The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-12-07

Binagg had raised sums as large
as $3.50, 900 to the Snith-for- Cover
nor campaign. but we were unable
to secure any tangible proof Of
large-scale contributions.
The committee had session with
Roy McKittrick, former state sena-
tor and attorney general of Mis-
souri,, concerning his knowledge Of
the alleged tie-up between Binag-
gio and Governor Smith.
In January. l948, McKittrick de-
cided he would be q candidate
against Smith.
@. Did you have any converse
ton with Charles Binaggio about
your candidacy?
A. Yes, sir He wanted to
discuss what he thought the chances
to win were. 1t impressed me what
he meant was the importance that
he had to have a governor.
Later, McKittrick continued, the
Kansas City boss told him he ought
to get out Of the race. McKittrick
told us he said to Binaggio ''If you
have made up your mind, think
the race is over right now because
you are going to elect whoever you
support for governor" Senator
Hunt asked the witness why he
placed such confidence in Binag-
gio's ability to dominate an cleo
ton.
McKittrick: He had lot Of friends
and supporters in st. Louis, and he
was the controlling factor in Kansas
City. He had good alliances at st.
Joe. He was very active. He was
! well supplied with money.
Binaggioa McKittrick said, told
him, Il have made a deal with
Smith"
The Kansas City police board was
composed of four men, r. Robert
Cohn nd Colonel Hampton S.
Chambers, both followers who had
been appointed by previous gov
ernor, and two Smith appointees,
Jacob L. (Tuck) Milligan, boy.
hood friend of Governor Smith and
Sheridan E. Farrell, Kansas City
hotel man. It took three votes Of
the four-man board to effect any
important policy or personnel
changes.
COhn told us that Milligan and
Farrell were credited to the
Charlie Binaggio group" There
fore, it was necessary for the Binag.
gio interests to line up either Col
onel Chambers or himself. Cohn
testified that he was approached
several times by Binaggio and other
emissaries "who suggested that
be on their team and to follow
through the program they had
planned" But all efforts to bring
either Cohn or Chambers into the
Binaggio camp failed.
The pay-off for the entire board
came after the murder of Binaggio
and Gargotta on April 5, 1850. The
eyes Of America were focused with
disgust on Kansas City, and decent
citizens there did not like it.
Governor Smith reacted by call
ing for the designations of all the
Kansas City police commissioners.
Milligan and Farrell resigned, but
Cohn and Chambers refused to do
so. forcing the governor to fire"
them; that was their intention, they
said, as they felt they were clean
and did\not want to be in position
of quitting under fire. The present
Kansas City police board, our re-
port noted, sis made UP Of four
men Of undoubted integrity" and
the citizens Of Kansas City have
helped drive for better law enforce
ment by forming a local crime
commission.
As for Governor Smith, 1t seemed
to the committee, after he had
testified before us concerning the
various allegations against him, that
he either was a much lied about
person., or a man Of exceedingly
bad memory. Smith said he didn't
even know Binaggio by name until
around November, 1947 Though Ri.
naggio's name by then was a by
word in Missouri political circles
| Smith explained I h a Binaggio
| just walked up to him in Kansas
City hotel lobby and said ''he hoped
would run for governor, that he
was going to support me-" when
he told you those things" Counsel
HALEY inquired, did you ask him
who he wasp Governor Smith re.
Piled: 1T did not"
The governor did recall that BIZ
maggie visited him several times
at the state capitol
The first visit was about a month
after his Inauguration when Binag.
gio dropped by with five or six
other people"
What did he want?" asked Hal.
ley, and Governor Smith replied:
He wanted to see what a COVER.
nor's office looked like. he said .