received from Mayor
w. H. Smart of Uniontown, Pa. in
payment for surplus war material
sold to constituents of Kendall. Mrs.
Buchanan then claimed she was in
partnership with Kendall in the dis
posal of the war material. Kendall
denied this.
After an opening statement by As
sistant United States Attorney Bur
nett, who, with Assistant United
States Attorney West is conducting
the prosecution, the Government CALL
ed Mrs. Warfield to the witness stand.
Attorneys Lucien H. Vandoren and
Richard Z. Wexford. who represented
Mrs. Buchanan at the former trial.
again appeared in her defense They
reserved the statement of their de-
fense until the prosecution concludes
It's testimony, but it is understood
they will claim that Mrs. Buchanan
acted for the best interest of the
prosecuting witness, and that the
money had been paid to Mrs. Warheld.
Tells of Payment.
Mrs. Warfield said she was working
a the home of Mrs Buchanan when
the son died. March IS. 1920, and the
defendant suggested to her that she
might be entitled to compensation
for his services. The witness gave
the matter into the hands of Mrs.
Buchanan, she continued, and in
compensation from the Veterans
Bureau under the monthly payment
plan. the son having had policy
of $4,000. The witness identified the
two checks mentioned in the indict-
ment. the Endorsement of which, it
is charged. was forged by Mrs.
Buchanan, as well as a third check
for s662.06, not included in the in
dictment, but which also bears in
She denied that she had written her
declared she had received the money
on the s6sS check and on the one
for S401, but had not received pay
ment on the check for $3.50.
The checks are all made payable to
Mrs. Martha Warfield, care of s. A.
Kendall. Room 4OS, House Office
Building. and bear the Endorsement
of Mrs. Martha Warfeld and M B.
Buchanan.
Conversation lis Disputed.
On cross-examination, Attorney
Vandoren sought to have the witness
admit that she had told Mrs. Buch
anan that she desired to purchase a
little home with the money when it
came and that she asked the de-
fendant to hold the money until she
was ready. The witness admitted tell
ing about her desire to buy home,
but denied the other part of the
query. She also denied that she told
Mrs. Buchanan that she feared an
other son or the widow of the dead
son might get the money from her IL
she received it.
Samuel NJ Meek testified that with
a Mr. Dunn of the Veterans Bureau
he visited Mrs. Buchanan at the Of
fee of Representative Kendall, Feb
ruary "a, 1928. She was asked for the
checks and said they were in a desk
to which Mr.. Kendall had a private
lock, and the forced opening of which
she opposed, Meek said. The de-
fendant said she had money in lieu of
the checks, and went with witness
and Mr.. Dunn to the Veterans Bu-
reau, where about $ 200 was turned
over by Mrs. Buchanan, he added