Imperial Valley press., 1930-03-11
Grand Jury Probe Into
ALLEGED Julian Ext0r-
ton Takes Odd Turn
REPORTER ACCUSED
Members OF Los Angeles
Examiner Staff Held
With Woman

LOS ANGELES, Mar. II. U.p)-
The grand jury investigation of the
purported plot of a man and woman
to eXtort money from prominent Los
Angeles brokers and politicians
through threat of exposing certain
Julian Petroleum Corporation deals
took startling and mysterious turn
today.
The jury suddenly adjourned until
late in the afternoon after the test
imony of Charec, Crawford, politi-
elan, who assertcdly turned over
$4,000 i'll market money to Morris
l.avinc, one of the suspects. was in
tcrruptcd 80 tnal Crawford could
"regain his compUsufe."
Crawford, according to the dis
trfct attorneys office. was one of
the men marked by Lavine and
Miss Lcontinc johnson, former sccre-
tary for n Julian official to contrib.
ute 10 a 100000 fund they expected
10 get by threats of publishing in the
Los Angeles Examiner certain in
formation in her possession.
Crawford passed into the grand
jury room smiling broadly. He
came out 10 minutes later, obvious
Is irritatcd and with the prcspira-
tion rolling from his brow.
Los ANGELES, Mar. IL U.P)-
IA" collapse of the 100000. 900
Ju'ian Petroleum Corporation, the
cause of almost constant court ac-
ton through the last three years,
held new public and official interest
hire today.
\ man and woman were held in
jail charged with attempting TO ex.
tort 100000 by threatening to ex-
pose certain Julian dealings, former
DiStrit Attorney Asa kcvcs was pre-
pairing to depart for San Quentin for
having accepted bribcs in Julian
prosecutions and n $4,000, 900 stock
holders recovery suit continued in
ruoerior court.
Morris Lavinc. prominent NJ w s.
paper Investigator, and Miss Leon
: G. Lewis, one-timc president of
Julian, were those dctairI BHdcr
the cXtortion count.
iavinc, a reporter for the l.u- An
gcles Examiner, was arrested last
night when district attorney agcu,
SAID they found him with $4,000
IL marked bills as he left the office
of Charles Crawford. allcgcdlv one
of Lavine s proposed victims.
District Attorney Buron Fits, pre-
pairing to take the matter before
the grand jury, said the money was
ne first payment Lavinc expected
on 5000 900 demand he made upon
Crawford, politician, Kent Parrot,
politician and lawyer, and Abe Nor
ris, broker. Other brokers anda fin.
ancicrs, who were not named, were
on I.avinc s list, Fits said.
Miss johnson, who was writing Il
series of articles on the Julian ease
for the Examiner, was taken into
custody later when Lavine said he
had collected the money for her.
Lavine claimed that his arrest was
frameup and that there was moth
ing irregular in the affair.
Threats Alleged
He contended that Miss johnson
had refused to 90 on with her arti-
les which he was editing, unless
he took two suitcascs full of docu-
mcnts to Crawford for her.
lie said that he did as she wished
ald that Crawford then handed him
the packages of money and that he
was arrested as he turned to leave.
Fits said, however, that his in
vcstigators discovered that Lavinc
had been making threats for a week
that he would involve a score of
mon in the Julian collapse unless the
inoney was Forthcoming.
According to Fits, Lavine said
he would use the columns of the
paper for which he worked and the
series he was helping Miss johnson
prepare, to force charges against
the men.
Miss Johnson denied that she was
a party to any eXtortion scheme and
claimed that she knew nothing of
the money which was found on La
vine.
The Examiner announced the sus-
pension of Lavinc and the series of
articles which were to appear under
Miss johnson 5 name.
The Examiner also pointed out
that if Lavine had laid himself open
to any charge of irregularity, it was
without the sanction of the paper.
Fits said he would force Lavinc
and Miss Johnson to trial at an early