Evening star., 1951-07-27

was just walking to the movie.
one day. Balestrere related. wher
he met Binaggio.
Binaggio probably was the out
standing example Of political boss
and undisguised gangster in the
United States. He was the leader
of the First Ward Democratic
Club, and, after he supplanted
old Boss Pendergast, top dog in
the area politics.
We delved into the question OF
how-and through whom-he
carried out his political machina-
tions. The gangsters themselves,
of course, did their part. Eddie
Osadchey testified that Charlie
told me" to travel around the
State and line up his friends" for
Gov. Forrest Smith. RumorS were
prevalent that Binaggio had
raised sums as large at $150,00O
to the h-for- Governor cam
paign. but we were unable to Sc
cure any tangible proof Of large
scale contributions.
Ex-senator Questioned.
The committee had a session
with Roy McKittrick, former
State senator and attorney gen.
eral of Missouri. concerning his
knowledge of the alleged tie-up
between Binaggio and Gov.
In January, 1948. McKittrick
decided he would be a 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
.hances to win were. It impressed
me what he meant was the i'm
oortance that he had to have a
governor.
Later, McKittrick continued,
The Kansas City boss told him ne
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
soing to elect whoever you sup
port for Governor" Senator Hunt
asked the witness why he placed
such confidence in Binagglos
ability to dominate an election.
McKittrick: He had a 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
verv active. He was well supplied
with money. =,
Binaggio, McKittrick said, told
him, 81 have made a deal with
Smith"
The Kansas Cit. police board
was composed of four men, r.
Robert Cohn and Col. Hampton
), Chambers, both holdovers who
1ad been appointed by a previous
Governor, and two Smith ap-
oointees, Jacob L. (Tuck) Milli-
ran, a boyhood friend of Gov.
Smith and Sheridan E. Farrell, a
Kansas City hotel man. 1t took
,hree votes of the four-man board
% effect any important pollcS
,r personnel changes.
Cohn told us that Milligan and
Farrell were credited to the
Charlie Binaggio group" There
'ore, it was necessary for the
3inaggio interests to line up either
Col. Chambers or himself. Cohn
testified that he was approached
several times by Binaggio and
other emiSsaries "who suggested
that I be on their team and te
follow through the program they
had planned" But all efforts tc
bring either Cohn or Chambers
into the Binaggio camp failed.
Governor Decides to Act.
The payoff for the entire boart
came after the murder of BinaggiC
and Gargotta on April S, 1850
The eyes of America were focused
with disgust on Kansas City, anc
decent citizens there did rot like
it.
Gov. Smith reacted Dy calling
for the designations Of all the
Kansas City police commissioners
Milligan and arrell resigned. but
Coin and Chambers refused tc
do so, forcing the Governor tc
fire" them; that as their in
tention, they said, as they fell
they were clean and did not want
to be in a position of quitting
under fire. The present Kansas
City police board. our report
noted, sis made up of four men
Of undoubted integrity and the
citizens of Kansas City have helped
drive for better law enforcement
by forming a local crime COM
mission.
AS for Gov. Smith, it seemed to
the committee, after he had testi-
fed before us concerning the vari-
ous 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 un-
til around November, 1947 (thougt
Binaggio's name by then was 9
by-Word in Missouri politica,
circles).
Smith explained that Binaggie
Just walked up to him in Kansa.
City hotel lobby and said "ht
hoped l would run for Governor
that he was going to support me.
When he told you those things,
Counsel HALEY inquired, 'd'd yor
II l. l.