Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-06-05 | Page 1 | Ickes Hurls Blackmail Accusation

ICKES HURLS BLACKMAIL B ACCUSATION A C CU S Coercion to Obtain Political Post Charged to Two Lawyers DISBARMENT IS DEMANDED i Secretary Tells of Threats ats by Attorneys CHICAGO June 5 JP Secretary of ot the Interior Harold L. L Ickes flung a bald charge of ot blackmail at two Chicago attorneys today as he took tools the witness s stand as the complainant in disbarment proceedings against them Ickes a. a asserted that Lucius J J. J W W. Malmin had tried to bargain with him for lor the governorship of ot the Virgin Virgin Vir Vir- gin in Islands threatening to file tile disbarment disbarment dis dis- disbarment dis- dis charges against the interior secretary if it he refused to use his I influence with ith President Roosevelt Roosevell in n Malmin's behalf Malmin formerly a federal judge of the Virgin Islands was defending with Attorney C C. W. W Larson Larsen the blackmail blackmail blackmail black black- mail charges brought by Ickes in L demanding their disbarment in Il Il- II Ickes related before the supreme court commissioners a conversation with Malmin l in Washington last sum sum- me mer r. r Malmin l n Ickes said told of ot having been approached by Larsen concerning concerning concern concern- in ing litigation over o an estate of oC which ekes Ickes was an executor Larsen had I mentioned purported grievances hadI and I threatened to file tile a petition for tor the disbarment of or Ickes because of ot al al- lege eged mismanagement ag ment of r the e. e estate ta te Malmin l told ibId mc mg t a as 33 th the leading Scandinavian i n in Chicago Chi CM cago Larsen Lars en had consulted with hiss him concerning the Sounders Saunders case and that hat he had attempted to dissuade him ilm and had labored abord abo d day arid night I to prevent him from carrying ha with th the pr proceedings c dings lie sie tom me mat 11 JI i would ao oo ashe as ashe asie he he ie requested there would be nothing noth noth- ing ng more heard about the I told toM him that as far ar as I was concerned ed Mr Larsen could go to ic hell I told him I had never submitted submitted submitted sub sub- to blackmail and I did not propose to do so now The sole ole issue of ot the hearing hehring the commissioners pointed out was whether the defendants violated professional pro I ethi ethics by trin trying to blackmail blackmail blackmail black black- mail Ickes into exerting his influence to get them federal jobs