Evening star., 1952-05-09
Traced $34,348
ToJackCowart,
Prober Reports
One Check Handled
BY Ex-Justice Aide,
Senators Informed
By james E. Roper

By james E. Roper
A Senate investigator reported
today that checks totaling $34, ,348
have been deposited to bank &C
counts of Jack Cowart, discharged
Agriculture Department official.
This was in addition to Mr..
Cowart's regular Government
checks for salary and expenses, In
veStigator Carmine Belino reported
to the Senate Agriculture Commit
tee.
Mr.. Belino said $17,5OO was in
payment for stock in a warehous-
ing company which stored COM
modities TO rthe Government. The
check was made out to Mr.. Cow
arts mother -in-law to buy back
stock which had cost her nothing.
She indorsed the check over to Mr..
Cowart, Mr.. Belino said.
The warehousing firm. he said,
also paid Mr.. Cowart $4,000 re-
layed through his attorney, Alex
ander Campbell, Ft. Wayne, Ind.
Mr.. Belino said Mr.. Campbell was
a former Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral in charge of the Criminal
Division the Justice Department.
Mr. Belino said other deposits
to Mr.. Cowart's account went
through other individuals, includ-
ing IAN ex-convict involved in
the Nathan Teitelbaum case"
Justice Department to Set Data.
Committee Chairman Ellender
promptly announced he would
turn over all of the information
to the Justice Department for pos
sible criminal prosecution.
Mr.. Cowart alreay has been con-
victed of accepting illegal fees in
another case. He was fired last
year as assistant to Elmer s..
KruSe, deputy administrator of the
Agriculture Departments PRODUCE
ton and Marketing Administra-
ton.
"Cowart turned out to be a bad
egg" Senator Ellender said. Hes
just common, ordinary crook"
Senator Thye, Republican, of
Minnesota, demanded to know how
Cowart got in the Agriculture De-
partment and who is friends are.
Campbell Invited to Testify.
Committee Counsel Paul j. Cot
ter said Mr.. Campbell had been
invited to testify before the COM
mittee about his role in relay
ing checks from the warehousing
company. which operated in
Baton Rouge. La, to Mr.. Cowart.
MIR. Cotter said Mr.. Campbell had
explained that he was used"
But was he used willingly?"
asked Senator Aiken, Republican,
of Vermont.
That's not for the committee
to decide-all of this will go to
the Justice Department." Senator
Ellender replied.
Mr.. Belino said some of the un-
explained payments to Mr.. Cowart
came from Vaughn E. Livingston,
whom he described as law part
ner of Mr.. Campbell and a repre-
sentative of a group of livestock
dealers. Mr.. Belino said other
payments came from one of the
groups partners, Robert j. Colina.
The man identified as the ex-
convict involved in the Teitelbaum
case was named as j. Kenneth
Edlin.
Mr.. Belino. a certified public ac-
countant. Jared the committee
after it had set through two hours
of tedious testimony that indi-
Gated Cowart had an unusual in
terest in the Baton Rouge ware
house and tried to help it in it's
dealings with the Agriculture De-
partment.
Says He Reported Activity.
Martin J. Hudtloff, director of
the PMA's transportation and
warehousing branch, said he re-
ported Cowart's activity to Mr..
Kruse. but this seemed to have no
effect on the situation.
Mr.. Hudtloff said Mr.. Kruse in
1949 ordered him to Baton Rogue
to examine the warehouse for pos
sible approval by the Agriculture
Department. Mr.. Hudtloff said
this was the only time he had
been ordered into the field for
such an inspection.
The warehouse had been leased
by four veterans from Texas. Mr..
Hudtloff said he discussed the
case with Latham White. at that
time head of the Agriculture De-
partment's Dallas (TexO office.
Mr.. White early this year was
fired for inefficiencV.