Evening star., 1942-06-27
Tire Sales Legitimate,
Hundfey Claims, as
Trial Is Begun
Accused Dealer Contends
Cosines Sold Had Mark
Of Rotion Inspectors

Hiram Ben Hundley, tire dealer
here accused of selling new tires in
violation of Federal rationing regu-
lations, disposed of stock marked by
inspectors acting for the District
Rationing Board as used tires and
therefore salable, according to the
defense outline offered late yester-
day as his trial opened in District
Court.
The contention was advanced by
Defense Counsel Henry I. Quinn,
after Assistant United States At
torney John L. Laskey, in charge of
the prosecution, outlined the
charges contained in the l2-count
Indictment returned against MIR.
Hundley in April asserted the tires
sold were new and declared there
is no provision in the law for the
inspection marking which the de-
fense says was authorization for the
sales.
The indictment charged falsifca-
ton of records and unlawful sales
to the Diamond and Premier Pur-
chasing Cos, affliates of taxi con-
Germs, and to The Evening Star.
Sales Reviewed.
Mr.. Quinn, who is associated in
the case with Attorney Louis Often
berg, told the jury that sales, in the
early part of this year, were made
to "a captain of White House po-
lice" and to Government officials"
The tires. he said, were change
overs-that is, tires turned in by
owners who wanted other types for
their cars. He said the authority
for the inspection was given by
rationing board official by the name
of Brady who was later identified
as Eugene T. Brady. former chief
clerk of the board.
After the opening statements,
Justice T. Alan Goldsborough re-
cessed the trial until Monday morn
ing.
Mr. Laskey took up the indictment,
count by count, in detailing the
Governments case.
He said that after tires had been
frozen" by the Government on
December II. Mr.. Hundley, in re-
porting new stocks, showed 5,OO5
tires on hand when he had at least
159 more" Further, he said, the
defendant maintained false run
ming inventory that showed new
tires as used tires. Under the law,
a tire is used" If it has gone more
than 1000 miles.
Then, the prosecuSsr continued,
"by the use of trick device, by a
false tire inspection mark" the
dealer represented to purchasers
that the tires had been passed by a
Government inspector-had been
initiated for sale by a Government
inspector" This marking, it was
explained, in most instances" con-
sisted OF a yellow 20. K. J. M. c."
inscribed on each tire.
In this connection, Mr. Laskey
pointed out that the law makes no
provision tor such an Inspection.
The only inspection provided, he
said is that to determine the con-
dition of the tires of an applicant
&OT IcpldCclIleIlIS.
The sales to the three business
concerns. he said. were negotiated
with falsifled invoices, which showed
new tires as used tires. Also. he
added, the new tires were sold at
prices in excess of the ceiling fixed
by the OPA.
Invoices Cited.
Alleging that the Hundley COM
pany had to account for the dis
posal of certain new tires. Mr.. Las
key said one invoice showed a sale
of 288 for CLOSE to $4,000" to the
Walton Tire Co. of 639 Broad street,
Philadelphia, and that there was
no Walton Tire Co. and had not
been for some time"
Replying to this charge Mr.. Quinn
said that this transaction took place
here on February Is, when a truck
bearing Pennsylvania license plates
came to a Hundley establishment
and man representing himself to
be from the Walton Co. purchased
the tires for s3,70o.
In sketching his defense, Mr..
Quinn described Mr.. Hundley as
"a man Of little education who built
up large business" He employed
men to compile his records, Mr..
Quinn continued, "and If there were
any mistakes in any reports, or in
any invoices, the mistakes were
honest ones, liable to occur in any
large business
Explaining how the tires in ques-
ton came to be sold, Mr.. Quinn said
that Mr.. Brady, the rationing Of
fetal, called up and asked Mr..
piIr51ev "if he haJ an1 1ooJ ,,r.l