The Hoffa Story-ll
oaia, Bobby Kennedy in Top
Siysicai Condition for Combat
Editor'! note: This it the
tecond of five dispatches on
the life and times of Jimmy
Hoffa.
By HARRY FERGUSON
Washington -II'PII- About the
only thing Bobby Kennedy
and Jimmy Hoffa have in
common is physical culture.
Hoffa is five feet, five and
a half inches tall and 180
pounds of solid muscle. He
doesn't smoke or drink, does
push-ups and exercises with
bar bells. He has been known
to sit alertly at the table for
3B hours in a contract nego
tiation. Kennedy is a push-up
man, too, and rides horseback,
hikes, swims and plays touch
football.
So both were in the pink for
the historic struggle that start
ed on Aug. 20, 1957, when
Chairman John L. McCIellnn
of the Senate rackets commit
tee said: "Mr. Hoffa, will you
be sworn in, please." Kenne
dy, as committee counsel, was
going to do the prosecuting.
One member of the committee
was Sen. John F. Kennedy of
Massachusetts.
At the time Hoffa was ninth
vice president of the Interna
tional Brotherhood of Team
sters, Chauffeurs, Warehouse
men and Helpers of America.
The president was Dave Beck
of Seattle, now serving a pris
on term for income tax eva
sion, and already on the skids
as head of the big union. The
one thing that probably
wrecked Beck's career as a
labor leader was that he took
the Fifth Amendment 140
times in one session when he
appeared before the McClel
lan committee.
Faces Decision
Hoffa was faced with a
fough decision as he got ready
to testify. If you are going
to take the Fifth Amendment,
you had better take it all the
way rather than answer some
questions and refusing to an
swer others. If you answer a
question as to whether you are
a member of the Teamsters
Union, then the next one is
likely to be whether you ever
stole any money from the un
ion, and if you decline to an
swer you are in contempt of
Congress. Dave Beck Jr. took
the Fifth when asked whether
he knew his father.
Hoffa, with a lawyer on ei
ther side, rejected the protec
tion of the Fifth Amendment.
He was deferential toward the
senators on the committee and
addressed them as "Sir," but
lie treated Bobby Kennedy as
Child's Feet
NOT
Gcneroui Trade-in Allowanct for Your Old Set
CONVENIENT TERMS
though he were patting a shag
gy dog on the head. Kennedy
bored in immediately:
"You have been arrested a
number of times. Mr. Hoffa.
How many, approximately?"
"Well, I don't know. Bob."
Hoffa replied. "I haven't
.ounted them up."
Lists Arrests
Kennedy counted them up
for him. They skimmed over
the arrests for illegal picket
ing (Hoffa claims he once was
arrested 18 times in 24 hours
but always returned to the
picket line). Two things were
left. Hoffa was accused of
violating the federal antitrust
law in Detroit in connection
with the collection and ship
ment of waste paper. He
pleaded nolo contendere (no
contest) and was fined SI. 000.
He also was convicted of a
misdemeanor in connection
with collecting $5 in "initia
tion fees" from Detroit gro
cers and was ordered to re
turn $7,500 to them.
Hoffa was calm and cool
and almost every time he an
swered a question he took out
insurance against a perjury
charge by saying "to the best
of my recollection." That
meant he could change his
testimony later if somebody
refreshed his recollection.
Gradually a pattern devel
oped in Kennedy's questions
and Hoffa's answers. When
they got on the subject of his
finances, Hoffa testified that
he made the acquaintance of
Owen Bert Brennan, president
of a Teamsters local in De
troit. Brennan had achieved
something that millions of
persons have sought without
success an infallible system
for beating the horses.
Explains Funds
Hoffa testified that each
year he gave Brennan some
cash to put on the horses and
at the end of the year he got
back winnings that ranged
between S5.000 and $10,000.
Hoffa's income tax returns
over a few years listed a
total of S60.000 income in
"wagering and miscellane
ous." The committee and every
body in the crowded room was
eager to have the Brennan
system of picking horses ex
plained. Kennedy poured
questions at Hoffa, but Jimmy
professed to know nothing.
"Ask Brennan," he suggest
ed. That's what the committee
did and Brennan was brought
to the stand. His lawyer ex
plained that Brennan was in-
A Problem?
HERE!
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BOTH IN CONDITION-About the only thing Bobby Kenne
dy and J'rnmy Hoffa have in common is physical culture.
Both believe in exercise, so both were in the pink when
their historic struggle began on Aug. 20, 1957. with Hoffa's
appearance before the Senate Rackets committee in Wash
ington. UPI)
volved in some litigation in
New York state, and then
Kennedy started the ques
tions. "On the advice of counsel,"
Brennan replied, "1 respect
fully decline at this time to
answer, and under the Fifth
Amendment to the United
States Constitution I assert
my privilege not to be a wit
ness against myself."
He started saying that
around 2 p.m., and said it
steadily until 6:20 p.m. It soon
became evident to everybody
that the secret of picking
horses was going to remain
locked in Brennan's brain
with the Fifth Amendment
standing sentinel.
Becomes Pattern
This was to become a fa
miliar pattern in the hearings.
Hoffa would suggest that
somebody else knew the an
swer to the question and then
that person would take the
Fifth Amendment. Sen. Karl
Mundt of South Dakota, a
member of the committee, fi
nally leaned toward Brennan
and said:
"I think Mr. Hoffa is taking
the Fifth Amendment through
your lips."
There wasn't any doubl. that
Hoffa had won the first round.
Next:
Cloak and dagg:
a federal court.
stuff in
Coffage Grove Boy
Dies in Rope of Swing
Cottage Grove - Wll - Clar
ence R. Beers, 12, died at his
home near here Sunday night
when his neck became tan
gled in the rope of a swing.
Police said he may have fal
len. The death was termed an
accident.
5695
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON
X- '' Ji
ti"ii MimXatkkm Miltm Art,
H. W. McCAULEY
Regional Manager
Regional Office of
SIAC Established
Here, Open Sept. 1
II. W. McCauley. classifica
tion and survey supervisor for
the employer coverage divi
sion of the State Industrial Ac
cident commission, has been
named regional manager ef
fective Sept. 1. with headquar
ters at Sixth and Grape sts.,
Medford.
Completing a major phase
of the commission's reorgan
ization plan designed to speed
up service by coordinating
and maintaining employer
coverage, accident prevention
and claims service at an area
level, five other regional of
fices have been located
i throughout the state. F.ffective
relations will also be estab
lished with doctors and hos
pitals in each region.
McCauley is a nalive Ore-
i gonian from Salem and during
' the last war was a mepiber of
the V. S. Air Corps specializ
ing in communications.
Educated In Salem
He received his education
in Salem schools and, the Or
egon College of Education. He
became affiliated with the
commission in 1!I51 as a clerk
working up to the position of
classification and survey su-
I pcrvisor for the employer cov
erage division before his se
lection to be a regional man
ager. SIAC s regional program
grew out of an administrative
study begun in January last
year with a commission task
force and directed by Wood
ward and Fondillcr, New
York management analysis
The plan will facilitate hand
ling matters at the area level
through closer contact with
those under th' Workmen's
Compensation Law needing
service.
Principal cilics and com
munities to be served are Cave
Junction. Gold licach. Grants
Pass, Medford, Myrtle Creek.
Port Orford, Rogue River.
Sutherlm, Ashland, Brookings
and Roscburg.
Oswald West's Widow
Dies in Portland
Portland TP1 Mrs. Oswald
West, widow of the former
Oregon governor, died Mon
day at the ace of 86.
Mrs. West had been m f ill
ing heaith sinre the death o(
Medford Youth Hurt
In Auto Accident
I Stanley Keith Schecl, in. of
route ;!, box 16!)C, Medford,
I was injured Sunday when hi
I car failed to negotiate a curve
I at the west end of the Bear
j creek bridee on Kirtland rd.,
i s'ale police said,
i He was reported in fair con
dition at Rogue Valley hos
pital. He is being treated for
cuts on his face and arms.
The School car left the road
way and rolled over several
times, police said. The driver
was taken to the hospital by
the Central Point Ambulance
service.
A It !:-
v.... .
RygMrgWHg?ffaffilW,H"BMkTT"rHBinieT "T'l flnlnH. iMaH.WMHBMMHlnWlB
XN. w . , . i Shop G
If ' 'AC
f 4 U if f 4 t ' : 'J
m 9 t
r
GIRLS REGULATION
Shop :l Scat's and Savci
ili-faelion ( ,iiiir:iril ceil r mir Money Hack
'American History
Portland Two n;itn)u;il
awards in American history
were awarded in Orvson hy
the American Association for
Stale and Local History meet
inn in Buffalo. N. Y. last
week. accord inn to Tom
Vaughan. member of the
council and director of the
Oregon Historical Society.
The "'Award of Distinction,''
; a unique and occasional
- award, went to Dr. Hurt
j Huntsville. Ala. --ilTl' - Work
'on construction protects at
i Army and civilian space agen
!civs returned to normal here
Monday with the return of
! striking electricians.
Ek nS''
REDUCED!
Regulation Royal Blue
GYM SHORTS!
37
Sanfonzed
Short with
Cotton Gym
3-np side clo
ture. Illustration strrnUr to
ityle. Siei 10-20.
Awards Presented
Broun Barker, Portland, for
his distinguished community
and regional .service in schol
arly fields and many impor
tant coimibuiions of histori-
c.il materials to institutions
all over the country.
Barker, former vice presi
dent of the University of Ore
gon, is (he author of many
historical publications includ
ing "MeLoughlin Empire and
its Rulers" and "The Letters
of Dr. John McLoughlin."
The "Award of Merit" was
presented to the Oregon His
torical Society, publisher, and
Dr. Arthur L. Throckmorton,
author, for publication of
'Oregon Argonauts: Merch-
100
Regulation White
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S-zei 10-13.
SEARS
TUESDAY. AUGUST
ant Adventurers on the West-1
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1 ceiving wide acclaim and
many national reviews, it is
j a long awaited synthesis of
; settlement and development
KODACOLOR-ln By 10 a.m.
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of the Pacific Northwest
(liMa-itsoU) and speciriraiiy
a study of Iludsor.r, Kay
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neer merchant capitalists in
opposition to the fur com
pany. w?vi wit aw
28. 1962
9
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