Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
RIGHTS OF 'TARBOT'
UPHELD BY RANKIN
Representative Fights for
Square Deal to Veteran
Nobody Knows.

All that Jerry Tarbot." the veteran
nobody knows, asks of the public IL
a square deal" and Representative
John L. Rankin or Mississippi, MEM
Der OF the veterans committee OF the
House. declares he is going to see
that he gets one.
Mr.. Rankin, who is an eX-SerFlce
man. yesterday took Chairman Royal
Johnson severely to task for branding
'Tarbot' before the country as
thief" and draft dodger." when. he
declares. the testimony developed BY
the committee to date does not justify
such an accusation.
II do not know whether Jerry
Tarbot' was in the war or not. but l
am willing first to give his case a
thorough investigation before con
demning him said Mr.. Rankin. IF
he did serve overseas in our Army or
Marine Corps, We should certainly be
doing him a grave injustice to con-
denim him on the testimony 80 far
produced, and turn him out upon the
world in his apparently helpless con-
dtion. IL he Is taking. a thorough
investigation should develop those
facts before he is condemned either by
members OF Congress or the press.
He has even been branded as
thief because. il is stated, that he was
charged with stealing automobiles in
California about 1929. but the record
shows. if I am not mistaken, that in
stead or convicting him for a crime.
the court dismissed the criminal
charge and had him committed for
insanity"
Charge That Rankles.
1t is this charge of theft" that per-
haps rankIes most in the breast OF
the man who is fighting to clear his
name and establish his war service
record. Representative Albert h.
Carter of California, who has be-
friended the man, declared yesterday
that when this charge of theft was
made before the committee, Chairman
Johnson did not bring out the record
of the Superior Court of California
showing that the charge had been dis
missed by order of Superior Judge M.
C. Roche on october 3, 1922.
IF Jerry Is thief and is wanted
on other charges In California. as
the Department of Justice agent in
timated before the committee" de-
clared Mr.. Carter, why is he not now
in Jail? His pictures have been broad
cast all over the United States. and hs
has appeared before delegations every
where trying to establish his real
identity. Practically every phase OF
his past life brought to light by the
investigation was obtained through
leads given by Tarbot, who has tried
to conceal nothing. The law officers
have had every opportunity to arrest
him if he is actually wanted on any
charge"
Both Mr.. Rankin and Mr.. Carter de-
clared it was an injustice" to Tar
bot" to be compelled to search for EN-
nlnVn10nf YrhflA 1ndnr a nlniId nj
picion. ''Tarbot's" plight in this con-
nection came to light yesterday in sew
eral ways. He complained to Mr.. Car
ter that he found himself an "unwel-
come" paying guest at the Y. NJ. G.. ~,
where he has been living since Febru-
airy 5, and was permitted to retain his
room only after appealing above the
head of the desk clerk ....
II don't want charity: only a square
DEAL" said the ''nameless veteran"
yesterday.
Both Mr. Carter and "Tarbot" feel
satisfied that he will eventually
establish his military record. In this
connection. Mr.. Rankin also declared:
Service men who were in the Marine
Corps have appeared before the Vet
Grams committee and identified Tarbot
as a man whom they saw in tho
Marine uniform in France. but none
of them has ever been able TO recall
his name. They may be mistaken,
but am certainly not willing TO dis
card their testimony and condemn this
man until sufficient testimony is pro-
duced to convince me that he is an
impostor."
Marine Officers AffidavitS.
Sworn affidavits from Marine OFF,
GERS bearing on Tarbot's case are In
the possession of Mr.. Carter, but these
officers were not produced as witnesses
at the two committee hearings at
which the "namelesS veteran was
condemned as a draft dodger." ''Tars
bot claims to have been with th9
Marines at Belleau Wood and an
affidavit by Col. Frank E. Evans, who
talked with him, would make IL
appear there is some foundation to
this claim.
at is possible" said Col. Evans
that Tarbot may have served with
the. 9Th Regiment without having
gone through a recruit depot in the
United States, or ever having been
regularly enlisted, but only for short
time.
Il feel he did know certain men
and officers and certain details con.
nected with the 9Th Marines from
actual experience and not through
having heard talk of Marines with
whom he may have associated in his
hospital experience. 1t is difficult for
me Co believe that Tarbot did not see
hard service in France or that he did
not actually serve for a brief. but
hectic period with the 9Th Marines,
even though it could have been only
Of an irregular nature. so far as en1
listment goes"
Brig Gen. w. c. Neville. Marina
brigade commander in France. de4
clared he was convinced without,
doubt" that Tarhot saw service with
the Marines, and Maj. Gen. John A.
Lejeune. Marine Corps commandant,
who investigated the case, Endorsed
the bill in Tarbot's behalf. Other
Marine officers! including Capt. Louis
Cukela: holder of the Congressional
medal of honor. have given affidavita
supporting the mans claim.
1t was at the insistence of Mr..
Rankin that the investigation was NOT
dropped permanently by the com.
mittee, 1t was said yesterday, so that
Tarbot might be given the chanca
to clear his name of grave charges.