Governor Calls for Probe of Crime Charge
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vention would accept him as a candidate. He said although it might help him politically to support former Gov. George Wallace of Alabama Governor Calls now for president, he did not plan to make a decision on that yet. M'KEITHEN said that he "accepts" the Warren Com- mission report on the, assas- sination of President Kennedy, For Probe of but this does not necessarily mean he "thinks" it is cor- rect. He said he accepts it on the basis of those doing the investigating but declined to explain his definition of the word "accept." He added Crime Charge that District Attorney Jim Garrison should be allowed to complete his investigation. By BILL LYNCH Otherwise, the nation or the (States-Item Bureau) world will believe that po- BATON ROUGE—Gov. John J. McKeithen said litical pressure was brought today he has ordered an investigation into charges to bear to end it premature- ly, he explained. that criminal influences exist at all levels of state On the Life magazine arti- government. cles on crime in Louisiana, The governor said if allegations that crime exists Gov. McKeithen said, "There in s t ate government is no question this state has the private group has. been terribly smeared." prove true, "the people "Whoever gave that infor- He said, "I hope we can of this state will have my mation to Life Magazine recuperate and cure the ter- resignation so fast it will about state government did rible image that has been make their heads swim. this state a great disservice," projected about us throughout he said. the nation." He said he would quit be- The governor said that the cause if the allegations are The governor also com- mented on other issues: only reason for the alleged correct, "either I'm a crook smear that he could figure or I'm too stupid to be gov- He said that efforts are be- ing made to get the federal out is the indictment of Wal- ernor." ter Sheridan, an investigator McKeithen said at his reg- court to alter its judgment in the grant-in-aid case to for the National Broadcasting ular news conference that he, Co. by Garrison in the Ken- special state police invesit- See M'KEITHEN— Page 4 nedy assassination probe. gators and an FBI agent will HE DECLARED that there meet with the New Orleans is crime in other states sur- Metropolitan Crime Commis- McKeithen- rounding Louisiana, but the sion next week to study its Continued from Front Page magazine picked on Louisiana evidence. permit the state to provide apparently because rackets funds for mentally retarded figure Carlos Marcello lives THE GOVERNOR again in the New Orleans area children. angrily commented on a Life "They know they can take magazine article on criminal Law enforcement, he said, Marcella and 'smear any- influences In Louisiana state is the number one issue in body," the governor said. and local government. He the country today. He criti- The governor said again called it a "deliberate smear" cized the national leadership that the state will investigate on the state. on this score and said he did itself first and then "we Whoever is responsible for not know if he could support shall" investigate other al- the article "should leave the President Johnson for reelec- legations on the local level. state," he said. tion. He said that if the magazine Asked if he referred to McKeithen said he has no allegations on the state level Aaron Kohn, head of the plans to sign a civil 'service were true, then the state level MCC, McKeithen replied: "If pay raise schedule recom- would have to be probed first the shoe fits, let him wear it." I mended by the State Civil —"You can't have crooks in- Service Commission earlier vstigating crooks." THE CRIME commission this year until he is certain said last week it supplied the adequate funds will be avail- HE SAID THAT if a panel basic information. The gov- able to support one. Of three ministers found that ernor said that he and mem- Asked if he planned to be a there was criminal influences bers of a special state police favorite son candidate at the on the state government level, investigating team would Democratic National Conven- then he would resign as gov- meet with the MCC soon to tion next year, McKeithen collect whatever information said he did not think the con- ernor. McKeithen said he has or- dered Col. Thomas Burbank, director of the Department of Public Safely, to notify all, of the sheriffs whose parishes were mentioned in the mag- azine articles as places where gambling flourished to clean up if any of the charges are true. N F 6V ORLEANS STATES-ITEM Crime „Panel Reuse O'Hara, Seeks gLtsil DA, MCC Asks Continued from Front Page their judicial advisor, some- one who does not share Judge Council has failed to close up O'Hara's loyalties to racket- Of DA, O'Hara establishments which have li- eers and convicted felons, and censes and which are using The Metropolitan Crime a legal advisor who does not these licenses to break the share District Attorney Gar- Commission today called for law," Kohn said. He added rison's violent refusals to ob- that pinball and jukebox op- the recusal of Dist. Atty. Jim jectively deal with organized erators have a big interest Garrison and Criminal Court crime." in seeing that establishments Judge Malcolm V. O'Hara as which use their machines are THE MCC PRESIDENT said legal and judicial advisers to kept open." he also intends to recommend the Orleans Parish Grand Commission President E. C. that the grand jury "formally Jury. Upton Jr. and Kohn said, request Mayor (Victor H.) Sixteen members of the "We believe there is need for Schiro and Police Supt. (Jos- crime commission have an official examination of con- eph I.) Giarnisso to assign for been subpenaed to appeal- 1)e- flicts of interests as exist in their assistance several mem- fore the grand jury' today in Landrieu's case." bers of the Police Intelligence connection with a probe into Upton said that the mem- Unit under command of Capt. mission files. allegations of organized crime bers of the crime commis- Thomas Drake, with the un- in New Orleans. ' sion, when they appear be- derstanding that these offi- KOHN A N D GARRISON Before showing up for the fore the grand jury, would cers will work directly for the have been the principals in grand jury session, officials of present "detailed investiga- grand jury, and not under the a running feud over the past the crime commission called tive leads pertaining to the supervision of the district at- several years over the ques- a press conference and rec- following major problems of torney." tion of whether New Orleans organized crime here: The crime commission is one of gangland's capital (Related Story on Page 1) "The pinball gambling called for the removal ' of cities. racket, rackets influence on O'Hara after the judge testi- The DA. said that if this ommended that the grand jury fied that he had acted as a "act to secure an impartial, sports and the liquor license grand jury fails to turn up "messenger" for convicted objective judicial adviser and racket." any proof of mob activity, felons—Teamster Union presi- legal adviser." UPTON CHARGED that the then Kohn should resign from dent James Hoffa and New MCC managing director liquor license racket involves the MCC. Orleans builder Zachary Aaron Kohn contended that "the complex, corrupt influ- The other MCC officials "Red" Strate. there is a conflict of interest ence of pinball-jukebox oper- called before the jury today involving City Councilman ators and others to maintain Garrison asked the jury to either are or have been mem- Moon Landrieu. He gold that the many hundreds of bars conduct its investigation into bers of the commission's Landrieu's membership on and other locations in which organized crime, he said, aft- board of directors. the Council and his position they operate their machines." er he became incensed at a as a lawyer for the TAC "Relative immunity from Life Magazine article which Amusement Co. poses a con- the law," he said, "has en- alleged that racketeering and flict of interest. couraged many of these loca- syndicated crime are flourish- Kohn said that City Coun- tions to contribute to the ing in the city. Garrison said he does not cil has taken little action with alarming rate of murders, as- regard to revoking liquor li- saults and other crimes in believe the Life charges are censes where pinball gam- this city." true and swore he would re- sign if the Grand Jury turns bling violations have oc- Both Upton and Kohn com- curred. up any evidence to support mended the last grand jury the claims. "We are saying that City for spotlighting the lack of (Turn to Page 4, Column 4) action taken against liquor OTHER GRAND juries dur- license holders who have vio- ing Garrison's tenure have lated the law. investigated the existence of mobsterism in New Orleans, ASKED SPECIFICALLY if each time returning a nega- the MCC was calling for the tive verdict. recusal of Garrison and Judge MCC managing director O'Hara for this particular Kohn, however, insists that grand jury, Kohn said: racketeering is going full blast in the Crescent City, "Basically, yes. And also supported mainly by the members of District Attorney forces of Carlos Marcello. Garrison's staff over whom Shortly after the Life he may exercise control." article hit the stands, Kohn, Upton said the MCC will who was subpenaed for to- suggest to the grand jury that day's session, announced that it appeal "to the attorney gen- most of the magazine's in- eral and the governor of this formation about New Orleans state for help in securing, as had come from crime corn- .