Evening star., 1932-05-18
SEES CONSPIRACY
TO DANISH M'LEAN
PeySer Tells Court White
Slave Charge Is Being
Used as Threat.
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
where Mr. Mclean boarded a train for
New York.
He said few days before Mr.. Nc
Leans departure, the publisher hur-
riedly left his estate at Friendship by
one door while two United States dep
uty marshals waited at another to
serve subpoenas on him. He said he
drove Mclean out across Chain Bridge,
where he stopped while Mclean tele-
phoned, waited an hour while Fraser,
his attorney, arrived, talked with Fraser
few moments and then got in the
car and drove down to the Leesburg
estate.
Made Ship Reservations.
He said at Leesburg he left Mr.. Nc
Lean and drove back to Washington
on Mr. McLean's orders to get another
party" from the Friendship estate. He
said he took that party down to Lees
burg also. During the short stay at
the Leesburg estate, before his depar-
ture for Europe. Kohler said. Mclean
called Paul Block, New York publisher,
and asked him to make reservations on
the steamship Olympic, sailing the next
day. for a party of four persons.
The Post lost $4,000 in 1881 and
has been IAN unproductive asset OF the
Mclean estate" since 1924, it was
brought out in the questioning of
Corcoran Thom president Of the Amer
ican Security 81 Trust Co., one Of the
co-tfaHees Of the Mclean estate.
Mr. Thorn revealed that, at the time
a petition for the sale of the Post was
filed in District Supreme Court last
Spring, he had reported on the un-
favorable financial condition of the
paper. He did not have the figures for
the other years, in which he said the
Post had been unproductive.
He revealed also that relations be-
tween himself and Mclean as CO.
trustees were very strained" over the
proposed sale of the Post last Spring
He said at that time the American Sc
curity q Trust Co. had advocated sale
Of the Post for 100000, but the bank
and Mr.. Mclean could come to no
agreement.
Cites McLean's Absence.
He reiterated that the continued abb
sence from the city of Mr.. Mclean has
made efficient administration of the
Mclean estate difficult. He said that
in most matters he and Mr.. Mclean,
while they have disagreed on matters
of opinion, have worked together and
have been able to iron out those diff
ferences. However. since Mr.. McLean's
absence, he said, there have been mat
terS of importance for discussion be-
tween them.
Contact between the American Sc
curity & Trust Co. and Mr.. Mclean
has been maintained, Thorn said,
through George B. Fraser, an attorney,
but this has necessitated some delays
in disposing of matters vital to the es-
tate.
Under questioning by Harrison, Mr..
Thorn testified Mr.. Mclean no longer
is member of the board of directors
OF the American Security g. Trust Co.,
but was prevented from stating the rea-
son for leaving the bank directorate
when Peyser objected.
Questioning Halted.
On cross-examination, Maj. Peyser
sought to question Mr.. Thorn about GER
tain persons having broken into the
Mclean estate, Friendship, on Wiscon-
sin avenue. in 1929, and removing a
quantity of articles from the home.
This line of questioning, however. was
halted when Mr.. Harrison objected, ex-
planning that when Mr. and Mrs. NC
Lean separated in 1929, Mrs. Mclean
went to the house and took number OF
her personal belongings.
Mr.. Thorn testified he received on
March 16 last letter fromIMr. Mclean
in which the latter stated he regretted
he could not be on hand to enter &C
lively into the management OF the
Post. In this letter, Mr.. Mclean stated
he had been i'll for three months, out
IN lUo hfnQfnn IN
know about 1t because of unfaVorable
publicity it might cause here.
At the opening OF court this morning,
Albert w. Fox, another of Mrs Mclean
attorneys, told the court Mr.. Mclean
left the American Hospital in Paris
yesterday and had gone to q noteI In
the French capital.
Trust Officer Testifies.
David N. Houston, trust officer OF the
American Security g. Trust Co., 'test1fleo
the Post suffered financial losses DUR
ing four of the past five years;
In 1929, he said, the papers pront
was $23, ,54o.97 In 1927, he said, the
net loss was $62 ,9O7 .46; in 1928, s58.-
777.53; 1880, $l17,335.85, and 1881,
$139.301.
Mr.. Houston said he had not found
it necessary or desirable to confer with
Mclean concerning the trust estate
during the past few months. His su-
perior, Mr.. Thorn, had previously tes-
titled such conferences were desirable.
Mr.. Houston said he last saw Mclean
in the Summer of 1881 and does not
know where he is now.
Frank williams auditor Of the Post.
testified that monthly statements were
given Mclean showing what personal
expenses of his were paid by the Post
Corporation. Many of these personal
items, Mr.. Williams said, were carried
in petty cash account so 1t would
not be necessary to record them on the
books of the corporation.
He said Mclean made payments on
account to the corporation from time
to time, the last one, prior to hnal
settlement, having been made about
year ago.
Yesterday afternoon Thorn testified
dealings on matters of vital interest to