The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-11-26
FORBES, RELEASED FROM PRISON TODAY.
PLANS TO CORRECT WRONG IMPRESSION
PUBLIC HAS BEEN GIVEN OF HARDING
Former Veterans Bureau Di.
rector Completes Two.year
Sentence at Leavenw0rth-
Says Facts He Will Reveal
Will Be Startling and Sensa-
tiOnal

Leavenworth, Kansas, Nov. &c.
R)-Announcing his most import
ant mission in life would be to
correct the erroneous impression
the public has been given Of Presi-
dent Harding" Colonel Charles r.
Forbes today returned to civilian
life after completing service of q
two-year term in the federal peni-
tentiary here.
Tho 40-yesr,eld former director
OF the United States veterans bur-
eau, convicted in Chicago in 1926
OF defrauding the government in
awarding contracts. for veterans
hospitals, was released at midnight.
He paused only long enough to
issue statement on his plans for
the future before entering an auto
mobile with . newspaper man from
st. Louis. They left Immediately
for that city.
His statement, dealing largely
with recommendations for handling
prisoners in various types of penal
institutions, concluded with the an
nouneement he "had startling facts
to reveal" relative to his connection
with the Harding administration.
To Give Interesting Facts
In conclusion the statement said:
"In- the light Of the erroneous
impression the public has been CIV
en- Of President Harding, / shall
have some interesting facts to re-
veal. facts which will put to shame
Z lot Of sycophants and calumnia-
tors whose chief purpose seems to
be the destruction of the good char
acter Of one of the noblest men it
has been my privilege to know.
"Some Of the facts I shall reveal
will be no less startling and sensa-
tional than many Of the charges
made"
He deplored the present day peni-
tentiary "as nothing more than a
combination prison and insane
asylum, q school for post graduate
work In crime, specializing in moral
pefversity."
Colonel Forbes, under whose ad-
ministration Of the United States
veterans bureau millions Of dol
lars were alleged to have been vast
ed through graft and mismanage-
ment, leaves the federal peniten-
tiary at Lessenworth, Kas., q con-
fessed pauper.
Takes Pauper's Oath
Declaring he was unable to pay
the $4,000 fine imposed in Chicago
when he was sentenced to two years
In prison for defrauding the gov
ernment, Forbes elected to take q
pauper's oath and to spend 80 addi-
tional days in the penitentiary to
satisfy the courts judgment.
Had the former director Of the
veterans bureau paid the fine he
would have been freed October 81,
at the expiration Of his sentence.
His term automatically was reduced
1l4 days for good behavior. A pa
role had been denied him.
Forbes was assigned to work as
Z dra4tsmAn and architect at the |
prison, but was incapacitated at j
various lines by Bright's disease.
He had not fully recovered from 81
stroke of paralysis when he was
committed March 20, 1925.
Once IN army officer with . dis |
dnguished record in France, con-
(id6.lt Of . president and the chief
q goverunaent agency supervising |
The expenditure Of nearly hah 81
billion dollars year tor the relief |
of veterans Of the world wal,
FORBES was eent 70 the penitentiary |
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