Evening star., 1934-04-14
CANNON DEFENSE
ToBEG|N MONDAY
U. S. to Close Case Against
Bishop With Testimony
of Accountant.


case against Bishop James Cannon,
jr., and Miss Ada Burroughs, his sec
retary, the Government Monday Will
call E. J. Armbruster to the witness
stand in District Supreme Court in
a final effort to show the two de-
PENDANTS conspired to violate the Fed
eral election laws.
ArmbruSter, crack accountant OF the
Bureau of Investigation, will be asked
to correlate the scattered bits of evi-
dence put in by the prosecutors and
explain to the jury what the Govern
ment regards as significant banking
transactions by Bishop Cannon.
Assistant United States Attorney
John j. Wilson said he hopes to con-
clude the Governments case Mon
day. The defense will then move for
a directed verdict of acquittal, and,
II this Is not granted will 60 ahead
with the presentation Of its view OF
the case.
Back in 1928, when Bishop Cannon
was stumping the South against the
presidential candidacy of Alfred E.
Smith, he received a contribution oi
SOS 300 from E. C. Jameson, New YORK
insurance man, for use in this work.
He and his secretary are now being
tried for an alleged failure to make
proper report of this contribution to
the House of Representatives.
Admission Alleged.
An alleged admission by Bishop
Cannon that he had destroyed much
of his correspondence after the 1928
campaign was read to the jury yester-
day by Wilson. This statement was
contained in stenographic report OF
an interview between the churchman
Leo A. Rover in 1881.
The alleged destruction of the let
ters occurred in February, 1929, just
before Bishop Cannon sailed on a
Mediterranean cruise.
II knew that bunch in Virginia, :"
the churchman was quoted as saying
so 1 destroyed all correspondence I
could so any one who might delve into
my affairs in my absence would find
nothing"
According to the statement Bishop
Cannon said he authorized five or
six men in the South to spend money"
during the campaign and that he re-
lmburSed them out of the Jameson
contribution.
Says Money Was Split.
AS outlined by Attorney Robert H.
MPNaill k,o
defense will contend the Jameson
money was split, part going to the
Headquarters Committee of Anti-Smith
Democrats in Richmond and the re-
mainder to the Virginia Anti-Smith
Democrats" The Headquarters Com
mittee. an interstate organization, al
legedly spent $l7,300, and this was
reported in accordance with law.
According to the defense, however,
the remaining $48 900 was spent by the
group. which operated exclusively in
Virginia so that receipts and dis
bursements need not have been re-
ported under the election laws.
Wilson sought to show yesterday
that the Virginia Anti-Smith Demo-
Gratis" was a purely imaginary organ
ization, having no existence in fact.
Treasurer Called.
Henry G. Luhring. who served as
treasurer for the Greater Norfolk
Anti-Smith Club" was called for this
purpose. He said his group was not
connected with the Headquarters Com
mittee and that he did not know Of
any other anti-Smith committee oper-
ating in the State.
BY agreement of counsel the defense
was permitted to call Frank Lyon of
Mclean, Va. out of turn. Lyon, de-
veloper of Lyon Village and Lyon
Park, was active in the campaign
against Smith in the Mclean district.
Are you member OF the Demo-
cratic party?" he was asked
II don't know what that is now,"
he answered.
Did you vote the Democratic
ticket?"
Il voted 1t 40 times up to 1928, and
not since" he said.
Lyon Received SI.600.
Lyon said he received 81 500 from
the antilSmith workers in Richmond
10 reimburse nlmSel1 Tor expenses, but
denied that he had ever heard of the
Headquarters Committee He admitted
on cross-examination, however, that
he had signed a letter written on
committee stationery He said he
never paid any attention to the sta
tionery ne used.
Earlier in the day Bert C. Farrar,
Treasury expert, identified certain
typewriter documents as having been
written on Miss Burroughs machine
and also identified her handwriting
on some deposit slips and other papers.
The defense. however, offered to con-
cede most of these facts and DR.. Far
rar left the stand, exclaiming:
The defense seems to have stolen
my thunder"