LOUISIANA: Jughead v. the U.S.

Attorney General Frank Murphy’s right arm reached deep into Louisiana again last week, brought forth from a Gold Coast farm (exotically stocked with Russian caracul sheep) the huge 242-lb. frame of ex-Governor Richard W. Leche, indicted him for conspiracy to defraud the U. S. in an illegal $148,000 sale of State-owned oil lands, for which he allegedly received a $67,000 cut. Beefy Mr. Leche, always known to the late Huey Long as “Jughead,” and a one-third inheritor of Huey’s empire, had suddenly resigned his Governorship in June after 37 months’ rule, saying: “I shall probably fool around some in the oil business.” Indicted with him was Seymour Weiss, who polished Huey’s manners, also inherited one-third. No. 3 inheritor was Mayor Robert S. Maestri of New Orleans, whose prestige & power were still intact last week as Murphy’s men plowed through the canebrake courthouses for more evidence, more indictments.