Evening star., 1925-02-12
FORMER SECRETARY
|SPLACED ON TRIAL
Mrs. Margaret Buchanan Ac-
cused of Forging Name of
House Member.

Mrs. Margaret B. Buchanan. former
secretary for Samuel A. Kendall.
Representative from Pennsylvania,
was placed on trial today before
Justice Hoehling and jury in
Criminal Division 1 to answer an in
dictment for forgery in connection
with the sale of surplus war material.
Mrs. Buchanan. through Attorneys
Lucien H. Vandoren and Richard
Wexford, claims that she was in
partnership with Mr.. Kendall in the
disposition of the war material among
his constituents in Pennsylvania and
that she had the right 20 indorse the
check for $5.567.c4 which figures in
the Indictment
The accused isSa graduate of the
Columbia University Law School and
came to Washington from Richmond,
Va. She was placed under arrest at
the House Of1ce Building March 8.
1923. Since her arrest she has been
employed by Representative Manlove
OF Missouri. Mrs. Buchanan paid close
attention to the testimony of the
witnesses and frequently prompted
her lawyers to ask questions of them.
Check IL Identified.
The first witness for the prosecu-,
tion was William H. Smart, mayor of
uniontown. Pa. Under examination
by Assistant United States Attorney
Burnett the witness Identified a check
for $5.567.24, which he had signed
and sent to the ONCE of Representa-
tive Kendall in payment for war ma
terial disposed of in Uniontown.
Mayor Smart was unable to produce
the records containing his business
transactions relative to the disposi-
tion of the war material which he
said must have been destroyed. He
had number of papers, however,
containing data of the transactions
The witness said he dealt with
Representative Kendall in connection
with the disposal of surplus war ma
terial from December, 1919, until
May, 1920. He first received a ship
ment of shoes. clothing, blankets,
raincoats and underwear from the
Liberty Hut here and from the
quartermaster's department at Phila-
delphia. Checks in payment were
sent to the ONCE of Mr.. Kendall, he
said. for the purpose of having them
relayed to the several Government
places from which the goods had
been shipped.
On cross examination the mayor
said Mrs. Buchanan made frequent
visits to Uniontown, but could not
say that she had received this check
from him on one of these occasions
or whether 1t had been mailed to
Kendalrs ONCE.
Kendall to Testify.
Representative Kendall will follow
Mayor Smart on the stand.
70 1ol1
the check sent by Mayor Smart in
payment of the water materials and
admitted that his signature on the
Endorsement was genuine. He de-
clared that Mrs. Buchanan had in
terpolated a line in the Endorsement
which made 1t possible for her to
have the check cashed. The indorse-
ment read. PAY to order of Depot
Philadelphia, S. A.
M. c." according to the wit
ness, and he said Mrs. Buchanan had
inserted between the words of and
Depot" a line reading IN. B. Buchan-
an. secretary for" and had later in
dorsed the check as m. B. Buchanan,
secretary for Depot Quartermas-
ter, etc"
Denies PartnershlP.
On cross examination by Attorney
vandoren, Representative Kendall de-
MED any partnership existed between
him and Mrs. Buchanan, as claimed
by the defense, and when asked about
the payment for the war material
sold to Mayor Smart, witness said
Mrs. Buchanan stole it In transit"
Counsel objected to the use of the
word stole" and Justice Hoehling
ordered the answer stricken from the
record. On another occasion the rep
said Mrs. Buchanan had
forged" his name to . guarantee of
payment In connection with the pur-
chase of shoes from an Indiana COM
pany to sell to the constituents of
Mr.. Kendall. This statement was also
stricken out. The witness said he
knew nothing of this transaction un-
til months afterward, when a law
yer for the shoe firm threatened to
sue on the supposed guarantee.
The witness denied that he ever
told Mrs. Buchanan they would make
q profit out of the sales of the war
surplus material to his constituents
in. Pennsylvania or that he was try
Ing to placate Smart. IAN anti-or-
man. who has large fol-
Iewing."