Evening star., 1935-02-09
JURY VACANCIES
HOLD Up INQUIRY
OF P. v. A. GRAFT
Three Panel Members Quit
Because of Relatives in
U. S. Service.
RESTART OF TESTIMONY
is NECESSARY THURSDAY
Chief Investigating Engineer on
Texas Project Is Dismissed,
Ickes Announces.

Further revelations in the special
grand jury inquiry into graft charges
involving a 100000 public works
irrigation project in Texas were held
in abeyance today as Assistant United
States Attorney John w. Fihelly pre-
pared to fill three existing vacancies
on the jury.
The resignation Of three members Of
the jury because of relatives employed
in the Government service was ac-
cepted by Justice Jesse c. Atkins late
yesterday shortly after an announce
ment that Public Works AdminiStra-
tor Ickes had dismissed the chief p
w. A. investigating engineer of the
project, Maj. Charles Real Oldberg
Of Washington. At the same time
1t was reported that another P. w A.
engineer in Texas also had been dis
missed.
The three jurors who must be re-
placed before the grand jury pro-
ceedings can be resumed are Ben
jamin A. LeFevre, foreman; whose
brother is in the Treasury Depart
ment; Charles F. Ryan, and Julian
De w. Sanders. Ryan told the court
his wife had just gone to work for
P. w. A. the day he began his service
on the grand jury, while Sanders
said his sister was working for the
Government.
Testimony to Start Anew.
With the selection of three new
Jurors. II will be necessary to start
anew with presentation of testimony
which began Thursday.
FINELY said today that Maj. Old
berg, dismissed P. w. A. engineer with
90 years of noteworthy Government
service to his credit, probably would
not be called as witness before the
grand jury. Maj. Oldberg, who denied
any wrongdoing in connection with
the Texas project in Willacy County.
was dismissed, it was stated, because
he had given an unsatisfactory an
swer" to charges made against him.
His attorney, Milton w. King, said
Maj. Oldberg's personal and profess
sional integrity had never before been
questioned in his long service with
this Government and the governments
OF Peru, Mexico and Soviet Russia.
He charged. also, that Secretary Ickes
had denied his client a personal
hearing.
Mr.. Oldberg feels he is innocent
Of any wrong doing and that his dis
missal was unwarranted," his attorney
said in statement. In all his years
Of valuable and faithful service, he
has never before had his personal
character of improfesSonal integrity
questioned either in this country or
in Russia. where he worked four
years"
In answering the charges leading to
his dismissal, the attorney pointed out
King had said his conduct in the
Willacy County, Tex, project was
actuated only in a desire to serve the
best interests of the Government
throughout.
These charges, while not directly
specifying dishonesty or malfeasance,
are In the nature of an attack on
my integrity" he had written.
Maj. Oldberg, SO years old, is a ma
tive Of s.. Paul, MINI. He was edu-
Gated at Central High School here
and George Washington University
and also at the University of Cali
fornia. AS an engineer he has helped
build some Of the largest dams and
irrigation projects in the West and
has served in consulting capacity
In Mexico and Russian. He has
served in the Indian Bureau, War
Department, Geological Survey and
Reclamation Service and in 1893 went
with the p. w. A, having charge of
irrigation projects in the West.
He had personal charge of the
construction Of such projects as the
Coolidge Dam, the Ashurst- Hayden
Dam in Arizona, the Sacaton Dam,
the Roosevelt Dam, Salt River and
other projects.
On completion of the Coolidge Dam
he accepted an invitation of the Soviet
government to act as consulting en-
gineer on hydraulic problems in
Transcaucasia. In this capacity he ad-
vised on various reclamation projects
for four years.
During the World War he served IA
months overseas with the Engineers.
He visited Mexico on the invitation of
President Obregon to advise on drain
age work and also initiated important
reclamation work in Peru.