Evening star., 1948-03-05
Meyers Trial Turns
To Mrs. Larnarre's
Testimony on Firm
By Robert K. Walsh

The trial OF MAJ. Gen. Ben
nett e. Meyers In District Court
turned today to testimony of
Mrs. Mildred Lamarre to de-
termine whether Meyers made
her husband dummy" president
Of, a Dayton ,(Ohio) aircraft
parts plant and -reaped $150, 900
from the concern.
The attractive brunette witness
took the stand late yesterday to tes-
tify against the retired Army Air
Forces purchasing officer. She was
his secretary in 1888 and 1889.
Meyers Is charged with having
caused her husband to lie to q Sen
ate war investigating subcommit-
tee last fall. Because Of other court
business, today's trial session was
not expected to get underway until
this afternoon.
Testiffes I'm Low Voice.
Mrs. Lamarre, dressed simply In
black woolen suit with white scarf,
seemed thinner and paler than when
she went before a District grand
jury last December. She smiled
frequently and spoke firmly, but in
q low voice. She did not look at
Meyers.
She said she first met Meyers
when she became his secretary at
Wright Field, Dayton, in April
1888. She explained she had been
in the personnel section about a
year, and ''the only reason" she
took the job as secretary was that
ut paid $3.50 more year."
Her husband went to California in
March, 1889, to work for an aircraft
company and she joined him in
June, she related. Between March
and June, she lived In a Dayton ho-
tel for $40 a month, SIS less than
the rent for their Dayton apart
ment, she said.
Bought Her Ticket.
when was leaving to Join my
husband in California" Mrs. La
MARE testified, Meyers told me he
had bought my railroad ticket as q
sort of farewell gift. When, I went
into the dining car on the train
the steward told me my meals were
to be paid for by Meyers"
The following October, In the
course of a long-distance telephone
conversation with an AAF officer for
whom Mrs. Lamarre worked In Cali
fornia, Meyers asked to speak with
her, she said.
He asked me whether we would
be interested in coming back to Day.
ton" Mrs. Lamarre told the jury
"He said he had something that
might interest my htlsband-some-
thing In the way of a job"
Before Mrs. Lamarre took the
stand, Government and defense
counsel questioned Lawrence A. Bell,
president Of the Bell Aircraft Corp.
of Buffalo, N. Y, and completed two
days of examination of Thomas E.
Readnower, wartime vice president
of the Aviation Electric Co.
Several Firms Suggested.
Mr.. Bell testified the Dayton COM
pany was one Of several suggested
to him by Meyers In 1910 as a pos
Sible x,abcontractor for the Bell COM
pany. aviation Electric eventually
received about 81 ,0O0, 900 in subcon-
tracts from the Buffalo concern, Mr..
Bell said.
The aircraft manufacturer de-
clared he was sure Meyers "did not
trade on our friendship to get con-
tracts for Aviation Electric" i" Meyers
told him, he said, the company was
owned by Dayton businessmen who
were friends of his. Mr.. Bell added
he would not have given subcor-
tracts TO the concern If he had
known Meyers had any financial
interest In 1T.
Readnower, brother Of Mrs. La
MARE, asserted Meyers asked him
TO lie to the Senate subcommittee
and that he refused. The witness
said Meyers promised "my expenses
to Washington would be paid, and
then sorne"