Evening star., 1942-01-04
Long Georgia Inquiry
Brings Indictment
OF Ex-Gov. Rivers
Grand Jury Accuses
19 Others Of Attempts
To Defruud Stote

By the Associated Press.
ATLANTA, Jan. 3-Former Gov.
E.. D. Rivers and 10 others, includ-
ing a former national chief OF the
Klu Klux Klan, were indicted today
on felony counts stemm1ng from
prolonged investigation Of his four
year administration.
The wholesale indictments, most
of them charging conspiracy to de-
fraud the State, climaxed an in
quiry financed in part by $4,000
State fund authorized by Gov. Eu-
gene Talmadge.
In the indictments, the Fulton
County (Atlanta grand jury
charged II former State officials.
and 9 individuals who had dealings
with the State. with defraudlng
Georgia of S20l 1868
Mr.. Rivers, present Democratic
national committeeman from Geor-
gia. who left the governorship last
January otter two successive terms,
was accused in one indictment of
embeZzling 2,10l 65, diverting it
for his own use from 100000 fund
over which he alone had control.
Highway Machinery Purchase.
In another Indictment charging
conspiracy to defraud the State the
jury charged that Mr.. Rivers and
four others made $4,000 by purchas-
ing s5O1 549.83 worth Of highway
machinery for $4,000 more than
the true market value of the equip
ment.
In third indictment the jury
accused the former Governor con-
spired to defraud the State of SIS
900 by payment of excessive prices
for lubricants.
DR.. Hiram w. Evans, former i'm
perial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan,
was indicted for "conniving" with a
State official to obtain a contract to
paint center lines on highways at
an excessive" cost of $4,000.
Another conspiracy indictment ac-
cused Mr.. Evans of making an
excessive profit of approximately
$1,000 on a State printing job.
Son Also Accused.
The former Governors son, E. D.
Rivers, jr.. also was indicted on a
charge of causing the State to pay
an excessive profit of approximately
S11 500 on printing job. He was
chairman of the State Industrial
Board in his fathers administration.
Other officials of the Rivers
regime indicted are:
Former Clerk of the House OF
Representatives John w. Greer, lr,
who was campaign manager for Mr..
Rivers; former Chief Highway En-
gineer w. BradWell Brantley. for
mer Highway Maintenance Engineer
George C. Blount, former Contract
Licensing Board Chairman w. Fred
Scott. also chief of staff for Mr..
Rivers; George c. Fisher, former
industries superintendent at the
State Penitentiary; former State
Purchasing Agent o. G. Glover
former Supt. of Convict Forces J. G.
Glover and former State Wardens
V. L. Webb and Hubert Smith.
Others Named in Indictment.
Others indicted are: D. B. Blalock,
Atlanta machinery company owner;
I. Weinkle, Atlanta merchant, and
John Tuggle, salesman for Mr
Weinkle; Jesse R. Williams. Atlanta
print shop owner and Wiley A
Tucker, salesman for Mr.. Williams
j. K. Hall, Macon oil salesman. and
J. R. Maddox and Rudolph Jones
Atlanta lubricant statesmen.
In addition to returning the in
dictments, the jury also handed
down presentments charging the
most shocking and shameful condi-
tions" in recent years existed during
Mr.. Rivers rule. 1t recommended
that the grand jury succeeding it
next week continue the inquiry. The
retiring jury foreman expressed the
juryS belief that more indictments
are to come
Mr.. Rivers is operating radio
station at Valdosta, where he prac-
tices law, and a radio station and
newspaper at Cordele
There was no indication when the
defendants would be called to trial.
Possible sentences for conviction
range from two to ten years i'm
prisonment on charges of conspiracy
10 defraud and from two to seven
years for embezzlement.
Under Georgia law, however, As
sistant Solicitor E. A. Stephens said,
the jury could recommend, on con-
viction. that the offenSes be treated
as misdemeanors. If the judge con-
CURED, he could pass sentence from
one to IL months or assess fines not
exceeding $1,000.