The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-11-26

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Communist affiliations and his per-
sonal participation in the events
which Johnson and Patterson de-
scribed. His testimony, it was report
ed, devastated their charges.
Like Crouch, Johnson has been de-
tected in what appears to be outright
perjuries many times, but until the
Alsop brothers and some enterprising
attorneys put pressure on Mr.. Brown
ell his testimony was still being ac-
cepted unchallenged over and above
that of Americans with fine records
and regulations in their communities.
Typically, Johnson floods the record
of Congressional hearings with let
terheads and voluminous excerpts
from radical literature of the 30s
and is adept at making sweeping
charges of hearsay nature.
Back in 1948, for example, John
son charged University of Wash
ington professor, Melvin RAIDER, with
having attended a Communist School
in Kingston, N. Y, for six weeks in
the summer of 1888. Drawing on his
memory, he swore he personally re-
membered seeing RAIDER there in
1888. When Recommendation was pre-
sented to show that the professor was
not even in New York State at that
time, the Attorney General for the
State of Washington concluded the
accuser simply had not been telling
the truth and reinstated RAIDER.
Leonard Patterson, who drives a
taxicab when he is not informing,
rests his reputation for reliability on
his testimony at the departmental
trial of a New York school teacher
in 1851. He swore he personally re-
called seeing the teacher in question
at Communist meetings in 1882 and
1888, declaring 81 would never forget
that face" Under cross-eXamination,
however, Patterson could not remem-
Der the name of his own lawyer in
a 1949 incident when he was in court
with leaving the scene of an
accident. He could not remember the
month in which he divorced his first
wife, the month in which he married
MS second or the name of the lawyer
Who represented him in his divorce
,ase.
The New York examiner concluded
recollection of recent and
important events in his life was so
,ad he could hardly be relied upon
o establish what allegedly occurred
8 years ago. at would be unsafe"
lie said, "to predicate any finding
gainst the respondent on the evil
Ience of this witness"
Harvey Matusow is another ex-
nformer who has recently drawn
ublic attention. This 27year-old ex-
has testified volumln-
usly before Congressional hearings.
Iethodist Bishop ]. Bromley Oman
old the press that on two occasions
fatusow sought him out and apollo
lied for "lies" he had told about
he Bishop before Congressional
roups. Matusow subsequently denied
is statements to Bishop Oman.
In affidavits, two Washington at
0rneys have reported conversation
nth Matusow last spring, quoting
i'm as saying "they should know he
-as not to be trusted under any cir
INSTANCES" and that she had at one
me or another betrayed everybody
no ever befriended him."
Another example of this mans APP
aren't instability has been detailed
the Great Falls (Mont.) TRIBUNE.
uring the 1852 campaign Matusow
,ured Montana charging that "the
unday section of the New York
INES alone has 1875 dues-paying
ommies" CENTRE Sunday staff was
7, including copyboys). For good
easure, Matusow spotted 76 "hard-
IRE Communists" on the editorial
affs of LIFE and TIME and rs
ore on the New York bureau of the
ssociated Press. Of course, he could
1T document these absurd charges.
he Charlotte NEWS has reported
at Matusow visited the offices of
emocratic Senator James Murray
is spring and nobly offered to tour
ontana again to "eat the words he
tered two years ago." Needless to
fhic offox. or oaooy,fnd