Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-20
Grand JuryCa||s
II Witnesses
||nMaragonCase
Government Official
And Businessmen
To Tell of Dealings
By M;7iom Gutenberg

A Government official and sew
eral businessmen were called to-
day to tell a District grand jury
about John Maragon's dealings in
behalf of a molasses company
penalized for rationing violations.
They were among II wit
nesses, including Columnist Drew
Pearson, summoned by the grand
jury as it set out to deter
mine if Maragon perjured himself
at the Senate fve-percenter in
quiry last summer.
Maragon. onetime bootblack
who rose to become White
House habitue and friend of Pres
ident Humans military aide, Maj.
Gen. Harry H. Vaughan, was a
key figure in the five-percenter
investigation
Testimony in Conflict.
The grand jurys inquiry centers
on what the Senate committee
considered conflicting testimony
given by Maragon at a secret ses-
son and by other witnesses at open
hearings.
Maragon, in testimony behind
closed doors. told the committee
that outside of what he reported
in his tax returA. he never repre-
sented businessmen in dealings
with the Government, never was
paid for such services and had
bank accounts only in Washing
ton.
Witnesses Called.
The Government, in pressing for
perjury indictment, today offered
the grand jury testimony from:
/. Joseph P. Elivove, assistant
director of the sugar branch Of
the Agriculture Department, who
lives at 1910 North Courthouse
road. Arlington. Mr.. Elvove told
the Senate committee that Mara
gon presented an appeal in behalf
of the Allied Molasses Co., Inc,
then suspended from getting .
molasses ALLEGATION because Of
serious rationing violation in
1916.
2. Milton POLAND. Milwaukee,
life insurance man, who told the
committee he paid Maragon a to-
tai of $1,218 for his promised serv-
ices in behalf of the molasses COM
'pany. Mr.. Poland was an uncle
Of the company president.
| Company Head Called.
! 3. Harold Ross. company presi-
dent, who testified before the COM
mittee that he handed Maragon
$500 in New York when Maragon
told him "he had piled up ex-
Ipenses and needed 500 fast"
| 4. George Chadwick, jr.. WASH
ington attorney with Offices in the
Southern Building, who testified
before the committee that while
representing Trans American
Traders, Inc. he gave Maragon
So, 900 to change for him and never
got it back. Mr.. Chadwick testified
that Maragon physically attacked
him while attempting to recover
a copy of a letter referring to the
$4,000 as Maragon's commission"
| 5. Charles Ingersoll of Cleve-
land, president of farm equip
ment company. Mr.. Ingersoll did
not testify before the committee.
but his attorney told reporters
today that Mr.. Ingersoll gave
some money to Maragon.
6. MIR. Pearson, who testified be-
fore the committee concerning
Gen. Vaughan and has also writ
ten about Maragon.
Accountant to Testify.
7. Carinine Bellino. staff &C
countant for the Senate commit.
tee, who told the committee that
after Maragon declared under oath
that he had no bank account out
side of Washington, the commit
tee discovered one in the National
Bank of Commerce at San An
tonic. Mr.. Bellino testified that
in the year 1945 alone-a year
when Maragon had denied having
any such account-Maragon de-
posted $26,3O3.89 in the Texas
bank.
8. William P Rogers, counsel
of the Senate committee, who re-
fused to say what testimony he
gave this morning. but who wrote
United States Attorney George
Morris Fay that he had additional
information not brought out in
the hearing concerning Maragon.
9. Gilbert Halasz. the shorthand
reporter who took Maragon's ex-
ecutive session testimony.
10. Two FBI agents who pre-
(See MARAGON. Page A-5D