Evening star., 1946-04-14
Fuller Was Freed Here in 7947 Civil Service Method
After Months OF 2-Yeur Term 0fSeeciinq Personnel
Judge Had Modified
Sentence to Permit
Fine, Restitution

Sentence to Permit
Fine, Restitution
By WiIliom A. MiIIen
James G. Fuller, 46-year -old book
salesman and promoter, who be-
came executive vice president of
Engineers Group, Inc, a war con-
tracts consulting firm, was able
to obtain his release from District
Jail in mid-1941 after serving about
four months Of a nearly two-year
sentence on false pretense charges
by paying $500 fine, because Police
Court Judge George D. Nelson was
convinced the sentence should be
| modified, it was learned yesterday.
Fuller apparently was the man
mentioned last Tuesday in the
testimony of Howard B. Gill, sus-
pended superintendent of District
penal institutions, when he told the
House subcommittee investigating
the District Jail that the business
OF Engineers Group, Inc, had so
expanded after being conducted
four months from the Jail that
one OF the inmates decided it was
time for him to get out of Jail, and
he actually got his sentence re-
duced from 81 to 4 months"
Fuller made restitution by making
good illegal checks, according to the
best available information. The
memories of the principals are hazy
after the five-year lapse. Municipal
Court officials say that it is within
the province OF sentencing Judge
TO change a sentence, If he desires.
Gaithersburg Man Put Up Funds,
testimony before the Truman
Committee, which was headed by
Sresldent Truman when he was a
MISSOURI Senator and investigating
war contracts, shows that Everett
+. Hurt of Gaithersburg, Md, put
up the money for Fuller's release
from District Jail.
Mr.. Hurt testified he gave Fuller
$! 800 to make good bad checks.
a1ter Fuller had told him that the
authorities would free him If he
repaid the money. Mr.. Hurt later
became treasurer of Engineers
Group, Inc.
Fuller was found guilty on two
raise pretense cases before judge
nelson on February II, 1941, and
received total of 720 days, the court
records show. This sentence was
amended on June 18, 194I, to read
72o days or $500 fine, but Fuller was
TO be given no credit for the six
months spent in Jail, according to
the court papers. Fuller paid the
5000 and got out on June IS.
Shortly thereafter, Engineers
Group, Inc, was actively launched.
Idea Conceived in Jail.
Fuller and John Henry Stoneburg
1r, a former convict who spent some
time in District Jail, conceived the
basic idea of Engineers GROUP. Inc.
IN the Jail, when they were confined
there early in 1941.
According to information giyen
the Truman Committee, while in
jail, they also formed Americans
United" similar to the United
Service Organizations and designed
to furnish recreation to service per-
sonnel. Further, they formed Amer
ican United Chemical Corp, which
was to secure ammunition for the
Russian government.
Fuller and Stoneburg worked to-
gether for time after they got out
OF jail in Engineers Group, Inc. at
lO22 Seventeenth street NV,
Later, Fuller and Stoneburg had
a falling out.
Associate Informed Probers,
From the Youngstown, Ohio, iail.
where he was confined, Stoneburp
wrote letter to Hugh A. Fulton
chief counsel of the Truman Com
mlttee, IN which he gave informa-
ton about Fuller's lobbying and con-
tract peddling. This led the Truman
Committee to Engineers Group, Inc.
Off1cials Of the former Truman
Committee, now known as the Mead
Committee, made it clear yesterday
that Stoneburg was never a fully
accredited under-cover man for the
group.
When he was freed from Younes-
town, Stoneburg came to Washing
ton and the Truman Committee gave
him typewriter to put down on
paper the ramif1cations of Engineers
Group, Inc. The committee paid him
about S. day for about two weeks
while he was doing this work, as he
was without funds.
With the aid of information sup
piled by Stoneburg, the Truman
Committee was enabled, in March,
1912, to seize the records of Engi-
neers' Group, Inc, and turn them
over to the Department of Justice
for prosecution.
Three of the officers of Engineers
Group, Inc, Representative James
M. Curley, Democrat, of Massachu-
sets, and Mayor of Boston, who was
president; Donald Wakefield Smith,