Evening star., 1951-04-25
Senator's Taft, Bricker
Testify al Trial Of
Representative Brehnl

sas&t va
Representative Brehm'
Senator Taft. Republican, of
Ohio, and House Minority Leader
Martin were among a delegation
of congressional figures who ap-
peared in District Court today as
character witnesses for Repre-
sentative Walter E. Brehm.
MIR. Brehm, an Ohio Republi-
can, is on trial charged with ac-
cepting illegal campaign contri-
buttons from two employees of his
Office.
Others who came from Capitol
Hill to testify were Senator
Bricker, Republican of Ohio;
House Majority Leader McCor-
mack, Representative Halleck,
Republican, of Indiana, and Rep
resentative Feighan, Democrat, of
Ohio. Another character witness
was Val Washington. Negro as
sistant to. the chairman of theI
Republican National Committee.
Their testimony was limited,
according to Federal court pro-
cedure, to answering the question:
What is the reputation of the
defendant as to truth and honesty
as a law-abiding citizen?"
Senator Taft replied, "I think
1t is excellent without question"
The others replied in like man
ner.
Brehm Resumes Stand.
Mr.. Brehm then resumed the
stand for his second day of direct |
examination.
Mr.. Brehm gave an account |
Of his experience in discharging
Mrs. Clara Soliday, 71-year -old
woman from his district, whom
he had hired as a clerk in his
Office.
Mrs. Soliday, he said, while
visiting her daughter in Ohio
after two years employment with
him, tripped over a dog and fell
down stairs. After that, he said, /
she was changed woman, and
was not even able to address en-
velopes without large percentage
of errors. fa
When he finally gave her notice
on January IL. 1948, he said she
turned on him.
Il definitely saw a side of Mrs. /
Soliday's nature that I did not |
know existed" he said.
Her response was so threaten
ing, he said. that he remarked to
her. THAT sounds like blackmail."
AS she left his Office, Mr.. Brehm
said, she told him: I'll get even
with you if it's the last thing
I do"
Mrs. Sohday testified earlier in
the trial that for three years she
kicked back one half of her
$4,000 plus salary to Mr.. Brehm.
Mr.. Brehm also is accused of
accepting contributions from Mrs.
Emma Craven, an employe in his |
office from February to August,
1948. -e.i
- On the stand late yesterday
afternoon. in response to ques-
tlons from his counsel, Leo A.
Rover, Representative Btehm told
the story of his life.
Born in Somerset, Ohio, So years
ago, he said he had shined shoes,
worked II hours a day in brick
yard at 10 cents an hour, waited
on tables and even mopped floors
I'm Tim Kennedy'S saloon" to
get an education. L
He had attended several schools
including the Boston University
Divinity School and Ohio Wes-
leyan before turning to dentistry
and graduating with the degree
OF dental surgeon from Ohio State
University, he said.
He said that on wintry evening
In 1914 he was visited at his
office at the Capitol by Mrs. Soil
day and her son Ray.
Ray Soliday asked him if there
was anything he could do to get
his mother transferred to an
other job in the Treasury De-
partment where the pay would
be higher and she would not be
on her feet so much Mr.. Brehm
said. He knew the Solidays we'll
back in Ohio, he said. They were
Democrats.
About to Be Dropped.
He said he called the Treasury |
and found that the woman was
about to be dropped through /
reduction in force He delayed 4
telling her for several days, he
said, and when he did so, tears
came to her eyes.
He said he told her that there 4
was a clerkship in his Office that I
paid $4,000 or $4,500 and that he l
would give it to her. She said |
that was much more than she was
getting, he said, but added he did
not ask her what that was.
Mrs. Soliday, it was previously
brought out. was getting 81 ,260 a /
year at Treasury.
Representative Brehm said he
gave her the job and that soon
she came to him and said she
wanted to give him some of the
money for his camuaipn f,nd she. /