Tom Pendergast Inmate File: Memo from Robert H. Hudspeth to James V. Bennett
Memorandum from Robert H. Hudspeth, warden of the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, to James V. Bennett, director of the Bureau of Prisons, regarding Tom Pendergast, Inmate #55295. The memo discusses Pendergast assigning his lawyers power of attorney to deal with his income tax liability with the Treasury Department, and lists Pendergast's visitor log, including attorneys and Treasury Department agents. The memo also notes that Pendergast has paid "a substantial portion" of his back taxes owed. Also included is a letter of introduction from Charles O'B. Berry, special agent with the Internal Revenue Service, to Warden Hudspeth, for Pendergast's attorneys: John G. Madden, R. R. Brewster, and James E. Burke. Pendergast, known for his powerful Kansas City political machine and ties to organized crime, was found guilty of income tax evasion in 1939 and sentenced to 15 months in the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth.