Evening star., 1950-04-22
New Bank Data
Due Monday in
Maragon Trial
Another EmpIoye
Of Texas Depository
To Tell of Accounts
By w. n. Shippen, Jr.

By w, H. Shippen, Jr.
Further evidence to show tha
John F. Maragon's bank accoun,
in Texas was substantial enough
not to have slipped his mind i!
expected Monday at the perjury
trial of the 58-year-old Greek.
American.
Another employe of the Union
Trust Co. is scheduled to testify
in District Court then about
cashiers checks Maragon bought
for deposit in San Antonio at a
time when he claimed his only
account was at the local bank.
The Government was to rest its
case Monday, after inquiring fur
ther as to the ability of Maragon' s
mother-in-law, Mrs. Hattie e.
johnson of Salisbury. Md, to take
the stand.
Suffers Heart Ailment.
Mrs. johnson is i'll of a heart
ailment, it was said, and her non-
appearance may force the Gov
ernment to drop one of the four
counts in the indictment.
This charges Maragon with
lying when he told Senators in
vestigating "f1ve-per cent" in
f1uence peddlers that he borrowed
$4,000 from Mrs. Johnson last
spring.
One of the prosecutions final
witnesses will be Francis D.
Flanagan, attorney for the Senate
investigating committee, who will
be questioned further about how
he learned that Maragon had an
account in the National Bank of
Commerce at San Antonio.
Tell of Checks and Drafts.
John H. Bahlman, assistant
treasurer of the Union Trust Co.,
and Mrs. Edith Bray, a teller
clerk, said that. to the best of
their recollection. Maragon paid
cash for treasurer'S checks and
drafts transferring funds to Texas
for deposit between January and
August of 1945.
Sums deposited on four occa-
sions were $1.674. $500, $1,561 and
$4,000. it was said. The can
celed checks were identified in
court. and Maragon was pointed
out by the bank employees as the
man who had purchased them.
The prosecution must show that
the lies were told knowingly" to
establish perjury.
The first week of the trial was
featured by testimony that Mara
gon, with the knowledge, if not
the assistance, of Maj. Gen. Harry
H. Vaughan, White House military
aide, attempted to get a molasses
q company out of quota troubles
with the Agriculture Department
and sought contract from the
Maritime Commission in behalf of
a salvage company.
, Oath at Closed Season.
Maragon had sworn, at closed
session of the investigating COM
mite, that he neither negotiated
for Government business nor ac-
cepted fees from 1945 until mid
1949.
Yesterday Mrs. Jeanette
Schwartz, assistant treasurer of
the Albert Verley Perfume Co. of
Chicago, testified that Maragon
was paid $1,000 a month by her
firm for a 13-month period start
ing in July, 1945. She identified
checks which showed that three of
the monthly fees were paid while
Maragon was working for the
State Department.
Irwin Goldstein, MaragonS at
torney, noted that a $1,000 check
to Maragon dated October 80,
1945, had another Endorsement be-
sides his own. He got Mrs.
Schwartz to read it.
TT appears to be the endorse
ment of Leslie L. Biff1e (Senate
secretary" Mr.. GoldsJein said.
SIS that correct?"
"YeS," the witness answered. g
Doesn't Recall Incident.
Mr.. Biffle told reporters later
that Maragon must have come to
his Office and got him to indorse
the check so he could cash it at
the Senate disbursing Office at the
Capitol.
Il don't remember the incident" "
Mr.. Biffle said, because I've done
1t for so many people"
The indictment charged Mara
gon was in the pay of the COM
pany when the State Department
hired him at $500 a year, be-
tween November q, 1945, and
March IA, 1916, to go to Greece
with a mission to observe elec-
tions there.
Maragon denied to Senators. it
was charged, that he was in the
pay of others during his Federal
service.
It was the perfume company
that sent seven deep freeze units
to Gen. Vaughan and his asso-
ciates, according to testimony be-
fore the Senate inquiry last Sum-
mer.