Evening star., 1947-04-29
May Associate Tells
Court He Never Saw
|0rder for Lumber
By Robert K. Welsh

MCLdl EIOQuClS, 1Qc., q Gar ISSOll
combine affiliate, for lum-
Der from the Kentucky concern in
October, 1943.
Government introduction of this
order followed a state
nent by Special Prosecutor William
A. Paisley in his statement last week
1T the opening OF the trial of May,
Henry M. and Murray Carson and
Joseph F. Freeman, the Garsson's s
Washington representative, on
charges of conspiracy to defraud
the United States.
The Government seeks to prove
that May personally used money
sent through the lumber company
by the Garssons in return for war
time services he did for them when
he was chairman of the House Mil
itary Affairs Committee. Mr.. Pals
ley has asserted that the Garssons
faxed papers in 1945 to indicate that
Erie Basin and Batavia Metal Prod
ucts, Inc, another Illinois affiliate OF
the combine, ordered lumber from
the Cumberland company in 1943.
Could Not Fill Order.
Leroy w. Fields, sr., who was on
the witness stand from last Friday
until noon today, told
Justice Henry A. Schweinhaut and
the jury that while he was associat-
ed with May as manager of the lum-
Der company for II months in 194a
and early 1914. he never saw the
purported order from the Erie Basin
concern or from any other Carson
company.
Mr.. Fields added that even If he
had received such an order the COM
pany could not have filled it at that
time because it had no facilities for
producing sufficient lumber.
The 70-year-old Whitesburg, KY
attorney and lumberman left the
stand after undergoing a hard at
tack by defense counsel in cross
examination. The defense attempted
to show that he concealed business
information from May and stressed
his testimoney that he had no rec
election that 1943 promissory note
recorded Henry M. Carson as presi-
dent of the lumber company.
Under continued ross-examina-
ton this morning, Mr.. Fields de-
clared he felt May did him great
injustice" in their association in the
lumber company enterprise.
But I have nothing against him
now" Mr.. Fields said. 81 have for
given him for it,
Planned to Sue May.
Mr.. Fields, who testified he always
believed May was president and
owner of the lumber company, ad-
mitted he had planned to sue May
several years ago for stock which
he said May had promised to give
him when the two men organized
the lumber company early in 1943.
Mr.. Fields explained that he aban-
doned the idea on the advice OF a
awyer because I had been soft
to take nothing in writing" "
He added that he had always trusted
Nay and had never asked about "big
financial interests" which May told
lim were interested in the lumber
Tenture. it.
After MIR. Fields told Mr.. Paisley
hat he did not see the October %,
943, purported Erie Basin purchase
rider for lumber until it was shown
o him last year at Senate War In
1estigating Committee hearings, Mr..
fields admitted under cross-exam-
nation that he did not necessarily
'eceive or see all the mail sent to
he Cumberland Lumber Co. while
le was there.
Leroy w. Fields, jr., also an attor-
ley, was the next witness. He told
low in April, 194a, he was present
It meeting in Prestonsburg, KY,
1t which his father and May dis
;ussed the plans for buying timber
and and establishing the lumber
The younger Mr.. Fields
'aid May at that time mentioned
that he knew people who would
finance the project" but May did
aot name the Garssons or any
one else.
On Stand ALI Day.
Mr.. Fields was on the stand all
day yesterday and cross-examina-
ton showed that:
l. He never told May he had an
option on the cumberland with the
Development Co., a con-
Germ he previously represented and
from which the Cumberland prop
erty was purchased by May.
2. He never told Mineral Develop
ment Co. representatives at the
time that he believed the land was
worth five times as much as the
SO an acre he said May paid early
in 1943.
3. Although a practicing attorney
for about Is years before going into
some other business where could
make money" he did not ask May or
otherwise investigate concerning
legal ownership of the company
particularly the identity of big
financial interests" May reportedly
said were behind the project.
4. He received a $4,000 check from
May in July, 1943, and paid off a
note held by the Mineral Develop
ment Co. on the Cumberland Lum-
Der Co., but he had mo recollection
Of having seen the name of Henry
NJ. Carson stamped on the note
as company president.
5. He could not say for certain
whether May told him the "big
interests" agreed to finance