Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-06
CObLENTZ, PITTS
AND 3 |ND|CTEDO ON
PERJURY CHARGE
Miss Schneider, Hart and
Edwards Also Accused
by Grand Jury.
FRAUD ALLEGED IN TRIAL
OF THREE OFFICIALS
Government Holds Papers Were
Fraudulently Drawn Up
by Defense.

Emory L. Coblentz, prominent Mary
land politician and banker, was In
dicted here today for aiding in the
commission Of perjury at the recent
F. H. Smith Co. conspiracy-embezzle-
ment trial in District Supreme Court.
The grand jury also returned similar
indictments against G. Bryan Pitts,
former head Of the Smith Co.; Miss
Helen L. Schneider, his personal sec
rotary; John H. Edwards, jr., former
vice president OF the concern, and
Henry 0. Hart, an accountant who ap-
peared for the defense at the trial.
The indictment, which is in ~
counts, Is based on the defense made
by Pitts, Edwards and C.. Ebert Ana
dale, another Smith Co. oficer, when
they were on trial for an alleged con-
spiracy to embezzle 100000 of the
companys funds and to destroy certain
records which. it was charged, would
have tended TO incriminate them.
Charge Papers Were Frauds.
Pitts was on trial for embezzling GER
tain specified sums Of money st various
times between May /. 1927, and Jan
uary 10, 1880.
To meet these charges, the defense
introduced Jas authorizations, drawn
on the Beverly Building Co. and the
Montclair Corporation, subsidiaries Of
the Smith Co. These authorizations. all
OF which were signed by Pitts or Cob
lentz purported to warrant Pitts in
taking the various sums of money which
the Government claimed were embes-
zled.
Today's indictment charges these
authorizations were fraudulent and were
prepared at Pitts home in Florida
shortly before the trial opened to
"fraudulently obstruct Justice
In the first So counta of the indict-
ment Pitts Is charged M the principal
offender, while the others are accused
OF aiding and abetting him. Under the
District Code. however, all must be tried
as principals.
Conspiracy Alleged.
The thirty-seventh count charges all
OF them with q conspiracy to obetruct
justice by the introduction OF false
CoblentZ, now q Maryland State SEN
ator, has long been a prominent politi-
cal figure in that Stag. At one time
he was widely mentioned as a candidate
for the governorship.
He is president of the Central Trust
Co. OF Frederick, Nd. where he lives,
and Is well known in Washington finan-
cial circles. He was associated with
Harry Wardman in several building
nd
properties were refinsnced in 1928, Cob
lentz was given 81, 225 900 in Junior de-
bentures for his equities in the prop
critics involved.
Called as a defense witness at the
Smith Co. conSpira cy-embezzle
trial. Coblentz identified his signature
on 81 OF the authorizations. He said
he could not remember when he signed
them. These authorizations were drawn
on the Beverly Building Co., OF which
Coblentz was vice president. The re-
naming authorizations were signed by
Pitts personally. and were drawn on
the Montclair Corporation.
Charge Acid Was Used.
The Government claims the authori-
cations were prepared in Florida late
in 1880. and then dated back to the
time the sums of money were taken,
After the documents had been typed,
it was charged, they were treated with
acid to give them an aged appearance.
Among the witnesses called before
the grand jury during the purilry in
vestigation were John r. Thomas,
Pitts brother-in-law; Coblentz, Ed
wards, Anadale. Charles T. Malone and
Louis Loebl, special agents of the Blu
reau' Of Investigation, Department OF
Justice, and Frank G. Raichle, Wilton
j. Lambert and George D. Horning. IT.,
counsel for the defendants at the con-
spiracy trial.
Thomas is understood to have told
the grand jury he signed q number of
the authorizations for Pitts, but that he
later got them back and destroyed them.
Found at Pitts Home.
Much of the material. including
typewriters, forming the basis of the
perjury indictments was taken by In
ternal Revenue agents when they went
into Pitts Florida home during an in
come tax investigation.
At the conspiracy trial. the Govern
ment said several documents pertaining
to the alleged entertainments had dis
appeared. 1t was understood many OF
these have now been recovered
Assistant Attorney General Nugent
Dodds and Neil Burkinshaw, special as
sistant, said the indictment returned
today would be tried before any Of the
other pending Smith company indict-
ments.
Pitts was convicted at the conspiracy
trial and sentenced to II years impris-
onment. He Is now in the District jail
pending appeal. Edwards, also con-
victed, is serving a three-year sentence.