Evening star., 1952-12-30
McCarran Denies Plot
Against Paper in Quiz
On 81 Million Suit
By jones {. Roper

II was up 10 OSIldIOI MCCdI oil
to answer some questions.
Usually he asks them.
But the Nevada Democrat was
in the witness chair for five hours
late yesterday, giving pre-trial
testimony in connection with a
81 million damage suit.
Hank NJ. Greenspun, publisher
of the Las Vegas Sun. is suing
Senator McCarran and 40 other
defendants-mostly with gambling
interests-on a charge that they
conspired to withhold advertising
from the Sun because it opposed
Senator McCarran politically.
Senator McCarran denied all.
Sure, he said, he was in and out
of the plush hotel-gambling re-
sorts in Las Vegas-the Flamingo.
Thunderbird. Desert Inn, El
Rancho Vegas and the Last From
tier. He even accepted free rooms
or meals from some.
OculCS ANY NOuSplIdCys
But he insisted that he never
conspired with them. as Mr..
Greenspun charges. He said he
didn't even know who owned the
casinos with baths-let alone that
some stockholders of the hotels
and clubs were named in the Ke-
fauver crime hearings.
Senator McCarran, shifting his
bulk in the witness chair, COM
mented that if he really were
hostile toward Mr.. Greenspun. the
young publisher would be in the
penitentiary today.
Attorneys and newsmen hear
ing the testimony in crowded
lawyers Office looked up in sur
prise. So Senator McCarran eX-
planned.
He said that in 1850, Mr..
GreenSpun was on trial for al
legedly helping smuggle arms to
Jews in Palestine. Senator Nc
Carran said he intervened with
the Justice Department and was
instrumental in getting the Gov
eminent to accept guilty plea
from Mr.. Greenspun and fined
him $4,000 instead of sending
MIN to prison.
Presses Questions.
William A. Roberts, attorney
for Mr.. Greenspun. brushed off
this incident as happening long
before the alleged conspiracy
against the Sun. Then he put
the Senator through a hostile
questioning just as Senator Nc
Carran so often has handled wit
nesseS before his Senate subcom-
mittees.
Mr.. Roberts wanted to know
about visits. conversations or
g-distance telephone calls be-
tween Senator McCarran and
some of his co-defendants. Sen
ator McCarran often couldn t
remember dates or other details
Dut always said he hadn't joined a
conspiracy against the Sun.
Under questioning, he said he
knew that Bugsy Siegel, the mob
Ster who was murdered in 1947
got special materials ALLEGATIONS
TO build the Flamingo just after
the war ended.
Did you intervene on his be-
half?" demanded Mr.. Roberts.
Il never saw Buggy Siegel in my
life" replied Senator McCarran.
Did you ever write any let
ters?"
No"
Were you ever a guest at the
Flamingo with Siegel?"
Never! I never saw Siegel in
my life!"
Senator McCarran acknoWl-
edged moving a hostile labor edi-
tor in Nevada out of his job. The
Senator got the editor an assign
ment as State Department press
attache in Ran W)n, Burma.
Il think it's good thing for
him to get the experience, Sena-
tor McCarran said.
Point by Point Denial.
His attorney. William E. Leahy
sed the Senator through a point
oy-point denial of the Greenspur
complaint, which is now before
the Federal court in Las Vegas.
Senator McCarran has asked
the court to drop his name from
the suit on grounds that he never
hurt the Sun.
Did you want to destroy Mr.
Greenspun?" asked his attorney
NO" replied Senator McCar.
ran. II don't destroy any one.
believe in building them up"