Evening star., 1956-03-17
Dismissal Plea Based
OnDuPreDeposition
Attorney Says
Statement Clears
BosiIiko, Hudson
By GENE GOODWIN

By GENE GOODWIN
The attorney for George Basi-
like and John B. Hudson said
today that statements made by
Ben Du Pre- in a deposition have.
in effect, "exonerated" his cli-
entS.
George Basiliko and Hudson
are under indictment in Mont
gomery County on charges OF
conspiracy to defraud the Mary
land State Roads Commission.
George is the brother of Con-
stas Gus Basilikio, who is now
awaiting sentence after a Mont
gomery County Circuit Court jury
Thursday night found him and
Max Gutenberg guilty of a SINH
lar charge.
Washington Attorney A. Slater
Clarke announced that on the
basis of new information brought
out in a deposition Du Pre- gave
IN Rockville Thursday. he will
file a motion to dismiss a case
now before the Maryland Court
Of Appeals involving Hudson.
Case Up On Appeal
The case is an appeal from a.
Montgomery County Circuit
Court decision dismissing a suit
the State Roads Commission
brought last summer against Mr..
and Mrs. John B. Hudson of 5412
Fourteenth place. Michigan Park
Hills. West Hyattsville.
Mr.. Slater said he plans to
file his motion on Monday. Argu-I
ments on the appeal originally
had been scheduled for April g.
The suit revolves around State
purchase in late 1854 of lot at
1914 Connecticut avenue. Chevy
Chase View. needed for proposed
widening of that road. The suit
accused the Hudson couple of
making false and misleading
statement" in selling the lot tol
the State Roads Commission for
$26, 500.
It alleged that the Hudsons
had falsely claimed that they
bought the lot for $4,000. Rec
ords later showed that the pre-
vious owners of the lot, Mr.. and
Mrs. David I. McKone, had sold
1t for 500 800 shortly before the |
State bought it from the Hud-
sons.
The transaction was handled
for the roads commission by
Du Pre-, former assistant right
of-way engineer who had testi-
fled that he, Gus Basiliko and
Gutenberg m nipulate d land
values in order to make an
illegal profit in sale of right-of-
way to the State for the Wash
1ngton National PlKe.
Strictly "Straw Party" |
The deposition referred to by |
Mr.. Slater was taken from Du
Pre- in the Rockville Office of
his attorney Barnard T. Welsh.
in the presence of Mr.. Slater
and Joseph D. Buscher. assistant
attorney general in charge of
roads commission legal affairs.
It is understood that Du Pre-
made statements to the effect
that John B. Hudson was strictly |,
q "straw party" in the transac-
ton and he had no knowledge
that he (Hudson) had received
any financial benefit from the
deal.
He also is understood to have
said the deal was handled by
him and Gus Basiliko and that
Gus told him his brother George
was broker in the transaction
and. as such, received only the
standard brokers' commission.
Du Pre- repeatedly stated that
his profit in the deal was a
$1,000 equity in some property
in Annapolis.
Du Pre- testified in the Offen-
berg-Gus Basiliko case and
gave Thursdays deposition /
under protection of immunity |
granted to him by prosecuting /
officials in Montgomery and |
Prince Georges Counties and
Baltimore City. The deposition
was taken because Du Pre- plans |
to return to Mexico City this
week end.
Du Pre- and Six Others
The Montgomery grand jury
last November returned two roads
conspiracy indictments naming |
Du Pre- and six other men. The
indictment that already has been
tried named Du Pre-, Gutenberg,
Gus Basiliko, Robert j. Rosen-
field and Jerry Goldberg.
The States attorney dropped |
charges against Rosenfeld and |
Goldberg at the beginning of the |
trial on the grounds that they |
merely had served as straw
parties" for Gutenberg and Gus
Basiliko.
The indictment still pending
named Du Pre-, Gus BaSiliko,
George Basiliko and John B.
Hudson. However, George Basil
ike has never been arraigned-E
and. therefore. no trial date has
been set-because he is fighting
extradition from the District of |
Columbia.