raft TICiT1 urtA rrLY rek Grat Tia Redyfor C ircuit Court Jury after 9-Wee k BURDAY, AUGUST 12, 1944 Battle v 22 Defendants Await Verdict fin Bribery Case Kim Sigler Defends State's Key Witnesses b't f+ l l " w i r it n " FORMOSA Hpng Kong 0 500. MILES AT EQUATOR By The Associated Press MASON, Aug. 11.-The legislative graft trial was ready tonight to be submitted to the circuit court jury for its verdict, after nine weeks of bitter controversy between the big staff of opposing counsel. Judge John Simpson said he would give his charge to the jury at 9 a.m. tomorrow, and that it would take about two hours to complete reading of the document, after which the jurors will retire to determine the guilt or innocence of the 22 defen- dants. Spectacular Trial It has been a spectacular trial, in which five officials of finance com- panies are accused of paying bribes to 17 co-defendants who were mem- bers of the 1939 legislature, in a cor- rupt conspiracy to control the shap- ing of laws affecting the fortunes of the companies. Kim Sigler, special prosecutor, had the last word among the attorneys, presenting counter-charges to the jury against defense counsel who had accused him of faking evidence to obtain a conviction in what they called a "flimsy" case against their clients. Defense Lawyers Rebuked He told the jurors three of the 12 defense lawyers had sought to use their arguments in the trial to "vili- fy" and "smirch" the integrity of circuit Judge Leland W. Carr's one- man grand jury investigating char- ges of graft in state government. Their reason, he said, was "that anything derogatory which is said about me and Judge Carr hurts the grand jury, and a lot of people would like to see the grand jury fold up." Sigler declared he had no apology to make for state's witnesses who in their testimony described them- selves as parts of the alleged con- spiracy and described. the planning and paying of bribes to legislators. Testimony of Witnesses Upheld "We took them as we found them," he said, contending that these wit- nesses "were good enough for the defendants to sleep with in 1939, but now that they have told the truth, the defense calls them crooks." The defense contends it is "silly" to believe the accused would have written letters used against them as evidence of conspiracy, if they ac- tually had engaged in an unlawful plan, but Sigler told the jurors they wrote the letters because they be- lieved they were "safe." INVEST IN VICTORY BUY WAR BONDS & STAMPS LUZON MARIANAS IPA ATAANPHILIPINEGUA f..IS. Y.A *APALAU -'" Davac 'CAROLINESLAN TRUK