Evening star., 1953-06-18
Mccarthy
Continued From First Page.

head of the Communist Party in
Pittsburgh. from New York or
from some higher authority"
Mr.. Mazzei replied.
He added that the source
would never be revealed by the
person receiving the assignment
as this would run counter to all
Communist training and disci-
pline.
Senator Mundt said the testi-
mony would be sent to the JUS
tice Department for whatever
action that might be taken re-
garding plot to murder a men,
ber of the United States Senate.
Elite Member of Party.
Mr.. Mazzei said Bortz was a
member of the Abraham Lincoln
Brigade and one of the "elite
members" of the Communist
Party in Western Pennsylvania.
Bortz, when called to the wit
ness chair in the televised pub
lie hearing, took a seat along
side Mr.. Mazzei.
He refused on grounds of self
incrimination to say whether he
is or has been member of the
Communist Party. He also re-
fused for the same reasons to
say whether he knew Mr.. MAJ
zei and had attended Communist
meetings with him.
Bortz, attired in light blue
trousers, a yellow-figured sports
shirt and brown and white
sports shoes, refused to answer
many questions concerning his
activities and occupations over
a period of several years. He
said he was born in Hartford,
Conn, went to school in New
York through the first year of
/ Junior high and had worked in
a laundry, shoe factory and in
a leather goods place. He testi-
, fled he left New York in 1929
but refused to say where he
went.
He frequently conferred with
his attorney. Harry I. Rand of
Washington. and repulsed re-
peated efforts to get him to deny
or confirm that he had been
assigned to kill Senator Nc
Carthy.
Told to Beat Cvetic.
Mr.. Mazzei testified that he
had been closely associated with
BortZ in what amounted to a
Communist COON squad" He
said that at one time, he, Bortz
and another Communist he iden-
titled as Joe Mankin of Pitts
burgh, were assigned to give
Matthew Cvetic, who also served
as an FBI undercover agent in
the Communist Party in Western
Pennsylvania, "the beating of
his life"
Mr.. Mazzei testified that they
were told the time and place
that Mr.. Cvetic would appear on
a Pittsburgh street and which
side of the street he would walk
down.
The witness added that he
informed the FBK of this and
urged the FBI ito keep Cvetic
off the street"
He testified that the FBI in
structed him to carry on with
the plan at the appointed time
Mr.. Cvetic appeared in the COM
pany of a guard with whom. Mr..
Mazzei said, he was well ac-
quainted. For that reason, the
witness added, he persuaded his
associates to call off the beat
ing and added:
I'VE were going to make ar
rangements to get him later, but
it never came off,"
Questioned on Labor Activity.
Senator Symington, Democrat.
of Missouri asked the witness if
he had ever engaged in promot-
ing a strike or beating up any
one on the picket line.
Bortz refused to answer on the
grounds of possible self-incrim-
nation. He also refused to an
swer when asked if he had any
familiarity with firearms, al
though he testified that he had
served nearly four years in the
Army during World War II as an
airplane mechanic and had been
assigned in stations in the North
Atlantic.
Senator Mundt held up an en-
larged picture of spacious-ap-
pearing house and asked the
witness to say whether he had
seen it and where it was located.
Bortz refused to answer and
Senator Mundt commented:
You recognize something about.
that house that makes you dodge
an answer"
Mr.. Mazzei. Subcommittee