Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-21
DECOURCY CALLED |
IN HEARST INQUIRY
Newspaper Man Accused of
Forging Mexican Document
to Testify Here.

ny tue hSsociateO Fretes
Jospeh w. De Courcy, charged nv
witness before the Senate investi.
eating committee with having forged
document in Mexico City, will be
questioned by the committee in its
inquiry into the authenticity of the
Hearst Mexican slush fund documents.
De Courcy, former Mexico CITY cor
respondent of the New York Times
was accused of fabricating paper
during testimony yesterday by Robert
III. Murray. former Mexico CITY cor.
respondent of the New York World
While no subpoena has been issued
for De Courcey, committee members
said today that representatives of the
Times had volunteered to have him
come before the committee when II
rcopened hearing next Tuesday. ~S
Senator Johnson, Republican. Cali.
fornia, one of the committee. said 10.
day that he thought it very likely"
that James r. Sheffield. former Am.
bassador to Mexico. will be asked to
appear.
The committee again adjourned un-
til December 81.
Murray told the committee that II
was his understanding that the Amer
lean embassy in Mexico City had been
generous purchaser" of documents
from Miguel .Avila.
Murray's Name Included.
Murray. who served for years in
Mexico City as correspondent for the
World. made it clear that he and De
Courcey were unfriendly.
The committee heard Murray. who
tot
the Bank of Mexico, after he had
voluntarily informed Senators John.
son, Republican, California. and
Robinson, Democrat, Arkansas. two
committee members, of his relations
with Avila.
Declaring the "air in Mexico last
Spring was filled with documents -
Murray informed the committee that
it was his understanding that the
American embassy had been a "gener-
Gus purchaser" of documents purport.
ing to come from the files of the Mex
lean government and to show a par
ticularly hostile attitude by Mexico
toward the United States.
BlackmaiI Charged.
Murray. who is now suing the
New York Times for libel, said that
he had been told recently in New
York that DE Courcey was in San An
tonic, Tex, ''in close touch with
Avila." Avila previously had told the
committee he bought some of the
Hearst documents. which he claimed
had come from the office of President
Gales in San Antonio, from two Mex
lean clerks.
While Murray gave no testimony
about the documents purchased by
Avila for Hearst and later published
In his papers, he unhesitatingly named
DE Courcey, his former newspaper
competitor in Mexico, as the man
whom Avila told him had made up
the document concerning himself He
later charged that De Courcey, who
was eliminated sometime ago from
Mexico had written a letter to him
attempting ''blackmail" He produced
the letter to the committee.
The statement of Murray, the only
witness heard yesterday. that he un.
derstood the American embassy in
Mexico City had obtained many docu-
ments from Avila even before Mr..
Hearst purchased some of them.
brought no further word of expIan;,.
ton from the State Department, which
has maintained strict silence with
reference to the Hearst charges.
1t was indicated, however that Il
the committee wished any inforYna.
ton on the subject department. off,
Gals would be glad to 20 Lefore 1t.
Murray. who was in Mexico this
year from February until October
SAID ne had been shown documents
"peddled'' by Avila last February.
DE COURCY STILL. M PAPER