Evening star., 1931-12-01
PAIR SENTENCED
FOR AUTO RACKET
Two Charged in Fairfax With
Insurance Fraud Get
Six Months.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
FAIRFAX. Va. December Joseph
-r-r1cr end william P. Herrick Of
/ Wc -hirgton. agents Of the National
T1ctcrists' Corporation, were yesterday
c27t2nced to six months each on six
Hcr-arts charging obtaining money
Under false pretenses. The jeil sem
;cnees are to run concurrently on the
riT counts Bond was fixed at 1000
Cor each man, which so far they have
BEN unable to furnish An appeal
rr,s noted by their attorney, Charles
Henry Smith of Alexendr He was
ven % days in which to perfect this
appeal.
Yesterdays hearing before Justice Of
the Peace A. C. Ritcl1ie was held in the
court house ct 3 pm. when the large
crowd OF victims and spectators proved
unable to crowd into Judge Ritchie's
cfic2S at 2 O'Clock. While six war;
rants have been sworn out against the
men. by D. A. Heato1, George F. Tay-
Maj. c.. Robey and J. r. Downs, only
one complainant was put on the wit
ness stand w T. Harris. The two de.
PENDANTS did not testify.
Never Received Policy.
Harris testified that he had made a
down payment of Sl2 and had been
assured by Herrick that he had nine
months to pay the $15.75 balance for
tWo-year premium and that In the
meantime he would be protected from
arrest for traff1c violations, would get
SIS, 900 if killed, $40 a week If injured
and various other benefits. He stated
that he had never received any policy
or contract and had been later in
formed he must pay the balance due
before he received any protection.
Other men In the audience said that
they had been unable to collect dam
ages from the company following ac-
cidents.
The bond and contract forms dis
played yesterday in the court room
promised doctors services in case of
accident. promised to furnish, but not
pay, a lawyer, pledged bond up to $1,000
and road service such as towage and
puncture repairs. The statement given
members as receipt for money has q
sentence in small type at the top on
which Commonwealth Attorney Farr
says the men are relying to protect
| them from criminal liability, This ap-
plicatiOn exclusively for automobile
service. 1t is not applicable for auto
mobile indemnity or Insurance. All
Of the victims declare, however, that
they purchased the policy under the
Misrepresentation that they were buy.
ing indemnity and accident insurance
40 well dS IOoO ScINlCC.
Charter Revocation Asked.
| Commonwealth Attorney Wilson M.
Farr last July, in response to the wide.
spread complaints as to the activities
of this company wrote to the State
Corporation Commission asking them to
revoke the company's Virginia charter.
| The commission has not replied to this
request. Yesterday he addressed Sec
| ond letter to the commission, sending a
copy to the Virginia Insurance Bureau.
repeating his demand for an examina-
tion and for drastic action against this
company, which, he stated, has de-.
| frauded a large number of citizens IN
Northern virginia through misrepre-
sentation.
Some literature Of the company Is
headed National Motorists Corporation,
Home Once 918 r St., Washington, ..
C.. Other papers give as additional
home offices" Alexandria, Va; 1918
North American Building, Philadelphia,
Pa; Clark Keating Building, Cumber-
land. Md.