Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-21
Evidence of Alleged Fraudu-
lent Deals Now in U. S.
Attorneys Hands.
DETER TRADE GROUPS
PUSHING INVESTIGATION
Twenty Complaints From Virginia
Against Buck & Co. Are Re-
ported to Be on File.

Complete investigation of alleged
bucket shop" activities in the Capt.
tai, which are alleged 70 have f1eeced
Capital, Virginia and West Virginia in
vsstors and market spectators of
thousands of dollars. is under way by
the United States district attorneys Of
fee here, assisted by the Washington
Better Business Bureau, the Better
Trade Association of Virginia and
Representative Frank l.. Bowman of
West Virginia.
Evidence of fraudulent stock trans
actions by Capital brokers, involving
the accounts of more than score of
Washington, Virginia and West Vir-
GINA clients. already has been turned
over to the district attorneys office and
is being investigated by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney William A. Gallagher.
One Firm Is Named.
The district attorneys Office names
one firm, that of Buck g. Co., whose
activities are being fully investigated
as the result of complaints by clients
here and in neighboring States, and
intimates that there are other brokers
in the city whose accounts will be
thoroughly investigated for evidence of
fraudulent transactions.
Twenty complaints of Virginia resi-
dents against Buck &c Co, for the most
part charging miSappropriation of funds
are in the hands of G. V. Werner of
the Virginia Better Trade Association
and four of these cases, in which evil
dence has been worked up, have been
turned over to Gallagher by Werner
Werner estimates that the cases in
which he now has power of attorney
involve $50 600
Other complaints from the District
and West Virginia indicate that the
total amount involved in complaints
against Buck & Co. will reach $40, 1000
Gallagher states.
Between $4,000 and $4,000 is involved
according to Representative Bowman, in
the cases which he has turned over to
the district attorneys Office through
his attorney, Lawrence l.. Gourley, OF
Washington. The evidence in one case
worked up by Gourley, is reported COM
plete by Bowman, and extensive infor-
nation in other cases which have come
to Bowman's attention has been given
Gallagher.
High Pressure Campaigns.
Representative Bowman intimated
that more than one firm may be in
volved in the transactions in which,
he alleges, constituents of his in West
Virginia have been fieeced. Washing
ton brokers, he says. have been car
rying on high-preSsure craftsmanship
campaigns through his district, have
flooded the section with stock pros
pectuses, and have used telephones and
telegraph service freely in building up
their business there. He also has turned
over information of the activities of
the brokers to the Post Office Depart
n1ent for inVeStiga ton.
The Washington Better Business Bu-
reau for the last two years has been
Investigating alleged bucket shop" con-
ditions in the Capital, making pur-
chases of stock from suspected brokers
and tracing the transactions through
the channels the stock has passed to
delivery here in Washington. Officials
of the bureau recently went before the
grand jury and gave testimony on
'bucketing" operations here.
Since that time other information
has been collected and the bureau ex-
poets to be ready at an early date to
again go before the grand jury with
evidence involving other firms.