Evening star., 1937-11-24
CREECH WITNESS
DENIES CHARGES
Ex-Deputy Sheriff Says He
Did Not State He Was
Drunk While on Stand,
BY JOHN c. HENRY,

Richard c. Tackett, ashen-faced
little former deputy sheriff of Harlan
County, KY. today denied before a
District Court jury making any state
ment about being drunk while testify
ing before the Senate Civil Liberties
Committee. Tackett's denial was in
direct refutation of statement made
before the committee by Ted Creech,
mine superintendent, and for which
the latter is now being tried on charges
of perjury.
With heavy blue jacket fastened
closely under his chin, Tackett some
what timidly took the stand today to
tell substantially the same story he
gave the Senate committee on the
afternoon of April 16. In brief, it was
that Creech had approached him dur
ing luncheon recess of the commit
tee and threatened him with long
Jail sentence in Harlan County for
his testimony against the mine op-
orators
Denying that he even knew Creech,
Tackett took the stand that afternoon
to disclose the threat and was support
ed in his testimony by United States
Deputy Marshal Robert L. Bonham.
Later, Creech took the stand to tell the
committee that Tackett had admitted
being drunk during previous testimony.
Today, Tackett told the jury that he
had had nothing to drink on the day
OF his committee appearance and that
he had made no such statement TO
Creech.
Defense Counsel William Leahy at
tackled Tackett's credibility as a SEN
ate witness as he began cross -examina-
ton this morning
Photographer on Stand.
Earlier today the prosecution placed
w. E. O'Haire, an Associated Press
photographer; Harold Weisberg, COM
mittee editor, and Deputy Sheriff A. T.
Pace of Bell County on the stand.
The Creech trial was headed for
holiday recess as lengthy examination
of long list of prosecution and de-
fense witnesses precluded any posi-
bility of completing the case today.
Still to testify were several miners
and organizers of the United Mine
Workers, who unfolded a record of in
timidation and violence by agents of
the operators in committee hearings
lastsspring
For the defense an equal number
of associates of the defendant is await
ing an opportunity to go before the
jury.
Testimony Is Read.
Government prosecutors read into
the records yesterday complete testi-
mony of Tackett before the commit
tee, including his participation in
dynamitings and other violence. for
which he was paid by the Harlan
County Coal Operators Association,
and his being threatened by Creech
in hallway of the Senate Office
Building on April 16
Taking the stand late in the after
noon, Deputy Marshal Bonham, who
had custody over Tackett, supported
the committee record by testifying that
he overheard the threat by Creech. Ac-
cording to Bonham, the mine SUPER
intendent addressed Tackett a fol-
lows:
Hello there, Tackett. You came
up here and got the coal operators
in lot of difficulty. Well, my boy.
when you go back to Harlan County
I'll see that you pull 8 or 10 years
for this"
Mr.. Bonham said he then pulled
Tackett away to prevent any trouble
at the time. Others within hearing
distance, he said, we're the Rev. B. H.
Moses and Henry M. Lewis, miners,
both Of whom also are here to testify
for the prosecution.