The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-29

1t shortly before flames broke through the roof.
 McCrea, seeking the aid of two branches of the federal government, the treasury and justice depart ments, said he had received the rec quest of Attorney General Cum- mings that he furnish more corl- plete evidence of black legion viola. tions of federal law.
 Plenty Of Other Evidence
 we have evidence alleging I1ur. der, Kidnapping, Arson and every other sort of crime in which the department of justice would be vit- ally interested" he explained. Some of 1t has come in letters, others through interviews. It Is be- ing prepared and will be dispatched to Attorney General Cummings as soon as possible"
 Approximately 50 letters from Pennsylvania, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and others-some anony- nous: some ilot-have revealed the Subversive activities of the black lee gion'S night riders elsewhere, the prosecutor added.
 We have received 50 many let- ters from Michigan that I've lost count of then," he said.
 Authorities said that members, diSregarding the dreadful blood" oath which promises death to any who reveal its secrets, were volun. teerif1R Information
 Detroit, May 2e-(UP)-Five in- vestigationS into the activities of the Black Legion in Michigan moved forward today while authori- ties lnassed specific evidence of ale legged violation of federal laws which they hoped would draw two branches of the federal government into their fight to break 1t up. The chief of the Michigan in- vestigations centered in Oakland county and it's seat, Pontiac, where the legion was alleged to have exercised powerful influence over government and public officials. Authorities there, acting on reports that at least four high county offi- cials were members of the secret, terroriStic society pledged to wage war on Catholics, Jews, Negroes and Communists, will appeal to Attorney General Crowley today for state as- sistance. A citizens committee, hastily organized to exterminate the legion, was cooperating.
 Dozens of Crimes
 Charles P. Webster, 6 member of the committee, said 1t had evidence to show that the legion had been guilty of dozens of crimes" in Oak land County from murder down." These included 8 number of house burnings, he said.
 z Tn Detroit, Wayne County Prosecu- tor Duncan o. McCrea prepared evi- dence of specific incidents where the legion is alleged to have violated the Lindbergh Kidnap Law and other federal laws. These he will send to Attorney General Homer g.. Cummings, who responded to Me- Crea,s invitation for federal inter- vention by asking for specific evi- dence tending to show the legion had violated federal laws. McCrea said Cummings' request would not be hard to fulfill and hoped that G-Men would be aiding him within Q few days.
 Another Govt. Brand
 McCrea also sought to bring another branch of the federal gov- ernment - the Internal Revenue Department - into the investigation. He teIegraphed Guy T. Helvering, commissioner of Internal Revenue, that high officials of the legion were alleged to have received 10 cents a month from each legionnaire In addition to receipts from the sale Of black hoods, masks, skull and cross bones insignia, and other equipment. He asked Helvering to investigate what part of the legion's collections went to Vergil F. Effinger, of Lima, Ohio, who, in admitting that he was an ''oEficer of some importance" 1" claimed the legion had 100000 members. Discovering that the legion had propagandized thousands through the malls, McCrea asked postal inspectors if the transmits sion of pamphlets designed to in flame religious and racial hatreds did not constitute Q violation os postal regulations.
 One NEan Grand Jury
 "Cne-man" grand jury investiga- ticns got under way in Wayne (De-