FEDERAL 1-OF TNVEESTIGAFHON JOHN ROSELLI EXCERPTS! PART 2 OF 5 e --. K3 ,~I FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Q Form No. 1 _ 4. Tr-us castORIGINATED AT §'fA,3H_[_NG1D1qiQ: FILE ]_]& NO. IIOITHADIAT . '1.. ' » 'DATIWHINMADI I PERIOD!-ORWHICH MADE E I 1, ' Is, TENT!sss 10-s-4'? 110- I. - CHARACTIR OF CA-BE %I LOUISc%:mAc1n., was,er AL sznssar P1'".ROLE TQTTER _ ___ . ._ . est . SYNOPSIS OF FACTS: Judge T. sasBEa92t*ILsoN statesletters received from priests and citizens in Chicago recommending subjects be paroled were accepted in good faith, and inquiries were not made relative to character and reputation of persons from whom letters received. states EldVi5eIS for_§ll five subjects were investigated by Chief Pro- bation Officer, Chicago, Illinois. Judge WILSONdenies knogng adviers. Judge WIISONhad been contacted by a I I if I I .- numhbr of Congressmen relative to paroling of prisoners, buttas not contacted by any Congressmanin instant ' I -» '-1,. ._ . case. Judge WILSON had been contacted by officials in e Department regarding paroling of prisoners, but was=not contacted by anyone in the Department in con- nec¬Eon with the subjects of this case. Judge'WllSON states that whenever recommendations of Congressmen and officials of Department were not inconsistent with facts and merits of case under consideration, he went along with their suggestions. Judge WILSON emphasized, however, that his decision.with respect to the paroling of any individual had never been influenced by a Con- gressman, an official of the Department, or anyone else. Judge'ILSON resigned due to condition of health and desire to return to private life in Mississippi. Judge Wilson rented Safety Deposit Box, First National Sank, Ilemphis, 'lenn.9-22-3'1. DepositB03. closed9-22-4'7 pursuant to .'.II5OITS letterdated 9-20-47. Last entry I. to bo:-I made by Judge '-'E[I.SOI~I6-22-47. _ RUG_ 1LJ_.,4l-Q:4'f'§1Lf?"f:;I:::_:-!s$QI.92?.I.lr92Il92I£,:.:F . J .'vi I ,$4. -I" I REIFlZtEI-ICE: elephone to Iemphis bylb". 12.J. I~.IcCI~.I3:Ioi the I is. /I new call ..~_ .. .~aa. >.e- _ .i IIVAPPROVEDTAIQD,3-,w,_R°X 7 cum. Aw W r W m Aolzrtr¢,.,_,," i;U , ;LfL!'5IIHI_,,f DOVMOLWRITI-Im THESEsr-Acnzs as' f I _ : 7-_ c0lI:uor1'gI;1;EP0R'r!,92é1. T I TH_.- I +6 I I INDEICED~921_ '-Bureau.W ' It a---II"'§E!"""_.F'I I - ChicagoWashington Field 8-261!* 1. -F g" 947 - _ I Memphis T ""' "l L _- -___ ___ _ 1 1 Guanine nun 'IE34 v ,- -. _ we _ Q-92§a-92Fir*-g»'lefI~¢$_.i~9_qiI![92gI*"-"J-.§,w;-f , e._....:__h_&" ___ --~=-- £1 -eel: ~ " r gag?.§'...:*if-t..~:'.'e~:t:.n"5.1, -yr § 92- 5e-2s A REFERENCE: C0nt'd! on October Telephone call6, 1947. toSAC S.D. I-IOSTJJTTER from I-II.E. J. 1 . rt I -. ¢ - ,_ McCABE_of the Bureauon October8, 1947. _ ipgpf -_... .v92"i. ' DEThII5: Pursuant to instructions given by nr. E. J. McCABE in=#ef- erenced telephone conversation with the writer, Judge T. _,;, WEBBER UILSON was interviewed at Goldwater, Mississippi October 6, 1947. The results of the interview are set forth below. HEDOEEENDATIONS-Priests and Citizens of Chicago Judge WIISON stated that although he could not remember the names of any priests or any citizens in Chicago from whom letters recommending the paroling of the five subjects in question were received, it is his recol- lection that at the time their suggestions were being considered he, Judge WILSON, noted that the communications were on stationery or letterheads of reputable concerns, such as International Harvester. He stated that he could not recall the name of any concern the letterhead of which was used except that of International Harvester. Judge'WIISON pointed out that it had never been his policy to check the character and reputation of such indiv~ iduals as priests and private citizens who would address communications to the Parole Board expressing interest in the paroling of prisoners. I SPONSORS OR ADVISERS Judge WILSON pointed out that before any prisoner may be paroled, -" a Sponsor or an Adviser must have been appointed for the prisoner. Usually the Sponsor or Adviser is some citizen from the prisoner's place of residence who in effect states he will vouch for the parolee and assist in his rehabil- itation. Before such Adviser or Sponsor is accepted by the Parole Board, the Sponsor or Adviser must be investigated. Such investigations, ordinarily, are conducted by the Federal Probation Officers. The investigation of the Sponsors or Advisers who represented the five subjects in this case was handled by Hr. FISHER, Chief Federal Probation Officer, Chicago, Illinois, Judge WILSON stated that apparently the results of the investigation made of the Supervisors or Sponsors in question were satisfactory. However, he has no independent recollection about the results of the investigation, nor does he know the Sponsors or Ldvisers who were actually appointed. He denied that his decision in this case was influenced by the Sponsors or Advisers. CONTACTS BY SENATORS AND REPHESENTLTIVES Judge WIISONrelated thaton numerousoccasions had he been ,¬p _ 2 - T _-4* ".-*_"'-'-¢ Ir --t5.» I i,:.';:§1%"'5.n -1|--4"J-»_. I--;.._,,||1-I-C11----~'-7'~:=7f';||.rL>-J .~:_:?,,a¥ft C' . '3""?'-FL9*?-".'33*-' '-V ...'..'*ii. '1'' ' ,...-._ ,._ 4 ~ A E J msI EE 58-23 &..<1»,.¢,92.._-: ._.'. contactedSenators by Representatives and andinquiring0 making ..,in,on.behalf of their constituents relative to the paroling of prisonersgei cyj - sj-pointed out that he always listened to anything the Senators and Reprosent~ r atives had to say, and also considered any written communication received "iron such persons, However, he d.niedcei__c __havinn _", ____been influenced_____-____ __ in his___ dggisign - r92 with volpect to the paroling oi any individual due to the receipt of a Con- gressional inquiry or suggestion. He stated that expressions of interest - made-by Congressmen with respect to a particular prisoner were considered by him in the sane manner as he considered expressions of interest from a -._._'.{" ___ W118 DI a relative of the prisoner, with but one exception, namely: He 3" would probably handle his research work in connection with an inquiry re- - ceived from a Congressman a little quicker than he would an inquiry from a relative, He added th=t if the desires of the Congressmen were consistent with the facts and merits of the case, he went along with their recommenda- tions. It was emphasized by Judge TILSOH, however, thrt the receipt of a reco1.11=1endati0n or an inquiry from 3. Conggressmanconcerning a particulel" prisoner had no bearing one way or the other with respect to his final decision. Judge WILSON stated he was not contacted by a Senator or a Re» oresentative in connection with the iive prisoners in question, namely; l£JUI5 cn;=u~,c1s=.,mot siiucii, PHILIP 1rn-warn,,c;~I1"-hiss ores,and JOHN ROSELLI. O Among those members of Congress who have contacted Judoe'TILSOH" Q ,-_-_ - 1.1_A J."_'IW ii; ._ __ !"___f A _. Ir 792 92l'_TI1*92'PT.l'I92n r1 f92rI'92v'I"A"92_|Tg'IIurr92|-r'w-r1F92 cl..['B UIIB.L UJ..l.UWlIlg: ocnaf-ors h. 11. .1-;c1*.._>.n1t:.1-1,o1"nnn;;i OI zenncssee, r1u_nuo of Tariland,., J GUFFEYof 1"ennsylvania, TE-IITE3 oiElaine , LANGBR of Horth Dakota, ;ICCARRA1 Y of Nevada , HcCLELL£N 01 Arkansas, TOM CONHALLYof Texas, and Sen- ator JOHNSON from Colorado; and Representatives HAROLD KHUTSONof Minnesota and SDLA']}IEPSoi Florida. Judge HIISON stated he could not recall anything e -'-,Specific about the cases on which the foregoing_Congressmen had contacted '.' .92 a him, with but few exceptions. "He is almost certain that all of the members * of Congress mentioned have contacted him within the past five years. he is - equally sure that additional Congressmen have contacted him, but he could not recall their nameee To the best of Judge WIISOH*S recollection, Senator HcKELLAR contacted him regarding a prisoner named BOJERSof Somerville, Tennessee, who was convicted during Yorld'Tar IIin connection with cotton cases. Representative Hn2OLD KHUTSON contacted Judge'ILSOH connectionin with a banker in the State of Minnesota who had served a sentence of ten years on a State Charge, and on being released was tried in Federal Court and given an additional sentence of ton years for the same offense. Judge JIIISOII voted in favor of paroling this banker. I i Jude '*'*'"IL301Jbelieves that Senator I.EcCLELL1>.N oi Arkansas contacted > It is Judge wlL5ON'5further recollection that e 3 him regarding an individual who had been convicted on a Narcotics charge. _ 3 - lill -y h _l_.j.,...;.;., if-:,,_._a. *-i§-.',.f;_-,._ .. , _ ______i.. _,_ I c _ volatil- H * *--wq_,~,,.,_-i *aw:M%*>?#;- _ls."w'._;- 1. ,f-5.3 ..',¢E; i 11»1 ..-Bwv-.,___,-,_,, _,.,.=§--4.."-92.=--.""°."~_;=~..=».,."'¥;f-:-'Z5@.*+~»*+-§;1":*'t;»*'<?.fs.":__.-.n*-.?'~'_*fI--,,.izg_;=;=-"5=~_1= .-,..._,,_- ' s 2-t KB 58-28 .