Evening star., 1952-09-04
Shipyard Sale
Probe HearsTw
Florida Bidders
Special Jury Studies
Irregularities Charge
In WoIfson Purchase

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Two Jacksonville businessmen
were called as witnesses today by
the special District grand jury
digging into a Florida shipyard
deal engineered by Louis E. Wolf
son.
Mr.. Wolfson, now chairman Of
the board of the Capital Transit
Co., headed a group of investors
that acquired the $40 million ship
yard for $1.9 million in 1946. This
is the st. Johns River Shipyard
at Jacksonville and the Wolfson
group obtained it from the Mari
time Commission.
The grand jury witnesses today
were M. B. Ogden. who bid un-
successfully for the shipyard. and
James Merrill, of the Merrill-Ste-
vens Drydock Co., which used to
operate the yard. Yesterday there
was one witness-an FBI investi-
gator who declined to divulge his
name.
Investigated S Years Ago.
The case, which involves charges
of irregularities. was referred to
the United States Attorney here
by the Justice Department. Five
years ago a House subcommittee
investigated the shipyard deal, and
during hearings then Mr.. Wolfson
testified he had agreed to pay a
Philadelphia politician for help in
negotiating the purchase.
The politician was identified as
Democratic leader Matthew H.
McC cCloskey. jr.
The Government rejected two
Wolfson bids and, Mr.. Wolfson
said, Mr.. McCloskey withdrew, de-
claring that Mr.. Wolfson was
under no obligation to him. MIR.
WolfSon said he attempted to give
Mr.. McCloskey $4,000 for his
trouble but that the latter declined
and suggested the money be given
to his associates. This was done,
Mr.. Wolfson said, with two sons
Iof Mr.. McCloskey sharing in the
money, along with two others. The
Wolfson group later bought the
shipyard for 100000 more than
its earlier highest bid.
j. Frank Cunningham, a special
assistant to the Attorney General,
who is in charge of the investi-
cation, refused to speculate as to
how long the inquiry will take.
CIV Instructor Is Foreman.
The foreman of the jury is Alan
T. Diebert, a George Washington
University instructor. The deputy
foreman is Charles l.. Huntington,
a printing technician, of 20 Ingra-
ham street NV. Other members
are:
Mrs. Helen B. Anderson. 81.
313 Fifth street NE: William D.
Archer, SO, 200 Thirty-fourth
street NE; Miss Ursaline G.
Brown, 20, 1913 D street Sc:
William T. Brown, SO. 105 Fifty
third street Sc; Mrs. Geraldine
Campbell, IS, 435 Twelfth street
Sc.
Also, Raymond J. Canaan, 35,
1904 Girard street NV; Mrs. Isa-
belle M. Christian, 40, 805 Long,
fellow street NV; Miss Gather
inc Croswell, So, 1922 I street
NV; George Curtin, 81, 1878
Simms place NE; Rowland E.
Darling, 80, ITO Fortieth street
Sc.
Also, Miss Ann M. Dempsey, "a.
4445 Butterworth place NV;
Miss Margaret R. Dixon. 33, 1920
Connecticut avenue NV; Will
liam S. Edwards, SO, 1907 Fif-
teenth street NV; William F..
Falvey, 63, 311 Tenth street NE;
Mrs. Nora S. Geddings. so, 1922
Massachusetts avenue NV; Mrs.
Phyllis H. Menge, 81, 7701 Georgia
avenue NV.
Also. George r. Mould, SO, $3.50
Eleventh street NE; Mrs. Mary
F. Richards, SIS, 2807 Fourteenth
street NV; James H. Sims, 54.
1913 o street NV; Luther C..
Smith, 81, 922 Ingraham street
NV; Milton r. Smith, rs, 4200
. Grant street NE.