The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-07-18

The witness SAID tnaC JnlS con-
verSation, or the latter part of it,
was carried on in a "joking vein."
Senator Black interposed:
1.-TWO days later, after this
conversation, you found out
that somebody had, in a joking
way. of course. burned up the
originals In the Western Union
office"
ASKED CONFESSION
''It wasn't any joke 20 me-"
After this Mr.. HERON said. he
talked to L. S. Shew Of the Erie
Western Union office, who was
making an interoffice investiga-
ton of the loss Of the records. He
continued:
"Mr. Shew seemed to think
that Mr.. Fisher had burned the
records, and he asked me to go
to Fisher and tell him to make
. clean breast of the matter"
"Did you do that?"
a Eyes"
~What happened"
"He said that he had nothing
to do with the burning of those
records and that he had nothing
to confess. He had been given
until last Monday morning to
make clean breast to his COM
pany; but he said that there
was nothing to confess"
Mr.. Heron said it $50 hap
pened" that he could check his
actions during the several days
before and after the destruction
of the records.
Asked About Operator
The committee asked the wit
ness whether he was close friend,
of A. F. Christensen, telegraph
machine operator in the Warren
Western Union office. Mr.. Chris
Hanson earlier told the committee
that he burned some July $3.50
records, but said that he did not
knowingly burn the June 1935)
records, embodying the kilograms
which Mr.. Heron sent.
These records are missing, and
charred fragments found in the
stove of the Western Union office
check with several messages which
were received by members Of Con-
greSS.
E. w. O'Brien, manager of the
Erie subsidiary of the Associated
Gas, was next called and Mr.. Her
ron was sent outside the commit
tee room. Mr.. O'Brien was asked:
Did you destroy all the pa
perS you had in connection with
the Wheeler Rayburn bill?"
eyes sir set them aside"
"Where did you set them?"
I'm the waste basket"
"WhO told you to do that"
''U. E. Beach, manager of the
ASSOciated'S Securities Depart.
ment in Ithaca"
"CLEANED DESK"
"'Why did Mr.. Beach want the
files destroyed"
"Mr. Beach said we are
through with legislation work"
Didn't he say that was in
case Of q senatorial inveStiga-
tiOn?"
eyes"
The witness said there was
nothing in the papers he de-
Stroyed that would "be of any
USE" He said he wanted to clean
out his desk. The questioning
continued:
"You talked to Mr.. Shew
AAmv-& %~M GSl~NS% ~vouuT0
"Yes. I talked to Mr.. Shew."
"And you told Mr.. Shew that
Mr.. Beach had told you to de-
StrOy your files?"
eyes"
"Then It is true that Mr..
Beach called you and told you
there was going to be an inves-
tigatiOn and he wanted you to
destroy your papers with refer.
ence to the Wheeler-Raybnrn
billy"
eyes, that is true"
"HOw much have You paid
the Western Union and the
Postal Telegraph Company for
kilograms to members of Con-
BACSS UA SAAAS UuA
"WeII, I'd say about $4,000 in
ALL"
The witness said that he paid
this with his personal check, but
that the money come from the
company. He said that the COM
pany deposited $500 to his
(O'Brien's) personal account.
He had never paid any important
sums for the company before in
this matter.
Mr.. Heron on first taking the
stand reiterated the substance
Of his telegram to the committee
yesterday, explaining that he was
unable to get here then, as re-
queSted, because he was short of
funds. He said his pay check, due
Tuesday, failed to arrive.
Replying to committee question.
ing Mr.. Heron said he had talked
to his superior, j. P. Fenster-
macher, before coming to Wash
ington. The committee questioned
him closely about conversations
he might have had since being
summoned to Washington, but de-
Veloped nothing of Importance.
Err tn Inuac%ino%n