Reader Ad Slot
Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
Purple Gang Aka Sugar House Gang — Part 2
Page 59
59 / 97
pot my purpose,” Leebove an-|
awered.
“YT can’t conceive of any benefit
I could get from a lecture by a]
minn like you,” Dykstra retorted,
Prior to the appearance of the.
Witness Dykstra had said:
"I want to make It clear that I
belteve Gov. Comstock is high pur-
posed and well-meaning. But I
think he {fs in bad company. Re-
posing of power in the hands of;
& ganater lawyer Is not serving the |
best interesta of the State, and 1:
think the Governor's attention |
should be called to it publicly, so
he may find some way to break
away.
As the hearing broke up, Dykstra
still inslsted that the witness had
ate anawer hia question
tefused to answer his question,
Dares the Questioner
“The only questlon I objected
to was that concerning my maiden
name, and I even answered that,’!
Leebove declared. “I understand |
you @re a good Christian and at
churchman T dare you to rales |
enurenman, ear Piss
your right hand and swear this;
inquiry has nothing political about ;
it. There is not a thing on your:
mind you can ask me about that I}
won't answer, E dare you to ask
Me any question.”
Dykstra insisted that time would
hot permit resumption of the at-
tempt.
While Leebove did not affirm the
accuracy of a newspaper article
purporting to reveal New York
underworld connections, he said
that there was nothing in it that
reflected on his character or
charged improper acts, except that
he had defended a lot of unfor-
tunates, often without fee.
“If Mr. Smith (Councilman John
W. Smith, of Detroit} really wanted
to find out,” he said, “he would
have learned that much of my life
T have been assoelated with people
in trouble, Yet since he was 20
years old he has been @ ward of the
public purse.” .
Callaghan Tries It
Dykstra finally abandoned his
questioning at the hearing and told
the chairman that the witness had
refused to answer. Rep, Miles M.
Callaghan, first summoned as a
witness and later accepted as an
unofficial interrogator for tha com-
mittee, made more headway. Lee-
bove is a constituent in Callaghan's
district.
The witness admitted spending
between $6,000 and $7,000 on Com
stock's 1935 campaign, when it was
hopeless, and perhaps $15,000 on!
the 1932 campaign. His Wayne
County campaign report had ac-
counted for $9,000,
“Tm interested In good govern-
ment and nave compicte faith in
Gov. Comszrochk,”” he ventured.
“I've given a few paltry dollara
and they make a big fuss over it.
That contribution was solely out cf
friendship for Comsteck.”
CS
‘tance telephone.
Deseribes Frison Survey
The witness described in detail]
his survey of prisons, and expiained
that he had volunteered his serv-
ices, without cost, when Gov. Com-
: stock mentioned his own inability
to find time to act. He spent five
or six weeks on the survey, he re-
vealed, It was carefully explained
to all prison employees that no
threats were involved in thelr vol-
untarily agreeing to salary adjust-
ments because of the State’s finan-
cial plight. |
Leebova professed to know noth-
ing about the replacing of 35 Jack-
eon Prison employees a few days
after his survey was completed.
Tha name of Lee Garvin, Mar-
quette attorney, figured in the Kap-
Jan negotiations. He had introduced
EKanlan to Warden Corean, for s ra-
ap Srcen organ, i0r & re-
talner, Leebove asserted,
“Kaplan told me he represented
the so-called Purple gangsters, If
I should tell you what he actually
said, I know it will sound like
something political.
“He told me: ‘These boys are!
here becatige of one of the worst,
frame-ups I've ever heard of. Harry,
5. Toy, the prosecutor, of Wayne,
County, is responsiblé’ He knew
they were not guilty, yet he pary,
tictpated In thelr conviction because
he saw political advantage ‘aceru-
ing ta him thereby,’
ing oG maim Coe@re
Asked About Influence Used
“Did you use any undue influence
In asking the warden to permit:
Kaplan to interview these prisoners,
privately?” Callaghan asked. {
“T did not. The entire episode
fg just a silly situation, Y might
say further that I don’t think your
committee Is honest or consclen-
tious in asking those questions.” |
Leebove was asked about the road
built fn front of his home in Clare.
“I wonder where Smith (Counctl-
man Smith) thought I ought to
ve, In a swamp or in the Ever-
giades? I have never petitioned
for that road, never talked to any-
one about jt nor used any influence
in obtaining it. That is a part of
what is known os the Taft High-
way, and fa 4 part of the State pro-
gram,” he replied,
Senator Derham, lacking names
and circumstances which Leebove
later supplied, had introduced the
subject of the “springing of the
Purple gangsters and = insisted
that Lecbove was reported to have
appealed to Warden Corgan to per-|
Tmit a private interview between
Kaplan and his inmate clients.
Derham {insisted that corrobor-
\atory evidence would be produced
by Corgan and by Edward Frens- |
dorf, whom he stated had made a.
similar appeal over tha long-dia-'
Both have been'
Pattee sete er —rlte -- ew
SUMTTIONCG AS WLLULGESES,
Reveal the original PDF page, then click a word to highlight the OCR text.
Community corrections
No user corrections yet.
Comments
No comments on this document yet.
Bottom Reader Ad Slot
Bottom Reader Ad Slot placeholder
If you would like to support SpookStack without paying out of pocket, please consider allowing advertising cookies. It helps cover hosting costs and keeps the archive free to browse. You can change this choice at any time.
Continue Exploring
Agency Collection
Explore This Archive Cluster
Broad Topic Hub
Topic Hub
bureau
Related subtopics
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic
Subtopic