The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-03-30
REPORTERS
STORY WAS
UNF0UNDED
Hearst Brass Check Writer
OF Story on O'Connell
Featured in Company Press
Refuted by Colleague on
Tacoma Daily News.
BY SAM ANGELOFF
(Staff Correspondent Tacoma Daily
NeWs)

NeWSb
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Newsmen and
political observers here were still
chuckling over the reported story that
Jerry O'Connell, executive secretary
of the state central Democratic COM
mittee, had been ordered" out of
Olympia and told to ''stay out"
Several weeks after the INSIDE"
story appeared in Seattle paper, the
fact remains that O'Connell is still
in Olympia and that any such orders
issued originated only in the mind OF
the reporter who authored the story.
The story was printed several weeks
ago that allegedly revealed O'Connell's
'subversive" activities and as a re-
suit the state administration was
forced to issue orders to the executive
secretary to "get out of town and stay
out"
The story was dramatic - (Exclu-
lsive)-and grossly inaccurate. 1t first
revealed" that O'Connell was named
as one of the many individuals under
fire by the Dies committee. 1t pur-
ported to have information that the
Dies committee had damaging evil
dence against the former Montana
congressman
The story went on to say that when
this dynamite" information became
known to Gov Mon C. Wallgren, the
governor hastily called in his trusted
lieutenant, Harry Huse. state Demo
cratic chairman, and issued the edict
that "O'Connell is dangerous char
acter and that he must leave town"
Huse, the story further went on to
say, called in O'Connel1 and told the
executive secretary that the parting
of the ways was here and he (O'Con-
nelD must leave.
Newsmen who read the exclusive
story were startled to read of the ex
citing turn of affairs and rushed to
O'Connell and Huse for confirmation.
Most startled was Huse. He never
heard of the Dies report, he said. Nor
did he ever order O'Connell out of
town. Huse dismissed the affair with:
mo Democrat has ever been or
dered out of town. That practice
stopped on Nov. s, the day the Re-
publican governor was defeated All
Democrats are welcome to Olympia.
O'Connell branded lhe story as ri
diculous."
THAT goes to show" said O'Con-
nell, what comes from writing
story built on half-truths and insinu-
ations"
A confidential check shows how the
story got started and how it snow
balled into an expose" that backfired
Here is the authentic version of what
happened
The state central Democratic COM
mittee held one of its regular meet |
ings at which time it discussed the
of moving it's headquar-
tiers to Seattle. 1t was brought out
that Seattle is the center of popula-
ton and the moving of the headquar-
ters to the city would be more expedi- |
ent.
However, the committee voted
against the move on the grounds that |
Olympia is the center of political ac-
tlVlLy ana tnat OConnellS presence |
would be of greater help to the Demo
cratic party if he were closer to the |
governor.
1t was agreed that the headquarters
would remain in Olympia. A vote of
was also recorded for
O'Connell and his work during the
last months
In the meanwhile though, a report
er for a Seattle paper was tipped"
that O'Connell was under fire" and
he was being ordered" to Seattle.
The reporter contacted members of
the committee and asked if it were
true that move to shift O'Connell to
Seattle was under way. Members de-
CONTINUED on Page Four)