Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-09
Du Pre- Goes
Scot Free With
immunity Grant
Agreement Drew
Ex-OfficiuI From
Hideout in Mexico

The elusive Ben Du Pre- was
"scot free" today-free to come
and go as he pleases.
That is the way officials in
Montgomery County describe the
full immunity granted him to get
him to return from his hideout
in Mexico City.
The well-dressed, suave ex-
roads commission employee walk
ed into a hushed. electrified
Rockville courtroom yesterday,
making his first appearance here
since last fall.
He had received "good advice
! in Mexico" that he could not be
Iextradited, said Montgomery
County States Attorney Alger
IL. Barbee.
The decision to grant Du Pre-
Immunity from prosecution was
mot decided overnight" accord
ing to Prince Georges County
States Attorney Blair H. Smith.
Followed Conferences
Mr.. Smith said the agreement
was reached after considerable
thought and comforting by Mr..
Barbee, himself, Attorney Gen.
Ieral c. Ferdinand Sybert and
Baltimore City States Attorney
Anselm Sodaro.
I'm my opinion, no one has a
case on anyone without Du Pres
testimony" said Mr.. Smith. Its
"a matter of getting the main
iconspirators oie letting them all
Igo," Mr.. Smith added.
Du Pre- was indicted last No
vember in Montgomery. along
with six others on charges of
conspiracy to defraud the State
Roads Commission. He also is
under indictment on the same
charge in Prince Georges along
with Constas Gus Basiliko.
cts possible Du Pre- will be
called to testify before the Prince
Georges County grand jury when
lit convenes in April" Mr.. Smith
said.
Du Pre- was described last
summer as a sincere, consci-
Ientious" worker by his superiors
in the State Roads Commission
Suspended in June for alleged
misconduct while serving as
Iright-of way agent for the State
i'm Montgomery County, he was
fired at the climax of hearings
ION the suspension in July.
Throughout the hearings, he
had repeatedly denied any per-
Isonal business connections with
Gus Basiliko or Max Gutenberg.
He dropped his appeal sud-
denly when evidence was pro-
duced showing him to be the
joint owner with Gus Basiliko of
land in Prince Georges on which
Gutenberg held a mortgage.
For a few weeks Du Pre- could
be reached through his home in
Bethesda or through his wife's
family in Baltimore.
Then suddenly he dropped
completely out of sight. His
house in Bethesda was put up
for sale and sold.
Yesterday he disclosed he
went to Mexico City last Octo-
Der 5 or 6. He was working
there as a consulting engineer.
Returned in December
| Reports reached this area that
he had returned from Mexico in
late December.
This was confirmed yesterday
by his attorney, Barnard T.
Welsh. of Rockville. Shortly
after his return, Mr.. Barbee
said, he had conferred briefly
with him.
Since then, he repeatedly has
been staying in Michigan, re-
turning to this area for con-
lferences with prosecutors.
The last conference was re-
portedly held on February % in
the Plaza Hotel in Washington.
His whereabouts during the
first three days of the trial was
a closely guarded secret, and
no one knew for certain that
he was available until he walked
quietly into the courtroom at
1920 am, yesterday, flanked
by two detectives and his at
torney.