Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-07
ROAD BODY HEARS
|. ATTORNEY HALL
Witness Reads Statement of
Convicted Paymaster.
"Lid" Still On.
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

February Tn an atmosphere sur
charged with friction, the grand inquest
of Maryland sat here yesterday after
noon for an hour and a half and
listened to testimony of William Pur-
nell Hall, Baltimore attorney, purport-
ed to include statement from Thomas
A. Butler, convicted paymaster OF the
State Roads Commission, now serving
a three-year sentence in the Maryland
penitentiary. The Butler statement. IN
typewriter form, which Attorney HAN
said was prepared in the penitentiary,
contained AZ separate specifications, IN
volving the alleged unlawful disposal OF
State property and the use OF state
labor on private premises. The state
ment generally leveled the charges
against John N. Mackall, former chair
man and chief engineer of the commits
sion.
Hall was the attorney for Charles L.
Ewers, who pleaded guilty last week to
conspiracy to defraud the State. He
said he was called into the Butler case
by the latter's wife in an effort to get
his sentence shortened or to get a
pardon. Hall said he told Butler that
II Gov. Richie found out he was inter-
ested in the case, "he would keep him
(Butler) in Jail for life" Ewers APP
peared in answer to subpoena OF the
Inquest, but refused to testify, on adj
vice of his attorney, Hall, until after
he had been sentenced.
Lid" Remains On.
The witness Hall was the attorney
who. several days ago in Baltimore,
threatened to blow the lid" of the
whole affair, and tell of higher-ups in
volved. Persistent efforts Of former
Attorney General Armstrong, of counsel
for the inquest, to get from Hall in
formation which would give the inquest
some idea of who these higher-ups were
failed utterly, and the lid is still on.
Hall gave no direct testimony, and
finally admitted that all he had was
hearsay, and further admitted that such
evidence would never be admitted or
considered by any court Of law.
The witness, aside from reading But
ler's statement, directed most of his
talk against Speaker E. Brooke Lee OF
Silver Spring. 1t began right with the
beginning OF the session OF the grand
inquest.
Il move the witness be sworn" said
Speaker Lee.
1T am going to be sworn" Hall holly
fired back. You have never sworn
anybody before this committee yet, but
you are not going to get by with that
with me-" advancing and holding up his
right hand, awaiting the administering
of the oath by Senator S. Scott Beck
of Kent County, chairman.
Hall then laid before the committee
o list of witnesses whom he said he
desired be summoned for interrogation
by him. They included Butler, r. Ben
nett Darnall, former associate member
- he ony~aY4oiccinYNs NJ HQnnnfnn Ma
gruder of Upper Marlboro and Edward
M. Thomas of Baltimore. He said he
wanted the vouchers of the State Roads
Commission, and would like to have the
minutes of the commission from 1924
to 1928, and the names OF companies
which served gasoline to the Glenburnie
State garage, and the amounts dellv-
cred.
He said that Darnall, he understood,
could show that there was never min
ute entered on the Roads Commission
records which authorized the toy bal
loon" celebration at Upper Marlboro In
connection with the opening OF the
Grain Highway. Magruder and Thomas,
he told the committee, authorized GER
tain checks to be issued and turned In
certain vouchers. This information, he
continued, came from Butler. He SAID
Butler informed him that there was
lack of authority for the expenditure
of this money.
Promises Are Alleged.
Hall charged before the committee
that the reason Butler and Robbins
signed confessions was that Mackau
promised that he would make no men
ton of other alleged irregularities. He
said that there were Is other employees
involved, against whom no action had
been taken, and that IL of them were
still on the pay roll Of the Roads Com
mission.
Buffers statement charged that
Mackall never paid for fertilizer ano
soil placed on the lawn of his private
home; that he never paid anything for
the use of State trucks, and USED
State chemist to build a lily pool on
his property. He said the lumber USED
in the construction OF a garage on
Mackali's property was charged to the
Severn River Bridge. Butler alleged
that Darnall got two automobiles, and
on one of them he turned in another
automobile. They were registered in his
name. Butler charged, until the inyeSti-
CATION began. Hall added that this
could be checked up in the motor
vehicle registration records.
Butler alleged that nephew OF
Mackall was put to work in the Sum-
lner and given a car and expenses to
ride around the State. He said the man
in question was not an engineer, and
had never taken an examination before
the State Employment Commission
Mackalls brother was alleged to have
been given several sets OF harness, the
property of the State.
He charged favoritism In the award
of certain contracts, and insisted that
he always handled the large contracts
Traffic paint, Buffers statement said
which was no good, had been pur-
chased from neighbor of Mackall.
Every year, it was alleged, Mackall
took Is or 20 State employees to Chi
cago with him and allowed each 5000
expense money.
"Mackall's expense was $780," but
Hall added that "Mackall furnished the
liquor" He said that proof can be
furnished that these men were drunk
when they started, drunk while away
and still drunk when they got back, and
that the whole trip was just round OF
card games, crap games, cabarets and
fist fights. Butler alleged that Mack
all gave an asphalt plant to one con-
tractor, and that steam rollers were
loaned to private organizations.
There were number of other de-
tailed charges. Hall said that he re-
ceived the statement from Butler about
four months ago.
Denies Press Statement.
Mr.. Armstrong asked Hall about q
newspaper statement In which he was
quoted as saying Mackall had been
made the goat in the whole affair. He
denied this emphatically, and then
about 2 minutes later said that he
believed that Mackall had been made
the goat"
He told the committee that he hac
tried to get his client Ewers to release
him from holding certain information
but so far the latter had refused. Hal
added that he expected that Ewer''
family would be able to get the release
for him. He said that Mackall wa:
a man with a very good heart"
You mean, then, that he did things