Evening star., 1947-06-11
Relied on May 10 File
Firm S Tax Reports,
Carson Testifies
By Robert X. Welsh

!VQi JJVH lCytiIfVS
| By Robert K. Welsh
(! Henry M. Carson admitted under
cross ss-examination in District Court
! today that he relied on former Rep
resentatiye Andrew j. May to file
Federal income tax returns for the
Cumberland Lumber Co., but that
May did not do it.
| Although he said he was presi-
dent of the lumber company in
Kentucky, Carson testified he did
not know what became of the COM
pany's records showing he was
elected to that office. He asserted
that he did not know until several
months after establishment of the
Kentucky company in 1943 that
May, as unpaid agent, was hand
ling Carson money for the concern.
The Government charges that
Henry and Murray Carson and
May conspired to defraud the
United States. The Cumberland
Lumber Co., according to the prose-
cution, was really owned by May
and was a set-up by which the
making brothers paid May
more than $1,000 in bribes in return
for wartime services. May at that
time was chairman of the House
Military Affairs Committee.
Never "GOt Results" From May.
Under questioning by Government
Special Prosecutor William A. Pals
ley. Carson declared that he not
only never paid anything to May,
but that he never got results for
any service done by May for the
Carson brothers or their $4,000, 900
munitions combine.
When Mr.. Paisley asked him if,
as president of the lumber company.
he ever filed income tax returns,
Carson replied:
mo. I did not. I was unable to
get sufficient information to prepare
them. I instructed-I mean I re-
quested-May to get the information
for making them out I knew no
tax was due, but I wanted them
prepared anyway. So far as know
they never were"
Mr.. Paisley's cross examination
jumped from one subject to an
other in an effort to break down
Garsson's story that he personally
owned the lumber company and
that he sought Mays help in con-
nection with munition production
problems only because he was un-
able to get fair treatment Or nee
essary information from the War
Department and other Government
agencies.
Didn't Know May Handled Funds.
Didn't you think May had enough
to do without handling money for
the Cumberland Lumber Coz" Mr..
Paisley asked
Il can answer that in two ways
Carson said. Il knew many Con-
gressmen who were engaged in other
enterprises. There was nothing un-
usual about that. Secondly. I didn't
even know until several months later
that May had volunteered to handle
the funds of the lumber company
in 1943 1 had merely told the late
AL Levin (then Washington attor-
ney for the GarssonsD to see that
the funds were properly handled"
In reply to other questions, Cars
son said;
May never told him that he repre-
sented himself in Kentucky as the
owner OF the lumber company.
Murray Carson earned salaries
of $4,000 year from the Erie
Basin Metal Products Co. and S25,-
900 a year from the Batavia Metal
Products, Inc. Illinois afflliates OF
the Carson combine in June, 1943,
when the Carson brothers said
they borrowed money from those
concerns to organize the lumber
company.
Freeman to Testify.
Joseph F. Freeman was paid $22,-
500 a year at that time as Wash
ington agent for the Garssons.
Freeman is expected to testify late
today or tomorrow, as the defense
indicated it hopes to close its case
by the end of this week. The trial,
however is expected to continue Tor
at least another week.
Freeman was indicted with May
and the Garssons on the war bribe
conspiracy charge, but was freed by
Justice Henry A. Schweinhaut last
month on ruling that the Govern
ment had not made a prime tacie
against him.
Garsson's chief counsel, Charles j,
Margiotti, disclosed that the trial
may be recessed from tomorrow aft
ernoon until Tuesday morning to
permit him to plead another case
before the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.
Secretary's Notebook Cited.
Gross ss-examination of Henry Cars
son got under way yesterday, with
the witness making an obvious
effort to control his temper as Mf.
Paisley endeavored to cite conflicts
between his testimony during the
past week.
Mr.. Paisley produced shorthand
notebook he said belonged to Miss
Beulah Teitelbaum, Garssons secre-
tary at the Batavia Metal Products,
Inc. The notes and dates, he said,
indicated Carson dictated three in
voices purporting to show lumber
was purchased and shipped to the
Illinois company from the Cum
berland Lumber Co.
Carson declared he recalled hav-
ing told somebody" to prepare the
invoices. but he said he felt certain
he did not dictate them to Miss
Tietelbaum He said this was sub
stantially what he told the grand
/ jury.
! The chances are they were die
tated by somebody else" he said
The Navajo Indian reservation is
about four times the size OF MaSsa-