Evening star., 1955-07-08
Wirephoto via radio.
Continued From First Page

C0nt1nued From FIRST Rage
Commission records as owner OF
the Rockville fruit farm prop
erty,. Mr.. Gutenberg replied:
Yeah. that's right. Lichten-
berg is a trustee for the syn
dicate."
Official Under Suspension
Ben Du Pre-, assistant right
of-Way engineer in charge o1
buying land for the State for
240 and some other nearby
Maryland road projects. is under
a 30-day suspension while his
superiors investigate allegations
of irregularities on his part.
Mr.. Gutenberg admitted know
ing Mr.. Du Pre- but said he only
knew him casually. He said he
met him through "the boss in
Baltimore.
VINO DO you mean by the
boss?" he was asked.
You know. that fellow Moser,'
Mr.. Gutenberg replied, referring
to Leroy C. Moser, chief right
of-way engineer for the commits
sion.
Asked how he was able to buy
up property in the path of the
new Washington National pike
and sell it to the State at a
profit. Mr.. Gutenberg stated:
I'm no dummy. l got a yellow
book telling me where these roads
are going to be l also used
to do some surveying in my youth
for the highway departments of
both Maryland and Virginia. You
tell those boys in Baltimore if
they need any help, I'll be glad
to show them how it's done"
By yellow book" Mr.. Often
berg apparently referred to the
large book of maps and descrip-
tions of the Maryland 12-year
highway program widely distrib-
uted by the commission three
years ago.
No Condemnation of Land
None Of the properties the
State purchased from Mr.. Offen-
berg and his associates for High
way 240 right-of-way was put
through condemnation proceed
ingS. That method-in which
the State condemns the land ii
needs and then a jury decides
how much the property-owner
should be paid-was used SPAR
ingly along Route 240, records
of the commission reveal.
Another owner of the Rock
vile fruit farm property listed
on right-of-way purchase rec
ords in the commissions Balti-
more headquarters. is Joseph
Luria, who is associated with
Mr.. Lichtenberg in a law office
in the National Press Building
here.
Mr.. Lichtenberg and Mr.. Luria
sold two acres of the fruit farm
property to the roads commits
sion for $4,000 on December 8
1854, according to commission
records. The land was acquired
as part of the proposed Falls
road interchange of new Route
240.
The two lawyers bought the
fruit farm property from
Murphy Properties on April 8
1854, the records show. Mr.
Luria told The Star he was not
at liberty to tell what price was
paid for it nor who else Joined
him and Mr.. Lichtenberg in the
transaction. Mr.. Lichtenberg was
said to be out of town.
Other Transactions Listed
The commission right-of way
purchase records also show
that:
]. Mr.. Gutenberg bought a
66.33-acre tract on State Route
124 in West Gaithersburg from
Mr.. Rabbit on February 9
1858, for $66,300. On August 7
1858. Mr.. Gutenberg sold 281s
acres from this tract to the
roads commission for 100000.
2. Mr.. Gutenberg on May %
1854, bought 1876 acres adjacent
to his first tract from Mr.. Rab.
bitt for $4,000. On August IL
1854, he sold 3.95 acres of thi,
tract to the roads commission
for $500.
Mr.. Rabbit confirmed that hi
had sold the two parcels to Mr.
Offenders for $1,000 an acre. He
said he knew the road was com.
ing through the property but