Evening star., 1951-10-17
Court Refuses to Dismiss Parts of Peorsons Million Suit

charges of MIR. Tydings that the
Times-Herald and others had
helped Mr.. Butler wage a CAM
paign of moral squalor" in Mary
land.
Quizzed About Simmons.
who was Col. Roscoe Conklin
Simmons?" Col. Mccormick was
asked. Mr.. Roberts was referring
to the elderly colored writer for
the Tribune and Times-Herald
named by Mr.. Tydings as an i'm
ported political propaganda
against him. Col. Simmons has
since died.
Mr.. Caldwell directed his client
not to answer.
WAS Col. Simmons on the pay
roll of the Times Herald at the
time of the campaign"
81 don't think so" Col. McCor-
mick replied.
do you know Col. Simmons
testified at the Senate hearing
into the Tydings charges that he
was a well-regarded retainer of
the Mccormick family?"
do you represent Mr.. Tyd-
ings?" demanded Mr.. Caldwell. II
object to this attempt to retry
the Maryland elections case here" "
The witness was asked If he
selected Mrs. Miller to run the
Times-Herald after the paper was
purchased by the Chicago Tribune
in August, 1949. The colonel re-
piled her services in this capacity
started about that time.
did she have prior experience
in Metropolitan newspaper work?"
None" replied Col. McC Cormick.
did you instruct her as to how
you desired the newspaper to be
run?"
Had Little Leeway.
"She had very little leeway,"
the colonel replied. 1.-THE news
came mostly from the Chicago
Tribune press services, and the
editorial policy was to follow that
of the Tribune"
The witness was asked If comic
strips supplied by the services
could be editorial?"
II don't think so," he responded.
Are columnists a ejrculation-
producing feature?"
Il don't think So"
What about Westbrook Pegler's
column?" Mr.. Roberts was refer
ring to the writing of another de-
fendant to the suit.
II don't often read it." Col. Nc
Cormick said. He explained that
Mr.. Pegler's column had been con-
tracted for through King Features,
a Hearst enterprise, when the
Times-Herald was purchased.
Col. Mccormick testified that,
at the time of the purchase, j. L.
Maloney. managing editor of the
Tribune, was to be the contact
with Mrs. Miller in running the
local paper. He said Mr.. Maloney
later became i'll, and the contact
became rather feeble"
What was Mr.. Tankersley's lob
when you bought the newspaper"
"City editor. I think" Col. Me-.
Cormick said. The publisher said
that, when Mr.. Maloney became
i'll. he wanted Frank Waldrop to
substantially run the newspaper
while Mrs. Miller would represent
the family name"
"She was, only to supply the
family name?"
That was what ! had intend
ed" He said that Mr.. Maloney
came to Washington at least once
q month until ILL health forced
his temporary retirement.
Managed by Mrs. Miller.
who actually managed the
newspaper in 1902"
Mrs. Miller. I believe, tn con-
tact with Mr.. Maloney."
What disposition was made of
Mr.. Tankersley?"
Il brought him to the Tribune
for a while, and then he went to
work in New York for a Hearst
I believe"
Col. Mccormick added, under
questioning, that Mrs. Miller con-
ferred with him at his office in
Chicago over her resignation last
April. He told her, he said, he
wanted Mr.. Waldrop as editor.
"Was that agreeable to your
niece?"
mo-" replied the publisher.
This difference in opinion, he said.
was the basis for Mrs. Miller's
resignation.
did you discuss the Pearson
case, as stated by Mrs. Miller?"
asked Mr.. Roberts. The witness
replied in the negative.
Mrs. Miller and Mr.. Tankersley
were married in May, several
weeks after her resignation.
Col. Mccormick was asked If he
knew Neville Morgan, said to be a
former business Office employe of
the Times-Herald; Mrs. Frank J.
Sheridan, a former employe of
the women's section, or William
Kloepfer, a reporter. He replied
he could not recall them.
Mr.. Roberts said that, to "re-
fresh your memory" Mr.. Morgan
was reported to have been Mr..
Tankersley's best man at the
while Mrs. Sheridan was
matron of honor and Mr.. Kloepfer
was an usher.
Unaware of Firing.
Can you give any explanation
as to why these people were fired
from the Times-Herald after, the
wedding?"
II don't know anything about
it?" Col. Mccormick replied.
The witness was asked If he
made speeches for compensation
and replied, "No."
why did you speak In Virginia
a few weeks ago?"
my father was from Virginia,