Evening star., 1925-04-12
PROSECUTOR HELD
! At ROCKVILLE ON
CHARGE OF FRAUD
John A. Garrett Faces Six
Counts of EmbezzIing S14,-
500 From Clients.
ATTORNEY SAYS ARREST
Is RESULT OF MALICE
Follows Probe by Police Chief,
With Whom Accused Had
Not Been Speaking.
pr Sac Corrosnondcnt

INDt ~ ll4lsfA, April lin the Sd me
stately courthouse where John A.
Garrett, as States attorney had been
convicting and sending to jail dozens
of felons and criminals during the
last 10 months, the grip Of the law
tightened upon Garrett himself late
today when he was arrested on war
rants charging embezzlement of his
clients funds in six separate opera
tions amounting to S14.5OO.
A buzzing sensation seized the
county after the arrest when resi-
dents began to realize that for the
first time in the history of Mont
"omery County the elected prosecutor
Of criminals was being held under
$4,000 bonds on criminal charges.
Whole Town Tense.
Rockville presented a tense and
dramatic background this morning
before the arrest. With the advent
Of the climax tension slackened, but
drama became more poignant. And
the most poignantly dramatic event
of the day was the walk of John
Garrett. erstwhile popular young
prosecutor and politician, out of the
courthouse and across the lawn after
he had been provided with bond.
Whispering groups of men ignored
him. He walked alone. Not long ago
he would have been stopped on every
hand by folks wanting to chat with
him. On across the lawn he walk ed
until, nearing the end of it, one soli-
tary friend stopped him and spoke
TO him. Then he walked away from
the courthouse, scene of his triumphs
before the bar, away and home to a
Il II Il
for the coming of Easter.
Tensity of the situation was height
ened during the forenoon by the ar
rival of Maj. Z. Brooke Lee. secretary
of state for Maryland and a power in
State politics. Garret had been his
protege until some months ago. A
conference between Mai Lee and
county political leaders took place in
the office of Albert Bouic, attorney. at
which Mr.. Bouic and Robert G. Hill
ton, banker and leading Democratic
politician of Rockville, were in at
tendance.
Police Probe Completed.
Meanwhile Chief of Police William
J.. Aud was preparing for action. He
had completed an investigation of ru-
mors and reports which had come to
him
Those warrants will be issued and
served today" he said, cor I'll resign
my job" Those who heard him knew
10 what he referred. Gossip had been
rife for days.
He ambled over to the conference a
bit later, and when he exited again he
was not so certain about the issuance of
the warrants. A movement seemed to be
on foot TO allow more time But the line
of activities veered again later in the
nay. Sheriff Plummer and Chief Aud had
conference with Poplice Judge Samuel
Riggs. Mr.. Bouic made few trips
between the courthouse and the office
of Mr.. Garrett across the street. And
then Garrett walked over to the front
of the courthouse. At a nod from
Plummer he entered and went to the
office of Judge Riggs. There. in the
office of Judge Riggs, he was served
with six warrants. sworn out by Chief
of Police Aud. The warrants charge
embezzlement. naming Garrett as the
defendant, but are not specific as to
details of such alleged embezzlement
except that it occurred in connection
with loans made, as follows:
c. Herman Rabbit, alleged to have
loaned $4,000 through Garrett as his
attorney, on June Il, 1920; Charles
A. and Samuel T. Case, $500 on April
:. 1920; William r. Rabbit, $4,000 on
June 1, 1918; Jessie Gather, $500 on
July l, 1915; Lucian L. Walters, s5.-
600 on July IA, 1920, and Robert
Howes, $4,000 on February 2, 1918.
Garrett Acted as Attorney.
Each of the loans, it is alleged,
We're made through the method
known as the confessed Judgment
note. Garrett appeared as attorney
in charge of the making of the loan
for the lender in each case, 1t is
charged. \ confessed judgment note,
II was explained, is similar to a
promisory note, except that it runs
but one or two days from the date of
making 10 its maturity. At maturity
the lender enters the note on the
docket of the clerk of the court as
subject to collection-just as a prom
lsory note is entered when there is a
default.
The borrower then appears and en-
ters a confessed judgme ment-he admits
he woes the money and judgment goes
to the lender of such action. Then.
in case of actual default writ of
execution can be issued and sale of
the property of the borrower can be
had to satisfy the confessed judg-
ment.
In the Office of the clerk of the
court at Rockville the records show
that Garrett appeared in transactions
amounted to approximately S47,650
He represented the lenders of this
amount in different transactions.
Maintains Innocence.
Garrett, after his arrest stated
that he had sufficient funds to meet
any of the amounts. He stoutly main
tanned his innocence. He attributed
his arrest to personal aninius.
The personal i'll will of the man
who swore out the warrants is the
motive back of this action" he de-
clared. II am entirely innocent of
these charges; they were not insti-
tuted by persons financially concerned
in Case of alleged embezzlement and
] have sufficient finances on hand to
meet the obligations. l will prove by
those financially concerned that
have not embeZzled any money.
This is but one of many things
brought against me. The Poole case
was the first and liquor case was
the second
The alleged i'll feeling, according
10 natives OF Rockville. has been
matter Of well known import for
many months. In September last
tContinued on Page s, Column A.