Imperial Valley press., 1928-11-02
MYSTERY
WITNESS
GUARDED
Los Angeles Grand Jury
Protects Man in Keyes
Bribery Case. i
RUMORS ARE RIFE
Action Against District
Attorney Gives Rise To
Wild Guessing.
BY United Press Leased Wire

by 1feSs Leased wire
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2.-Interest
in the grand jury investigation of
the asserted bribery of District At
torney Asa Keyes was stirred today
by a new mystery witness.
The witness, apparently of foreign
extraction, was granted a body
guard of deputy sheriffs after he
|, conferred with Thomas Cooke, fore-
man of the jury.
The man, Cooke said, will return
this afternoon to give possible vital
evidence in " a case under investi-
gation.'
Since the grand jury is investi-
charges, the mystery man was ae-
ccpted as a probable important wit
ness.
Newspapermen were not permitted
to question the man and Cooke re-
fused TO discuss his identity or the
nature of the information.
Cooke s policy was consistent with
the conduct of this investigation by
the jury.
No word of the possible indict-
| ment of Keyes and Jacob Berman,
Ed and Jack Rosenberg and A. !.
Lasker came from the jury room un-
til after the charges were returned,
| Wednesday night.
This secret policy has resulted in
! the starting of scores of wild rumors
as to possible investigations and in
! dictmentS.
One unofficial rumor said the jury
was probing Keyes dismissal of
charges against Aimee Semple Nc
| Pherson in connection with her not
ed abduction.
The jury gave no indication that
it was engaged in any such probe.
And the report appeared to be with-
out any fact basis.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2.--Threc
more men indicted by the grand
jury in connection with asserted
bribery of District Attorney Asa
| Keyes were expected to surrender
to warrants for their arrest today.
| They were Ben and Dave Get
zoff, alleged middlemen between
criminals and the official, and
Charles Reimer, an operative for
the district attorneys office.
The indicted men were said to
have Informed the sheriff s they
would give themselves up when they
had arranged bail sufficient to in
sure freedom, probably today.
Five defendants, including tho
district attorney, already have sur
rendered and will be arraigned i'll
Superior Judge Edmonds court
| next Thursday.
keyes is charged with having ae'
cepted bribe and Jacob Berman,
Jack and Ed Rosenberg and A. /.
Lasker with bribing an official.
Keyes still held office as district
attorney of the county this morning
but it was predicted that he would
be suspended sometime during tho
day by United States Attorney
Webb in San Francisco.
! Webb declined to take any action
pending his receipt of copy of the
Indictment against Keyes.
Webb is expected to appoint q
temporary substitute for Reyes.
Since Buron Fits, district attorney
elect, is scheduled to take office in
J less than Il month it was held likely
! that he would receive the appoints
| ment.
In his only statement issued to
date Keyes has proclaimed his in
nocencc and denounced the veracity
of his accusers.
Milton Pike, clothing salesman,
who kept a diary which recorded as
| serted conferences of Berman, Lask-
err the Roscnbergs and others with
keyes and the Getzoffs, was seclud-
ed and held under guard today.
Only officers knew of his where
| abouts and it was said he would
not appear until trial of the cases
started
May Indict More
kcycS said Pike and two fellow
employees sought to blackmail Getz-
off and then took their notes before
the grand jury.
He said the record of these tailor
shop employees "hardly stands tho
test against my % years of faith-
full public service
Pixies diary related daily meet
ings in the tailor shop Of those un-
der indictment. II told of plans TO
defeat justice in the Julian Petro.
leum Corporation case and the pay.
ing of money to the district attor-
ney to influence verdicts.
The diary relates the passing Of
some 100000 from defendants in
the Julian and other cases 10 Kcyes.
The grand jury met again today
and it was held that more indiet-