Evening star., 1940-03-23

Whe|cheI, Indicted
In Postal Job Sale,
Claims Persecution
kcese Nay Probe Charges
Of Graft in Georgia
Stute Government

SSS WY sSS SSS
Of Graft in Georgia
State Government
By the Associated Press.
ATLANTA, March 23.-Indictment
of member Of Congress on charges
Of selling postal jobs and a Federal
investigators promised return with
in few weeks" aroused speculation
today over what new inquiries might
develop in Georgia.
Represenaive B. Frank Whelchel
of Gainesville fought back against
his indictment by charging political
prosecution" and promising to OBJ
tain indication from voters in his
campaign for fourth term. He
assailed o. John Rogge, Assistant
Attorney General, and L. B.
Schwartz, special assistant, as pub
iicity-seeking lawyers"
The 9th district member of Con-
gress complained sharply that this
administration which I have Loyalty
supported would permit two pub
licity-seeking lawyers to
take this matter from the hands of
the local district attorney" He
claimed innocence and blamed the
indictment on political opponents
and disappointed jobseekers." Mr..
Whelchel is member Of the House
Post ONCE Committee, his only COM
mittee assignment.
May Probe Other Charges.
Mr.. Rogge, in announcing yester-
days Federal indictment, suggested
he might take up charges of graft
and corruption In State government
on his return, and also investigate
a series CT nlght-rider floggings in
the Atlanta area. One of the LASH
ings killed a suburban barber. -Four
men have been indicted in non-fatal
whippings.
The prosecutor said he had gone
into evidence given a 1899 legisla-
tive committee which made a gen.
eral investigation Of the State gov
ernment and heard many charges
of inefficiency and some claims of
Illegal collusive selling to State
agencies.
Mr.. Rogge said also that Large
number Of complaints have come to
me personally" and it was believed
that w. L. Miller, ousted State high
way chairman, was among those
making personal calls. Mr.. Miller.
currently engaged in court fight
with Gov. E. D. Rivers over the road
Craftsmanship, has charged he was
dismissed because he tried to break
up collusive practices of an inner
circle" which he said included DR..
Hiram Wesley Evans, former i'm
perial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
Virtual Monopoly Admitted.
Mr.. Evans name also was brought
before the Economy Committee and
the erstwhile Klan boss acknowl-
edged that firm he represented en-
joyed a virtual monopoly" on sales
of asphalt emulsion for State roads,
although he denied there was any,
thing illegal in the business.
Indicted with Mr.. Whelchel was
H. Grady Jones, Pickens County
commissioner Paul Carpenter,
counsel for Mr.. Whelchel, said he
had obtained from Federal Judge E
Marvin Underwood an order trans
| ferring the case to the Gainesville
Division of the court. The attorney
said he understood the transfer
would delay the arraignment, prob
ably until the court convenes at
Gainesville the last of April.
The principal indictment charges
that Mr.. Whelchel received through
Mr.. Jones $1,100 for appointing
Hulon E. Holcomb as rural mail car
rier at Ball Ground; $1,100 for
naming Paul Grogan to a similar
position in the same post office;
and that Maynard Mashburn paid
$500 for his appointment as post
master at Tate.
Appointment Not Made.
A separate indictment accuses
Mr.. Whelchel with agreeing to re-
ceive $500 to procure appointment
of T. L. Harris as postmaster at
Ball Ground. Mr.. Harris did not
receive this appointment, the indict-
ment said, but later was named
temporary rural carrier at the same
post Office.
Mr.. Rogge's activities in Louisiana
brought a charge by Senator Ellen
der, Democrat, of Louisiana that the
Government had interferred with
State affairs and Mr.. Rogge had
taken sides in the recent primaries
in which reform" ticket over
turned the Huey Long machine
Senator Pepper. Democrat, of
Florida also criticized Federal
criminal investigations in his State.
|