Evening star., 1952-02-06
Led Three Lives
cIimox Approaches: Red Activities Still Go On
as Secret Agent Prepares to Testify 81

as Secret Agent |
By Herbert A. PhiIbriek
Chapter XVI.
| Called to the Stand.
A blast of wind across the
Charles shook the car and my
breath came out in long whistle.
The road that had twisted down
almost nine years took its last
crazy turn, the most unexpected
of all.
'In the trial the Justice Depart
ment will need witnesses Live
witnesses who will appear on the
stand" Richards said. "We
can't try a court case simply by
going before jury with records
and telling them that Confidential
Agent X took part in certain ac-
tivities in the party and reported
them to us, or that so-and-so made
certain revolutionary statements
to him. That won't do. The wit
ness must give his testimony di-
rectly and the defense must be
permitted to croSS-examine him.
but this is an unusual case. To
prosecute it, we have to wreck a
good bit of what we have built
up. II you go on the stand. OBJ
viouSly you will be ruined in the
party forever and your usefulness
Ito us will be ended -done-fln-
ished."
I thought for a few minutes.
It was not any easy decision to
make. ''No." I said, my answer is
no."
Richards sat quietly a NOM
lent. "Are you sure you mean
that?"
| Warned Of Subpoena.
''You see there are other things
to consider. The party is going
underground fast. It is becom-
ling a tighter and harder core all
the time, and the harder it be-
comes, the more difficult it will be
flor you to work any one into 1t.
I'm in there now. And I think I
ought to stay"
"You know, Herb" DON inter-
lvened, "you could be subpoenaed.
They can make you testify"
Seriously" continued, ''that
would be a better way to handle
lit. So, I'll do nothing. I won't
volunteer. Personally, I think I
should stay where I am. But If
the Justice Department wants me
on the stand, they can say SO with
a subpoena. Naturally I'll go then.
Don't you think that's the best
way?"
"AlI right" said Don, slapping
his hands together suddenly and
putting on a. brisk air. Nov"
he added, reaching into his inside
Jacket pocket, 'the Departments
attorneys want to begin checking
over your story. I hate to give
you short notice, but it would be
good If you could take q little
trip" ~.
"When?" -
Meeting With G-Men.
Tonight" He pulled an airline
ticket out of his pocket and
handed 1t to me. Boston to New
York" !" it read. "The late after
noon plane" Don said. You'll be
back before midnight. Now =, +,
You are travelling under The; Ssame
|of Hubert Brooks. That's the
name on the ticket and the name
on record with Government at
|torneys. You will be met at the
plane In New York. But you be
Hubert Brooks, and don't forget
lit. Wait to be approached. Make
them identify themselves. There
will be two agents and q MIR.
Shapiro"
In the early evening I landed
lat LaGuardia Field. just inside
the apron gate a man approached
and flashed q Federal Bureau OF
Investigation card.
Hubert Brooks?" We shook
hands, chatted a moment and
then threaded through the termi-
nal to the parking lot. Beside a
sleek black limousine stood an
other agent and a third man, who
was introduced as Irving Shapiro,
"a Justice Department attorney.
The two agents climbed into the
front seat of the big car and Mr..
Shapiro joined me in the rear.
The car purred out onto the park
ways of Long Island moving
away from the city. Almost i'm
Imediately I understood that we
were not going to stop, that the
interview was going to take place
in the car.
During the long ride Mr.. Sha-
Ipiro fired questions at me. He
scratched notes on a large pad of
ruled yellow paper under the dim
illumination Of the tonneau light.
Silence Falls.
There were two more similar
trips to New York on successive
Saturday evenings. Mr.. Shapiro
continued his note-taking as we
sped over dark miles Of Long
Island and Westchester County
lparkways. The planes shuttled me
back and forth between Boston
and New York.
Then it was over as suddenly
as it began. Silence fell. I heard
Ino more.
The Progressive Party campaign
of Henry Wallace for the Presi-
Idency was in high gear. but the
comrades had other pressing busi-
ness on their minds. The indict-
ments and the approaching trial
of The Twelve drew attention
from the election. Having dill
gently infiltrated many of the top
places In the New England
ml.n-