Show Jurors Indict Briggs as Letter Lefler Forger Former Ickes Aid Used Hopkins Hopkins' Name Probe Holds WASHINGTON Jan 25 INS George N N. Driggs confidential aid to Interior Secretary Harold Ickes was indicted by a Washington Washing ton federal grand jury Tue Tuesday day on charges of forging the name of Harry L. L Hopkins to a White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House letter Briggs h has been suspended sus sus- p by Ick Ickes Briggs also was indicted on charges of using the forged document document document docu docu- ment to obtain money under false pretenses and with using the mails malls to defraud The indictments climaxed a two- two week Inquiry into the origin of a aletter aletter aletter letter published hed by C. C Nelson Sparks former fonner Akron mayor in inthe inthe the book One Man Wendell Man Wendell Willkie apparently linking Hop Hop- kins to Willkie's campaign for the G O OP P presidential l nomination Hopkins branded the letter a forgery org ry A man 23 federal grand jury returned returned returned re re- re- re turned the indictments indictment before Edward Edward Edward Ed Ed- ward C. C Eicher chief justice of f the federal district court for the District of Columbia The indictments were handed down one day after Briggs had appeared before the grand jury which had been investigating the famous Hopkins letter c case e. e If It found guilty and given the maximum sentence on all three Indictments in indictments in- in Briggs would be subject sub sub- ubI I to a total of 53 years in pr prison lon and a fine fino of The Thc grand jury completely ex exonerated ex- ex onera Hopkins pr presidential ad ad- Frank P O 8 oilman Dr rey Lee LeC president president dent of S Methodist university university uni uni- and Secretary Ick Ickes of any part in the case The three indictments returned against Briggs contained 11 counts The first indictment charged Briggs with passing a forgery and forgery of ot the famed letter purportedly written by Hopkins to Lee Implying that the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House intimate favored as the 1911 1944 Republican pr presidential nominee The Thc second indictment accused Briggs of using the forged document document docu docu- ment to obtain money under false pretenses from Sparks The letter Jetter was published publish d in Sparks Sparks' book One Man Wendell Willkie The third indictment containIng contain contain- ing eight counts charged Briggs with using the malls mails to defraud in connection with eight letters sent to Sparks notifying him of the existence tence of the forged letter and arranging to transmit it to fO Sparks According to the first indIctment indictment indictment indict indIct- ment Briggs well weli knew that the letter would operate to the prejudice dice of C. C Nelson Sparks and in- in Continued on F Page Palt FIve Column Six p oil U. U S. S 1 Grand Jury Indicts I Briggs As teller Letter Forger Continued from P Page PaI g On One Jure Sparks' Sparks reputation integrity integ rity and veracity The Indictment declared that Briggs while Sparks was preparing preparIng preparing ing his book last autumn offered the letter to him for Inclusion inthe in inthe th the work representing it DS as genuine genuine genuine gen and authentic and a valuable valuable valuable able addition to said laid book The second indictment accused Briggs of falsely pretending and representing to Sparks the authenticity authenticity authenticity au au- au- au of the sensational letter in a written memorandum to the former Akron mayor This indictment all alleged ged that Briggs represented to Sp Sparks a r k II a 1 that Dr Lee Phillips and Ickes knew of the existence of said letter and believed it to be genuine and authentic 2 that the letter was then in the possession possession possession posses posses- sion of Phillips who refused to surrender it except to messenger r who would come to him in person at D Dallas and and 3 that he Briggs would go to Dallas for this purpose if Sparks Sparks' would advance money to him for the expenses of the trip Whereas this Indictment concluded concluded concluded con con- in truth and in fact tact there was not then and there in existence and never had been in existence any such genuine letter from the said Harry Hopkins concerning said Wendell Willkie nor did the said Frank p Phillips nor tho the said Umphrey Leo Lee nor the said Harold L. L Ickes know of ot such letter or believe it to be genuine and authentic authentic authentic au au- au- au nor had said Frank Prank Phillips Phillips Phillips Phil Phil- lips ever represented that he would deliver to a mess messenger nger who would come to him in person at Dallas T as nor did defendant the then and there intend to go to Dallas for the purpose of obtaining said letter |