Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-11-26
FORBES To DEFEND
HARDING MEMORY
Released From Prison, Says
He Has Startling ReveIa-
ti0ns to Make.

F. the Associated Press.
LEAVENWORTH. Kans., Novem-
Der 26.-Announcing his most i'm
portant mission in life would be to
correct the erroneous impression
the public has been given of Presi.
dent Harding" Col. Charles r.
Forbes today returned to civilian life
after completing service on a two
year term in the Federal penitentiary
here.
The 49-year-old former director of
the United States Veterans Bureau,
who was convicted in Chicago in 1925
Of defrauding the Government in
awarding contracts for veterans hos.
pitfalls, was released at midnight.
Health Is Restored.
Clad in a neat business suit, his
hat concealing his gray hair, he
emerged from the prison gate with a
firm step in marked contrast to his
entry. Rigorous application to his
profession of civil engineer in sur
veying penitentiary property and
even in welding hammer and
saw in construction work. apparently
has restored him to the health he en-
joyed in a long Army career.
He paused only long enough to
issue a statement on his plans for
the future before entering an auto
mobile with a newspaper man of st.
Louis. They left Immediately for
that city.
His statement, dealing largely with
recommendations for handling pris.
oners in various types of penal in
situations, concluded with the an
nouncement he had startling facts
to reveal" relative to his connection
with the Harding administration.
In conclusion the statement said:
I'm the light of the erroneous inn
preston the public has been given
of President Harding, l shall have
some interesting facts to reveal, facts
which will put to shame a lot of
sycophants and calumniators whose
chief purpose seems to be the de-
struction of the good character of one
Of the noblest men it has been my
privilege to know.
Holds Harding Victimized.
'My personal and intimate associa-
ton with Warren Harding has placed
me in a position to prove the falsity
Of much that has been furnished the
puUllCs dilu lllS Slldil Ue the IiiOSI I'LL
portant mission of my life.
Gould he (Harding) defend himself,
the American public would have a
much different impression about some
Of the important happenings of his
administration. He was a man who
loved his friends, victimized through
his belief in the fundamental honesty
Of men in high public Office.
Some of the facts / shall reveal
will be no less startling and sensa-
tional than many of the charges
made.
CHARLES r. FORBES"
Declaring he had spent the 20
months of Imprisonment in con
genial work." including surveying
1900 acres Of land and designing
numerous buildings, he lauded partic-
ularly the prison medical staff. He
also mentioned 1.-THE stupendous task
faced by the warden in handling
thousands of prisoners and declared
he would devote his best efforts in
aiding convicts and attempting to i'm
prove prison conditions.
Spent Months in Hospital.
He then told how he had been con-
fined to the prison hospital for months
with an attack of Brights disease, and
how he had in large measure re-
gained his health.
Col. Forbes spent considerable time
interrogating convicts and in refer
ring to the hidden secrets within
the souls of prisoners" advocated
segregation Of n, cote addicts.
$50 long as narcotic addicts are
sent to prison, such institutions will
continue to be flooded with drugs,
the statement said
| He described the present day peni-
Tertiary as nothing more than a
combination prison and insane
| asylum; a school for postgraduate
work in crime. specializing in moral
perversity."
Ordered to pay $4,000 fine in adj
| dltion to his two-year term, Col.
| Forbes took a pauper's oath October
II. last and served 80 additional days
required in such cases. He applied
for parole several times, but was un-
successful. He was allowed 144 days
| for good behavior.
| He indicated he planned to visit
his 93-year-old mother in Plymouth,
Mass, and also would make a trip to
! Washington. before resuming his pro
| fesSion as an engineer.
|