Evening star., 1948-11-21
Many File Complaint
OF Usury, but None
Will Press Charges


plants each week of usurious prac.
tices among certain small loan firms
here, the Corporation Counsel's
Office in Municipal Court has YET
to find a witness to press prosecu.
ton.
This was revealed yesterday by
Clark King. senior prosecutor. al
the close of a typical week in which
five individuals voiced complaints
but failed to return to help the
Districts case.
They tell us they've been gyppeo
by some loan outfit, and that the!
want to bring the law down or
them" Mr.. King declared. Then
that's the last We see OF our wit
nesses, unless it takes some OF them
little longer to decide they don
want to prosecute
Reasons Called Uncertain.
Mr.. King was reluctant to try tC
point out the reason for the reluct-
ance of the complainants to press
the charges they make.
we simply have to draw our own
personal conclusions he said.
One of the most glaring instances
of a borrower who changed his mind
about prosecuting loan flrm oc'
Cured about two months ago, he
said.
Mr.. King said the complainant
who seemed to have the public IN
terest at heart" came to him with
the discovery that he had contracted
to pay back 5000 on $500 loar
considerably in excess of the IL pei
cent interest allowed under the law
He must have had his eyes in
the back of his head when he signed
that contract" the prosecutor said
but I told him I'd look into 1t and
file charges if justified
In a week-long investigation Mr.
King amassed a jacketful Of photo
stats of bank checks, copies Of con-
tracts, y typewriter pages Of per-
tinent law on the subject and re-
lated material.
Looked Like Good Case.
"It looked like we had good case
especially since the witness actually
signed a three-page affidavit giving
all the details of the loan transac-
tion," Mr.. King said.
But, he added, on the day he drew
up count charge against the
firm and prepared to file the paper
with the court, the witness told him
he had decided to refuse" to testify
After all those days of going over
the case with me, he suddenly told
me he was vague about the details
and didn't think he could do me
much good on the stand" Mr.. King
said. He added he couldn't do more
than insist that the witness sign
a statement of his refusal, and drop
the case.
The prosecutor explained he
would have been able to get no.
where with a hostile or reluctant
witness on the stand, since he would
have had to impeach the mans
testimony, and thus have 1t all
disregarded by the court.
Fail to Return.
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Philip Brophy. also assigned tc
Municipal Court, reported that he
received three similar usury COM
plants on Monday alone. He told
each person he would investigate
if they brought in copies of the
contract and other necessary data
That was the last / have seen OF
heard from them,' Mr.. Brophy said
yesterday.
Mr.. king pointed out that 1t
usually takes witnesses short time
to change their minds about pros
ecuting. In many instances, he said
his Office doesn't even reach the
investigative point of asking the
suspected loan firm for its records
IF the public wants this Office to
do anything about stopping usuri-
Gus practices. they've got to stick
with us when they make a COM
plaint," Mr.. King declared.