Evening star., 1946-12-17
Repaid $1,000
Loan for BiIbo,
Friends Testify
Feared Shushun Aid
Might Emborross
Him in 1910 Race
By Robert X. Welsh

By Robert K. Welsh
Associates of Senator Bilbo,
Democrat, of Mississippi related
to a Senate War Investigating
Subcommittee today how they
put up money in 1910 to pay off
a $4,000 loan made to him in
1888 by Abe Shushan, New Or
leans wholesale dry goods dealer
and close friend of the late Huey
P. Long.
Forrest B. Jackson, Senator
Bilbo's attorney, and Robert New
ton, Mississippi banker and turpen-
tine dealer, testified they helped
pay off the note so that the Senator
would not be embarrassed in the
1910 election campaign. They said
Mr.. Shushan was in trouble in
mail fraud case at the time.
Mr.. Newton, however, denied Mr..
Shushan's testimony yesterday that
Senator Bilbo personally received
the money from Mr.. Shushan. This
witness said he understood the late
Grant Stewart borrowed the money
in behalf of the Senator and gave
it to him.
Met in Hotel Room.
Senator Bilbo had been expected
to take the stand today, but before
this mornings session started the
Senator told reporters he did not
plan to answer testimony until it
was completed, including that Of
his former secretary, Edward P.
Terry, who is due to be heard to-
morrow.
According to testimony heard to-
day Mr.. Newton, Mr.. Jackson, Mr..
Stewart and Mr.. Terry met in a
Jackson, Miss, hotel room at the
request of Mr. Terry in August, 1910.
The former secretary told the
gathering that Mr. Shushan had
threatened to sell the note to the
political organization of former Gov.
Hugh White of Mississippi, then the
opponent of Senator Bilbo in the
senatorial primary, Mr.. Jackson
testified.
Each of the four then put up s750.
Mr.. jackson declared be later lent
$750 to Mr.. Terry. He explained
that sit could be considered that
Senator Bilbo owes me a total Of
81 500, but I never tried to collect it."
Confusion Develops.
Some confusion developed at the
hearing when Mr. Jackson said he
believed the hotel conference took
place about six weeks after the note
had actually been paid off by Mr..
Stewart. If that were true, Mr..
Jackson said, the group at the hotel
had been misled by Mr. Stewart. But
on further reflection, Mr.. Jackson
said he believed the conference took
place before the July 13 date on
which the note was said by Mr..
Shushan to have been paid.
Mr.. Jackson told the Subcommit-
tee he never mentioned the hotel
conference to Senator Bilbo. He
said also he never told the Senator
that Mr.. Terry had frequently tried
to borrow money. Mr.. Terry, he ex-
planned, had complained he was in
desperate circumstances and need
ed money ito pay Senator Bilbo's
bills"
Il did not tell Senator Bilbo," he
said in reply to question by Sena-
tor Ferguson, Republican, of Michi-
gan, because man does not tell
about the wrong doing of his wife
or his confidential secretary. Some
times a private secretary knows
more than wife does
Turn to Church Funds.
The subcommittee turned to Sem
ator Bilbo's fund-raising efforts in
behalf of the Juniper Grove Baptist
Church at Poplarville. 1t was
brought out that Senator Bilbo had
special account in a Jackson bank,
headed by Mr.. Newton, and that
this account contained more than
$27 500 at one time. The balance
as OF last August 81 was 81 ,285. .38.
Senator Bilbo handed the sub
committee several documents, one
of which, dated December 9, 1946,
was deed conveying the church
and parsonage property to the board
of deacons of the church.
Senator Ferguson asked Mr.. Jack
son if, as lawyer, he would say no
legal title had passed, since Senator
Bilbo still has the document in his
possession.
Senator Bilbo broke in to explain
the paper he had handed Senator
Ferguson is copy of the deed, the
original of which is in the hands of
the chancellery clerk in Pearl River
County, Miss.
Senator Ferguson wanted to know
if it had been recorded SO that title
passed. Mr.. Jackson said he thought
it is still deed in escrow with two
conditions, that title would pass
either on completion of the church
project or in the event of Senator
Bilbo's death.
Verbal Agreement.
Asked if the conditions were in
writing, Mr.. Jackson replied, mo,
| it is a verbal agreement"
Senator Ferguson observed that
| the clerk of the court could de-
| termine one condition and pass the
title if Senator Bilbo died. The
Michigan Senator wanted to know
who would determine when the
church and parsonage were COM
pleted. Mr.. jackson said he thought
Senator Bilbo was the person to de-
termine that.
Committee Counsel George Mead
er suggested Senator Bilbo could
take the deed back in its present
status. Mr.. Jackson agreed that
he probably could. Mr.. Meader in
sisted that, under those conditions,
legal title had not passed.
I'D say no legal title, but equi-
(See BILBO, Page A-3D
BIoze on Mt. Olympus