Evening star., 1939-01-29
Additional Data
On Relief Probe
Given by Lewis
165 More Coses Are
Cited in Support Of
Fraud Charges

Relief Investigator Burdette G..
Lewis, 152 printed pages in length,
was made public last night, con-
tanning citations on l65 additional
cases Investigated by Mr.. Lewis
staff, in support of his charge that
Misrepresentation, chiseling and
fraud were found among relief re-
cipients of the District.
Meanwhile, new calculation OF
the number of cases to be included
An the final report indicated the
number would be about 425, instead
OF the original estimate of 500 which
was given at the District Building.
Not all these are listed as fraud"
cases. In the latest section of 165
cases Is are so classed, in definite
terms.
Descriptions given by the investi-
gators of the new batch OF cases
continue the story of persons re-
ceiving relief of one kind or another
while members of the family were
receiving income, sometimes small
and sometimes relatively large, from
private sources; as well as stories
of persons using relief funds largely
for drink or other purposes not
calculated by relief officials.
Publicity Not Intended.
Welfare Director Elwood Street
explained that welfare officials, in
urging that Mr.. Lewis give them the
Identification of cases which he
had listed in his report under fic-
titious names and case numbers, did
not intend to attempt to have the
true names announced publicly. II
find" he said. that some persons
were under that impression. We
need the true names so that we may
drop from the relief rolls any one
found improperly receiving relief,
but we have no intention of publish
Ing any names associated with these
cases."
Mr.. Lewis and congressional off,
cials have refused, to date, to iden-
tify the names.
Mr.. Lewis, at the outset, had ex-
planned fictitious names were used
because there was no occasion to
embarrass employers and relatives
having no connection with the efforts
OF the chiselers.
Aside from the Is fraud" cases
included in the new section of the
report, Mr.. Lewis recommended
closing Of "a, or more than so per
cent Of the other 140 cases cited.
He recommended a reduction of
grants for 80 cases and continual
ton of relief and additional investi-
cation in the cases of 80 others.
Increases in relief grants were rec
commended for two cases and the
giving only of food was proposed In
one other case.
All names used in the following
accounts are fictitious.
tuberculosis Case Cited.
In one of the first cases cited, the
investigator reported that Mills
Hayes" who was receiving $40 a
month, had been diagnosed as hav-
ing tuberculosis and was taking
semimonthly pneumothorax treat
ments. The investigator said the
public assistance division record
keep him unless he paid board; that
If he did not pay rent he would have
to return to the tuberculosis sana-
torium at Glenn Dale, Md; that
Mills was demanding and bellig-
Grant; that the caseworker told him
to move.
The investigator recommended:
"Sister and brother -in-law have no
children and income is over 500 q
month. Another sister lives here.
Several close relatives in Virginia.
However, believe noul shing food
should be provided to assist man in
gaining strength to 60 to work. Ap-
pears to be good type and wants
work. Could soon be taken of re-
lief with proper care"
Another case concerned Joseph
McCurran," who was recorded on
P. A. D. records as having a mod
erately advanced case of pulmonary
tuberculosis and was "unemploy-
able" The record also showed he
had been IN the Lorton Reformatory
eight times in the last two years,
was separated from his wife, and
had a record of drinking The in
vestigator found that the mans
aunt rents house for $40 month
AND takes in roomers and also does
sewing; that the caseworker had
just left a food order for 81 but
the man was demanding $40 in
cash for rent.
Grncerv Orders Onlv
The investigator recommended:
"Give grocery orders only, for plenty
of food, as man has had record of
drunkenness. Looks like hard
character and aunt is no BETTER"
One of the fraud cases listed con-
cerned a mother of two children,
who recently gave birth to third,
who claimed her husband was dead
and that she was a legal resident
of the District. The investigator
said he found records of the Public
Assistance Division showed the hus-
band was living, and working in
South Carolina. but that the woman
did not want to return there.
Another fraud case concerned
"Henry Watkins" who was receiv-
ing old age assistance while two sons.
were working at the City Post once.
The investigator charged there was
fraud in the case in that the man
had reported the salary of one Of
(See RELIEF, Page B-20