Evening star., 1938-03-12
SHIELDS ADMITS
DESTROYING DATA
JohnstoWn Mayor Says He
Acted to Bar Reflection
on Special Police.

Mayor Daniel j. Shields told the
Senate Civil Liberties Committee today
he had detroyed pay roll records of
special police during the Johnstown
(Pa) steel strike to prevent any re
Election" being cast on the individual
special officers.
Chairman La Toilette grilled the
Mayor in detail about the number of
special police and how they were Sc
lected, armed and directed.
Mayor Shields at first estimated he
had deputized about 500'' of the spe-
cial officers from volunteers. Later
he raised the estimate to 800 or 60O."
He said records Of their services had
been kept but were destroyed later.
Did you destroy them personality"
Senator La Toilette asked.
Quite likely, because did not want
them lying around" the Mayor re-
piled
why not?"
Good Citizens Enlisted.
MANY of the men who served were
good citizens and did not want any
thing to reflect upon them"
Senator La Toilette asked why pa
troll duty away from the strike area
and picket lines would be refiec-
tion?"
Mayor Shields said he did not cor
'sider 1t so, but that some people might
think lit was scab or strike duty
Senator La Toilette asked If it was
not unusual for the city to destroy
pay roll record of it's ctizens?"
Mayor Shields said it had been done
before on pay rolls of special officers
during other strikes
Ultimate destination of some S40,-
900 of Bethlehem Steel Co. money
handed over without accounting to
officials of the Johnstown Citi-
zens' Committee or to Mayor Shields
was to be the subject of cross
examination of the mayor and his as
sociates as they returned to the witness
stand before the Civil Liberties Com
mittee today.
Disbursement of the funds during
less than month last summer while
Committee for Industrial Organiza-
tions strike was in progress in Johns
town was admitted by officers of the
company under questioning yesterday
afternoon.
According to recapitulation placed
In the record the money was handed
out as follows: June II, $1,000: June
is, s2o.3oO; June 80, $1,000; July ~,
$5,62l, and July 20, $l,457.
Received by Several Persons.
Most of this total of SAL, $50 was paid
either to Mayor Shields, to Francis
c. Martin, chairman of the Citizens
Committee, or to Fulton I. Connor,
treasurer of the committee, it was ad-
mitted, although $500 of the June
18 withdrawal was given to Charles
Adams of the Pennsylvania Railroad
to pay in turn to Federal Laboratories
for large quantity of tear and sicken-
Ing gas being supplied to the Johns
town Police Department.
Testimony disclosing the unques-
tioning handout of the money to the
Johnstown city officials was given yes
terday by G. II. Elllcott, general man.
ager, and Sidney D. Evans, his as
slstant at the steel plant.
In addition to the funds thus ex-
pended, the company officials also ad-
mitted to paying $85,ol4 to Charles
Peterson in about three weeks for
feeding workers housed in the plant
during the strike.
While the Bethlehem plant officials
we're on the stand Committee Chair
man La Toilette also placed in the
record number of bills from the
Plnkerton Detective Agency for in
vestigation work at the Johnstown
plant in August. 1886, shortly after
the c. I. o. organizing drive got
under way. Both MIR. Ellicott and
Mr.. Evans denied knowing anything
about the Pinkerton work.