Evening star., 1951-04-11
o-Truman Leaders
Gel Hearing Today in
Job Sales Inquiry
BY the Asseeisisd Pre-"

J0D Sdles inquiry
BY the Asseciufed Press
JACKSON. Miss, April IL
Pro- Truman leaders in Mississippi
are expected to testify today before
a Senate subcommittee hearing
charges that Federal jobs were
sold in this State.
Chairman Hoey of the three
man investigating group said
Clarence e. Wood, titular boss of
the pro-Truman faction, and
Curtis Rodgers. the factions act
ing secretary. will be summoned
to the witness stand today.
T. B. Wilkins of McC Comb, Miss,
told the committee last night that
he and Early G. Harvey of Liberty,
Miss, "were couple of chumps"
for buying Office of Price Stabili-
cation county jobs that didn't
exist.
No county Offices have been au-
thorized by OPS.
Another witness, Mrs. Claude v.
Murphy of Winona, a member of
the pro-Truman Mississippi Dem
ocratic Committee and identified
by previous witnesses as their con-
tact with the committee in pur-
chasing post Office jobs, told the
Senators she had been afraid toI
tell all I knew" for fear we'd
probably all go to the pen."
Senator Mundt, Republican, of |
South Dakota, a member of the
investigating committee, charac-
terized handling of postoffice pat
ronage in Mississippi as "one of
the most vicious job-selling rackets
I've ever heard Of"
Two others beside Mr.. wilkins,
q retired businessman, and Mr..
Harvey, operator of an auto acces-
sorry store. testified on the sale
Of the non-existant OPS jobs.
They are Phillip Brasfield, Wood
vile mayor and banker, and A. /
F. Pylant of Purvis. All said they
discussed OPS county organiza-
ton jobs with Roy F. Brashier, a
pro-Truman organizer in Missis-
sippi.
Got $500 Check.
Each said Mr.. Brashier offered
him a non-paying job as county
OPS chairman with authority to
name personnel in the office. l.
HE got check for $500 from :
Mr.. Harvey at their first meeting" h
Wilkins said. "I gave them al :
check in the committees Jackson
office the following Saturday.
Nothing was said about a po-
litical organization or about re- {
building the Democratic Party"
Mr.. Harvey said Mr.. Brashier !,
told him "We don't care how you
get your money back" /,
He added that he stopped pay |.
ment on his check before it was
cashed. Mr.. Wilkins got his check
back from the committee. Mr.
Pylant said he gave $4o0 after
Mr.. Brashier's visit. Mr.. Bras
field did not contribute.
Sworn In Together. Il
Mrs. Murphy and her husband, Is
a rural mail carrier. were sworn :
in together. h
She told the Senators Mr.. !;
Rodgers and Forrest jackson. an
attorney at Jackson. told us we I
could accept contributions up to
$4,000. I understood that if the
contributions were made and I ;
recommended them the people
would get the jobs"
She said Mr.. Rodgers would ;
not accept any checks other than !
her own, and that ''he told me he
couldn't run the Office on hot air"
She said she had collected So, ,63Qt
In contributions for the commit I
tee. I've been afraid to tell all
I knew" she testified. "Mr. Rod
gers told me that if we told every !
thing we knew we'd probably all !
60 to the pen."
Her husband. explaining that he /:
Is a Republican while his wife is
a Democrat. added. ''but you know
a Republican in Mississippi has
about as much chance as a snow
ball in hell" He said he had con-
tributed $500 to the pro- Truman
group and $500 to the campaign
Of Representative Abernethy of the
Fourth Mississippi district.
Archie Watson. a Navy veteran,
testified he was supposed to pay /:
$4,000 for an appointment as rural
mail carrier at Stewart, Miss. He
said he did pay $3.50. but did not
get the job although he later got
5000 of the $3.50 back. /:
Ralph Perkins of Calhoun City.
low man on the examination, got
the job and he testified he made
a voluntary contribution of $500.
Both Mr.. Watson and Mr.. Per-
kins named Mrs. Murphy as their
committee contact. |
Gift Wasn't Voluntary.
Mr.. Watson said there had been
no understanding he was making
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