Evening star., 1946-01-16
Leahy Denies Cur|ey
Received Any Money
From Accused Firm

Representative Curley. Democrat,
of Massachusetts,, who also is Mayor
Of Boston, did not get one cent OF
Group Engineers, Inc. money, his
attorney, William E. Leahy, told a
District Court jury today.
Mr.. Leahy made his final argu-
ment in behalf of Mr.. Curley as the
trial charging Mr. Curley and two
others with mail fraud drew toward
a close. The case is expected to &c
to the jury tomorrow. On trial with
Mr.. Curley are Donald Wakefield
Smith, former member of the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board, and
James G. Fuller, who Is serving a
'fve-year sentence for sending fraud
ulent securities through the mail
Mr.. Leahy asserted the Jury
should free Mr.. Curley of "this in
famous accusations. based on "flimsy
proof made out OF the midnight oil.
His arguments were made before a
crowded court room, with Mr.. Curley
sitting opposite the jury box and
listening intently.
Prosecution Strategy Assailed.
The Government imposed" on the
jury, Mr.. Leahy said, producing only
limited number of witnesses, pick
ing out only certain defendants and
failing to indict all the officials con-
nected with the case.
THE Government did not want to
give you all the facts" he said.
He asked why other officers of the
organization, including Everett r.
Hurt, former treasurer, and Robert
G. Thach, one-time general counsel,
as we'll as Irving NeWcomb, Wash
ington real estate man, and others
were not indicted, although the evi-
dence showed they were active in the
affairs of the corporation. They
were not even called as witnesses, he
said.
You might as well drive dagger
through the heart of Curley as to
find him guilty of this charge" Mr.
Leahy continued THE city of BoS-
ton has set its laundering verdict
down to you as to what it thinks OF
these charges" This was reference
to the recent election of the 71-year-
old Representative as mayor of Bos-
ton while the indictment was pend
ing against him.
Mr.. Leahy said the evidence in
volved Mr.. Curley for only 10 days
in August, 194l.
Completes Argument.
The Government charged Mr..
Curley was president, Mr.. Smith
treasurer, and Fuller executive vice
president of Engineers Group, Inc
Mr.. Leahy pointed out to the jury
that these defendants, who were
supposed to scheme and defraud
saw to it that records Of the COM
pany were kept so you can read
them"
The closing argument in behalf of
Mr.. Smith was completed this
morning by his counsel William A
Gallagher. He insisted that Mr.
Hurt signed checks as treasurer as
late as December 16, l941, although
the Government is trying to show
that Mr.. Smith was treasurer De-
cember 3, 194l.
The 3l-page indictment, Mr.. GAL
lagher asserted yesterday, was not
drawn for trial in court, but sounds
like some good newspaperman wrote
it; for "it's been kicked around anc
slapped into headlines for politica
provender.'
Mr.. Gallagher ridiculed the thought
that Mr.. Smith or Mr.. Curley, ma.
tional figures, would have been con.
tent with payments of $4,000 OF
ST 500 in fraudulent scheme, wher
they could have gotten millions, i.
they set out to accomplish such &
program.
Fortunes were made in Washing
ton during the war years." said Mr.
Gallagher.
Attorney T. Emmett Mckenzie
representing Fuller, also pointed Out
to the jury that the Groups former
treasurer, Mr.. Hurt. whose sigma.
ture was on s51 900 of checks drawr
by the Group, was not even called a.
Government witness. He said Mr.
Hurt himself obtained upwards o.
S2l 900, and this money was not ex.
planned to the jurors. The Govern.
ment says the Group got s61, ,74t
O oIfooothor