Evening star., 1937-01-15
La Toilette
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ed to Hanna's implication in the fog
ging also was developed by G. c.
Giles, chief OF detectives of Birming-
ham; Charles J. Lenz, oil dealer, and
George NJ. Brooks. salesman. who un-
covered the first evidence leading to
Hannas Identification by Gelders.
After such identification was made.
it was testified. Brooks became fearful
of his life. started drinking and
started carrying a gun for protec-
ton He feared he was ION the spot"
it was testified.
The committee recessed shortly be-
fore noon with the announcement it
would hear testimony on labor poll
cies of the American Bridge Works of
the witnesses called is still Ill.
Both the T. C. I. and the American
Bridge Works are subsidiaries of the
United States Steel Corp.
Says Telephone Calls Made.
During Giles brief appearance he
testified that Chief of Police Hollums
of Birmingham had conferred with
w. r. Sims in charge of special
deputies OF the T. c. l.. after the fog
ging. At times. Giles said, calls were
made from the department to Bir-
mingham telephone number 3-2664.
Chairman La Toilette then intro
duced a letter from the telephone
company stating that the number was
an unlisted one paid for by the T. c. 1.
Lenz then took the stand to tell
of Brooks fear after becoming in
volved in the case.
Brooks was pretty nervous" Lenz
said, after he got involved in this
case and he borrowed a gun He
told me he was afraid he was on
the spot.
Asked what developed. Lenz then
told of Maj. Harry E Smith OF the
National Guard calling Brooks. After
that, Lenz testified, Brooks was less
nervous and said he might take a
vacation"
Brooks on Stand Briefly.
Brooks took the stand only briefly
to confirm the testimony of LEM
Haigler then told the committee of
his conversation with CAPT. Hanna.
He asked me where I was and ]
told him 1 was in Clanton. That's
the place they beat the Reds Hanna
said, and I told him I didn't think
much of that business.
He said he'd like to take a base
ball bat to some of them, but I told
him I didn't think that way.
Hanna told me he was with the
T. c. l."
Cowhe1d's first contribution was to
tell the committee that the number
3-2664 was Hanna's number at the
T. c. 1. plant.
Pal. what are we going to do with
this so-and-so Gelders?" Cowherd
quoted Hanna as saying on the after
noon of September %, the date on
which Gelders was flogged.
I'm not going to do anything" !"
Cowherd said he told Hanna.
The next day. Cowherd said, he
made a list of six names and handed
them to the head of the Alabama
State Federation of Labor and pre-
dicted the names of Gelders' assail-
ants were among them.
Subsequently, three of them have
been identified" he said.
Testimony involving the two identi-
fed assailants, Hanna and Dent
Williams, was presented to the COM
mittee yesterday by Gelders and
Sergt. ]. w. McClung of the Alabama
State police, who was principally in
strumental in establishing their con-
nection with the case.
Invited to Make Defense.
Both Hanna and Williams were in
vited by telegram to appear at the
hearing this week to make any de-
fense or explanation they cared 10,
Chairman La Toilette announced, but
Williams replied with a denial of any
knowledge of the case, while Hanna
did not reply at all.
Dramatically, Gelders. young-ap
pearing crusader, who has been SOL
dier, steel worker and professor of
physics at the University of Alabama,
told the committee how he had been
attacked by three men on the night
of September %, while returning to
his Birmingham home from a meet
ing. Thrown into the bottom of an
automobile and beaten nearly un.
conscious, he was driven into the
country, where other men joined the
trio, stripped their victim and flogged
him SO severely he lay unconscious
until dawn.