Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-09
KEyES CONVICTED
OF BR|BE-TAK|NG
From Cell, He Directs Fight
to Escape Term-Wi|I Hear
Sentence Monday.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES. February 9.-From
his cell in the county jail, Asa Keyes
today directed his fight to escape i'm
prisonment.
The former district attorney Of Los
Angeles County was convicted here last
night with Ben Getzon and Ed Rosen-
berg Of conspiracy to bride.
The Jury Of 10 women and men,
after celebrating three and one-haif
hours, upheld the States charges that
Reyes received si65,00O and other con-
siderations for lax prosecution Of fraud
cases.
All three defendants, who viii be SEN
fenced Monday, announced they would
appeal II Q new trial is not granted.
The penalty for conspiracy to bribe Is
1 TO II years.
Grew Out Of Julian Failure.
The bribery case grew out of the coll
lapse here in May, 1927, OF the Julian
Petroleum Corporation when it was dis
covered that about 100000 worth
Of spurious stock had been sold to the
public.
Reyes conducted an investigation
which resulted In the fiiing Of charges
against so or more persons, among them
certain officials of the Julian corpora
ton. One after another these charges
were dropped until eventually the only
two held were Jacob Berman, alleged
bright youngster'' Of the corporation
and Ed Rosenberg, stock salesman. II
was alleged the stock fiasco had melted
about S35, 000,00
During the trial of Berman and
Rosenberg on fraud charge the prose-
cutor filed motion to dismiss the cass
against Rosenberg. The motion was
denied and the case went to the jury
resulting in acquittal for both
| Last November Buron Fits, lieutenant
governor of California, was elected dis.
trict attorney Of Los Angeles County or
an "anti-corruption" platform. Soor
after he took office a grand jury begar
an investigation Of alleged ofiicial cor.
ruption here. Six persons, including
Reyes. Getzoff and Rosenberg, were In.
dicted.
Berman Sentenced.
victed in Federal Court of using thu
mails to defraud and sentenced tc
seven years In prison. In the Bribery
case, however. he turned States wit.
ness and testified that about the time
Of the Julian fraud trial he gave
$4,000 to Getzod, the alleged Ego.
between" with the understanding tina
1t was to be given to Keyes, 50 thl
latter would slacken his efforts to con
vict. Berman testified that Rosenberf
gave $125, 900 In the same manner, ant
also presented gifts to Reyes, Mrs
Keyes and their daughter Elizabeth.
The former prosecutor, his wife ant
daughters took the stand in his de-
tense. Keyes admitted having visites
Getzoff'S downtown tailor shop FIRE
quently for drinks, saying that tn,
tailor was an old friend. He denied
that he had accepted any money Il
influence his action as prosecutor, bu
admitted that he had taken an auto
mobile from the tailor as "a loan.
Household furniture had been bough
for the Keyes home, he said, through
Getzoff because the latter had beer
able to get price concessions.
Other defense witnesses testified u
an attempt to Offset the evidence givel
by employees of the tailor shop, WIN
declared they saw Keyes take none,
from Getzoff. One Of the defens
allegations was that two of these EN-
ployes, Milton Pike and Joseph Sher
man, had fabricated o story abou
bribe- taking in order to entangl
Getzoff and get his tailor shop from
him. The defense also alleged tina
Reyes had been prosecuted for po
litical reasons.
Charges against the other three per
sons indicted by the grand jury wer
dismissed.