Imperial Valley press., 1931-06-23
Jury COnvicts
ROm0la Officers
Continued from page u

AOOilIIiidSa Aoili pd6N
sentenced with those convicted by
the jury.
Pleas of nolle contendere were en-
tered by H. B. Watkins, secretary of
the Phoenix chamber of commerce
Thomas Walton, an auditor; w. C.
Archibald, sales manager; William
c. Davis, editor of Romola News, a
company publication; John F.
Eagan, eastern salesman; Robert C.
Baker, Arizona salesman, and w. l..
Jourdan, sales manager. Their
cases will be adjudicated later.
The five defendants acquitted
were: jess H. Jenkins, w. F. Gres-
ham, Jacob Christensen, j. j. Muir
ply and Carl E. Fackrell.
The governments case against
HurSH and the 10 others were based
on alleged failure of the extensively
operated company to fulfill its
promises to investors to carry out
certain developments on lands in
California and Arizona.
The bitterly fought trial had been
in progress since March 3.
Hursh. debonair 38 year old presi-
dent of the company. known to his
intimates as high pressure"
salesman, organized the Pacific De-
velopment company in 1924.
Acquiring option on 5000 acres of
land near Perris, Riverside county,
Hursh sold contracts" to investors,
promising deed to the property
when the purchase price was paid.
The government charged Hursh had
represented there was an adequate
supply of water for irrigation pur-
poses and that the land would be
planted in figs and grapes.
Conduct Heavy Campaign
The California project was abb
sorbed in 1928 by a new organiza-
ton, Romola, Inc, which Eursh
headed. With his associates, Hursh
acquired options of 10000 acres of
land in Maricopa county, Arizona.
on which he planned to raise grape
fruit. simultaneously the company
began selling chicken farms in Per-
ris valley.
In the intensive sales campaign
conducted by the company. which
employed the exclusive use of ra-
dio station, a down theatre at which
motion picture reels of the COM
pany's land were shown, and publi-
cation of two daily newspapers"
purchasers contracted to pay ap-
proximately SIG 100000 for shares in
the project. The government
charges that Of this sum, sll 900, 900
actually was paid in, $6,000,000 sf
which went to brokers as commits
sion.
When Hursh filed voluntary pc
tition in bankruptcy shortly before
his indictment and after Romola
had gone into the hands of a re-
ceiver in equity he listed his assets
as S2,000,000. This large amount
was accounted for, he explained.
because of judgments against him
as result of the collapse of his
real estate ventures.
A mild sensation developed in the
courtroom a few minutes after the
verdicts were read when it was re-
Vealed that the government had in
vestigated an alleged attempt to in
fluence the verdict.
Eight copies of a national maga-
zine, containing marked stories
dealing with the danger of circum-
stantial evidence" had been mailed
to some of the jurors at their homes.
Judge KillitS announced.
The court said he was convinced.
however, that nothing had occurred
IN the room of deliberation to en-
danger in any way the rights of the
defendants other than due consid-
Grafton of the testimony.
A recess was called after the ver-
diets were ready after which copies
Of the magazine were to be produced
before Judge Killits by an agent of
the bureau of investigation of the
department of justice, which con-
Quoted the probe into the alleged
effort to influence the case.