Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-20
Acquitted Puts Hoffo
In Line for Beck's Post


and feed out information from
the secret files.
Shortly afterward, Mr..
Cheasty said, Mr.. Hoffa fur
thered the alleged scheme and
offered him an overall sum of
$4,000 for the job.
Mr.. Cheasty said he exposed
the alleged scheme to the COM
mittee members and agreed to
play along in order to expose it.
FBI on Watch
With the FBI maintaining
close watch-there were 4S FBI
agents and other employees
listed as Government witnesses
although only a handful were
called-Mr. Cheasty did turn
over certain selected informa-
ton to Mr.. Hoffa.
The latter paid him $1,000
last March IL at a street meet
ing near Dupont Circle and re-
ceived a manila envelope con-
tanning material on Mr.. Beck
and others. FBI agents took
pictures of the transaction.
Another meeting occurred
the following night. Another
envelope was turned over. FBI
men arrested Mr.. Hoffa as he
stepped into the elevator at
the Dupont Plaza Hotel.
But when the hard-hitting
Hoffa. hunched forward in the
witness chair like a fighter in
his corner. told his story. the
picture changed.
Strictly a Payment
Sure, the labor leader said.
ne gave Mr.. Cheasty $4,000. But
not for rifling the committee
files. AS a matter of fact, Mr..
Hoffa said. he never had any
idea Mr.. Cheasty was working
for the committee. Certainly,
he never made any such sug-
gestion to Mr.. Cheasty.
The $4,000. he said, was
strictly payment for Mr..
Cheasty's services as a lawyer
hired by Mr.. Hoffa as CO.
counsel with Fischbach to do
some legal work in connection
with the Senate investigation.
So far as the information
given him, Mr.. Hoffa said, most
Of it was old hat and any Mr..
Cheasty. he asserted, told him
he got 1t from newspaperman.
Mr.. Cheasty was either the
hero or the villain of the piece
depending on the viewpoint.
To Mr.. Troxell he was "a coura-
geous and patriotic citizen do
ing his duty"
To Mr.. Williams. he was a
"deceiver" who, if he had been
honest, would have spurned the
original alleged offer with mo,
Fischbach, I don't want any
part Of this dirty business.
TRAP" Defense Holds
The defense lawyer also held
that the committee was out
to trap" Mr.. Hoffa, a man
against whom there was no
evidence of wrongdoing.
Fischbach was separated
from the trial midway through
its course after his attorney,
Daniel B. Maher, became Ill.
The race issue was injected
into the trial at one point when
Mr.. Williams implied that Mr..
Cheasty once investigated the
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
The witness denied this. There
were eight Negroes on the jury.
In an unusual move on July
8, the jury was ordered confined
to the courthouse instead of
being allowed to return home
each night. Judge Matthews
declined to give specific reason
for her action.
Ad in AfrO-American
That weeks issue of the Afro
American, a newspaper widely
circulated among Negroes, con-
tanned a full-page advertise
ment entitled The Facts Be-
hind the Hoffa Trial Cloak
and Dagger Tactics Charged"
Signed by Authority Of:
Frank Growing, director of the
Detroit Citizens Civic Commit
tee." it cited Mr.. Hoffa as "one
of the Understanding cham
pions that labor has ever
had. :"
Among the spectators for two
days was former heavyweight
champion Joe Louis, who said
he wanted to see how his good
friend" Jimmy Hoffa was max
ing out.
On the other hand, Harry
Alexander. a Negro assistant
United States Attorney, was
seated near Mr.. Troxell al
though taking no part in the
case.