Evening star., 1946-12-18
BY the Associated Press

Edward P. Terry, former Sec
retary to Senator Bilbo, Demo-
crat, of Mississippi, testified
today that A. B. Friend told him
last April that if he told what
he knew about his former boss
he would be killed.
He said Mr.. Friend, a war con-
tractor and Senator Bilbo's cam
paign manager in last summers
election, delivered the warning to
him while entertaining Mr.. Terry
and his wife at dinner in Missis-
sippi hotel.
He quoted Mr.. Friend as saying:
Ed, if you take any part in this
campaign or tell what you know on
Senator Bilbo you'll get killed"
Mr.. Terry, testifying before Sem
ate War Investigating Subcommit-
tee, said later in the evening Mr.
Terry asked Mr.. Friend if Senator
Bilbo was going to kill her husband.
Upset Over Threat.
"He said no." Mr.. Terry recounted.
"There were two men going to do
the job"
Mr.. Terry said he was "very much
upset." but was interested in de-
feating Bilbo" on account of the
threat. He said he talked the mat
ter over with friends and they ad-
vised him to make statement of
the facts and go on to Florida, where
he had started a business.
"And if slipped on banana peel
the people of Mississippi would know
who to accuse" Mr.. Terry added.
Mr.. Terry said he gave out a sworn
statement that his life had been
threatened, but c. Phillips. a repor-
ter for the Meridian (Miss) Star,
told him he wouldn't print it with
out talking to Mr.. Friend. Mr. Phil
lips afterward reported, he related,
that Mr.. Friend said he was not
going to kill Terry, but that two men
were.
Mr.. Phillips told him, Mr.. Terry
went on, that after talking with
Mr.. Friend, the latter called back,
reversed himself, and said that I
was lying"
He said Mr.. Phillips told him
about the talk with Mr.. Friend
while Mr.. Terry was in Quitman,
Miss, hospital last Sunday.
Interviewed by Tax Agents.
Mr.. Terry said that after he re-
ceived the threat from Mr.. Friend,
he made a trip to st. Louis and
upon his return to Mississippi was
interviewed by Internal Revenue
agents about Senator Bilbo's in
come tax returns. Mr.. Terry said
he spent almost an entire day with
the agents and they unfolded to
me information that I didn't know
about"
Chairman Mead asked if Mr.. Ter
ry had ever heard of ANY threats"
or of any talk about anyone wear
ing "bullet-proof vests"
NO" Mr.. Terry said, that didn't
apply to me or the Senator and
never heard of it.
Senator Bilbo leaned over and
confded to newspaper reporter
tIldU 1lG Oluil llCCo q Uui1CO- pl ooi
vest, that he was "bullet-proof" just
plain.
Senator Ferguson asked Mr.. Terry
to tell "all you know" about four
checks, totaling $25,000, given to
Senator Bilbo by F. T. Newton,
contractor, on September 7, 1912.
Mr. Newton has testified that it was
his contribution to campaign fund
in behalf of Wall Doxey, then seek
ing election to the Senate.
Says Newton Signed Checks.
Mr.. Terry said he went to a hotel
room at jackson, Miss, and Senator
Bilbo told him to write out some
checks. He said he did so with
Mr.. Newton at his side, telling him
what bank accounts to make them
out against.
II asked the Senator to whom
the checks were to be made pay
able" Mr.. Terry recalled. "He said:
To me, Theodore G. Bilbo' wrote
the checks and gave them to Mr..
Newton, who signed them and gave
them to the Senator"
Mr.. Terry said he knew nothing
further about who cashed the
checks or what happened to the
S25,000, because he had disagree
(See BILBO, Page A-40