Evening star., 1938-05-08

conspiracy to defraud the State in
the land deal.
In the city of Waterbury, where
1t. Gov. Frank Hayes has been Mayor
since 1880. another grand jury is in
vestigating Republican Controller
Sherwood L. Rowland's allegations of
irregularities" under his Democratic
predecessor. Daniel j. Leary.
Connecticut's Governor, Wilbur
Cross, is Democrat.
Less volatile politically, but poten-
TALLY more colorful from the crusad-
ing standpoint. is the situation in
Massachusetts,.
Probe Of Racketeerinx.
There Attorney General Paul Dever,
IS and good-looking, called a grand
jury for May % to investigate rack
eteering In the seaside resort of Re-
we're after witnesses in the Staying of
Gambling King" Louis Gaeta and
Gangster David "Beano" Breen were
suddenly silent.
Mr.. Dever has accused Revere's
Mayor James O'Brien of failing to
cooperate and has attempted to oust
him by appealing to the Legislature
for grant of power. Otherwise, the
progress of the inquiry has been
peaceful. 1t has not been so in
Buffalo.
In that New York lake-front city
former Mayor George Zimmerman
was stabbed by unknown assailants at
night while he was awaiting trial on
charge of soliciting bribes in con-
nection with a $l5,0O0,00O municipal
sewer project.
The evidence against Mayor Zim-
norman was dug up by Attorney
Frank G. Raichle, who went to a
grand jury after the city council
ignored his findings in a pay roll pad
ding probe. Not only the former
Mayor, but seven councilmen and five
other past or present city employees
were indicted. The sheriff was in
dicted of perjury but acquitted One
civil service commissioner was dis
missed and two others resigned. A
police captain was suspended.
Mayor Meyer Ellenstein, two other
city commissioners, two former COM
missioners and 26 other persons are
under indictment in Newark, NJ j.,
on charges of corrupt and illegal
expenditure of money" in the pur-
chase of land.
Miami Ofiicials Indicted.
Three Miami officials-Mayor Rob-
ert R. Williams, Commissioner John
w. Dubose and Rate and Traffic Ex-
pert Thomas E. Grady-have been
indicted by Florida grand jury
for an alleged attempt to bribe a
power company executive in rate
case. Similar charges against fourth
official were dropped by the States
attorney for lack of evidence after
the Official was indicted.
While under indictment, Mayor Will
liams ran for the Democratic nomina-
ton for Congress. He lost, anc
Miami citizens opened a recall move
ment to throw him and the other
accused out Of their present jobs
Harry J. Tryon, chairman of a com
mittee circulating the recall pet-
tions, said today he had received q
message which bore the Ku Klux
Klan signature and said stop recall
activities and close up at once OF
suffer results"
A grand jury at Tampa. Fla. has
indicted nine city and county officials
including Sheriff j. r. Mcleod, Police
Chief c. j. Woodruff and County
Prosecutor J. E. Williams on charges
Of permitting gambling houses to
operate"
A former Oman, collegiate-looking
Eliot Ness. who led the brewery raids
which dried up Al Capones income
and made possible Capone's long trip
to Jail on income tax evasion charges.
has been cleaning up rackets and po-
lice bribery since he became Cleve-
lands safety director in 1885. He has
sent six police officials to prison for
1-to-20-year terms for taking bribes
during the prohibition era. Four labor
racketeers have also gone to Jail for
terms ranging from one to Is years.
The lieutenant governor of Ne
braska, Walter H. Jurgensen, faces
custer proceedings in the State Su-
preme Court because of his conviction
on charge Of embezzling from a rail-
road station agent in a stock deal.
Jurgensen has appealed his 2-to-5-
year prison sentence.
Also under indictment on an en-
bezzlement charge is John A. Lawler,
Hastings lawyer and Democratic nomi-
nee for attorney general of Nebraska
In 1928. He is accused of taking more
than $4,000" from a legal ward, a
mentally deficient World War veteran.
The vote fraud purge which in the
last election cut down traditional ma
jorities of Tom Pendergasts Kansas
City Democratic machine continued
this week when 20 indicted election
workers-both Democrats and Re-
publicans-paraded into court.
Their pleas raised the Federal Gov
ernment's score in the purge to date
to: Indictments. 257; convictions, 81;
pleas Of guilty. 26; pleas of no defense,
100; mistrials, 4; acquittals, none;
facing trial, 70.
Ray M. Scruggs, Oklahoma City
school district treasurer, went to prison
after pleading guilty to embezzling
thousands of dollars from the school
district through the bank of which he
was vice president.
In Creek County, Okla, Sheriff Lew
Wilder was sentenced to a year and a
day in the Federal Penitentiary for
his alleged part in a county wide
liquor conspiracy. Another sheriff,
Harry Stein, got similar sentence.
Mayor Has Resigned.
Mayor E. B. Erwin has resigned,
Police Chief Harry L. Finch has been
dismissed and several police officers
discharged or denoted and Salt Lake
County grand jury began probing de-
partments Of the Utah State govern
ment and Salt Lake City and county
affairs. The investigation resulted
from Salt Lake City Attorney Fisher
Harris charge that protection pay-off
a11in nrneD eviefad hofuoav, thA ,,v,Ao~