Evening star., 1952-10-09
|0fficia| Amends
AS Tax Before
Facing Inquiry
Overlooked $4,000
In Fees, U. S. Attorney
Tells House Probers
By George Beveridee

Howard l.. Doyle, United States
attorney in Springfield. Ill.,. testi-
fled today that just last week he
filed an amended income tax re-
turn for $4,000 which he "over-
looked" in fees he got for private
legal services in 1945.
Mr.. Doyle gave this information
to a House Judiciary subcommit-
tee investigating whether his out
side income has involved jobs in
conflict with his Federal duties.
The 58-year-old veteran Illinois
prosecutor. who claimed he never
has kept records or books on his
outside activities, conceded that he
discovered the 1945 error after
learning that the subcommittee
was investigating his activities.
Name in Distillery Case.
Insisting, however, that he never
has represented clients In cases
which the Government had an
interest. Mr.. Doyle:
/. Admitted that his name, as
district attorney, was on a l949
Government motion filed in an
Illinois case involving the Ameri-
can Distilling Corp, from which
he had received $49,5O0 in legal
fees. He contended he took no
part in the motion and that the
liquor firm was not a direct party
to the suit.
2. Contended that United Statse
attorneys would not have to en-
gage in private practice if they
were paid a sufficient salary"
He said his salary is $4,000 a year
and that $4,000 "in GudiciaD
district of that size wouldn't be
too much"
3. Conceded. under questioning,
that he is aware of a Federal law
which required taxpayer to keep
records of all their income and
expenses.
Outside Income Tops Salary.
Subcommittee Counsel Collier
brought out that Mr.. Doyle's in
come from outside sources from
l945 through 1850 totaled about
$4,000, against a total salary of
slightly over $4,000. Mr.. Collier
listed nine Arms and individuals
from whom Mr.. Doyle got legal
fees, the largest of which was
the American Distillery Corp. of
Pekin, Ill.
Another was the American
Society Of Composers, Authors
and Publishers (ASCAP), which
paid Mr.. Doyle $500 in l949 and
$4,000 in February, 1851, for his
work in opposing a music licens-
ing bill introduced in the State
Legislature.
Reminded of Second Check.
Mr.. Doyle testified that he
listed $4,000 in outside legal fees
on his 1945 tax return. He said
$500 of this was in the form of
"a check he received from Ameri-
can Distilling. Recently, however,
he declared, he learned from the
company that he also had re-
ceived $4,000 check that year.
Il made an amended return
and paid the tax when I dis
covered it," he added,
When was that?" a counsel
asked.
Just last week." the witness re-
piled.
Noting that Mr.. Doyle at the
moment has paid tax on $4,000
on outside income for 1945, MIR.
Collier said investigation showed
he got $12,500 from American
Distilling, plus $2,75O in referral
fees from another lawyer that
year. Mr.. Collier said that ap-
parently leaves $3.50 which Mr..
Doyle still has not declared.
Bank Deposits Searched.
The counsel added that a
search of bank deposits for l945
showed an additional $3,240 for
which no sources were found. The
subcommittee, however, did not
pursue this point further.
Mr.. Doyle said he did most of
his outside work during evenings
and week ends and never used his
Federal office or its workers for
private business. He said he did
keep memoranda. but destroyed
them at irregular times and
(Coa n A NyYTY,