Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-16
Two congressman Are Indicted
j. S.Grand Jury
Names Boykirl,
7. F. Johnson
Accused Of Trying
To Hamper Action
In EdIin Case

Two Democratic Represent
atives were indicted by a Fed
eral grand jury in Baltimore
today on charges of trying to
pressure the Justice Depart
ment into dropping a mail
fraud charge against a Mary
land savings and loan figure.
Representative Thomas F.
johnson of Maryland and
Frank w. Boykin of Alabama
were named in a conspiracy in
dictment along with j. Ken
meth Edlin and William L.
Robinson, both of Miami, Fla.
Tried to Help Edlin
Edlin, SO, who was involved
in the operation of First Colony
Savings and Loan Association,
now in receivership, is the per-
son on whose behalf the two
Congressman are charged with
bringing their influence to bear.
He was convicted of mail fraud
and got out of Federal prison
only last week after serving
five months of a six-month
sentence. Robinson was Edlins
aide.
The indictment charges the
four men with conspiracy to
defraud the United States of its
governmental rights, specifical-
ly the right to have its business
affairs conducted honestly and
without pressure, and the right
to have the functions of its
4 Congressman administered
free from corruption and fraud
resulting from their personal
and pecuniary interests" in the
various companies controlled
n by some of the defendants.
Met IN Two Cities
n The indictment lists rs overt
s acts--visitS, telephone calls
n letters ana memorandums-al-
legedly committed by the de-
{ PENDANTS to bring pressure on
: Attorney General Robert Ken
nedy and Assistant Attorney
General Herbert j. Miller. jr.. of
the Criminal Division, regard
ing the Edlin case.
Meetings in Miami and
Washington were held to pro-
mote the conspiracy, the In
dictment charged. -.
Among the overt acts also
listed was a speech made by
Mr.. johnson on the floor of
the House in the summer of
1860, in which he reputedly
praised the integrity of Mary
lands commercially insured
savings and loan associations.
Fifty thousand copies of the
speech were distributed to saw
ings and loan company deposit
tors and to members of the
Maryland General Assembly,
the indictment charged.
Mr.. johnson was accused of
getting $17.550 lin furtherance
of this conspiracy"
Mr.. Boykin, a 77-year-old
businessman who has been in
Congress for 20 years, was de-
feated in the primary election
last spring, and is a lame duck
Congressman at this time.
Mr.. johnson, elected in 1858
and reelected in 1860. is run
ming for a third term.
Warrants Signed
Representative johnson is
running against Rogers C. B.
Morton.
Immediately upon return of
the indictment, United States
District Court Judge Edward
S. Northrup signed bench war
rants for arrest of the four de-
PENDANTS, setting bond at
$4,000 each.
United States Attorney Jo-
seph D. Tydings, a stepson of
the late United States Sem
ator Willard Tydings. present.
ed the case to the grand jury.
with Assistant United States
Attorney j. Hardin Marion III
and Arnold M. Weiner, a spe-
cial assistant.
Representative Johnson's of.
flee on Capitol Hill said he was
ION the road" and could not
be reached until this evening.
His aides said they we're not
aware of the indictments. Mr..
johnson also could not be
reached at his home in Berlin
or his office at Salisbury on
Maryland's Eastern Shore.
/ Representative Boykin left
for Alabama shortly after the