Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-30
Clerk Mystified
.By0wn Entries
AtPdyoff Probe
BY CECIL HOLLAND


A woman bookkeeper claimed
today that she could not read
her own shorthand notes on the
petty cash ledger of a Paterson
IN. j. clothing firm when Sen
ate Investigators sought to show
the symbols indicated payments
to Government inspectors,
Mrs. Hetty G. Marine Of Fair
lawn, N. j., sWore she could not
remember what the symbols rep
resented
She was once bookkeeper and
office manager for the Madison
Park Clothing Co., which received
Government contracts totaling
more than Sc million from
l949 to 1854.
Thomas Di Giacomo, identified
by Senate investigators as presi-
dent of the company, refused
yesterday to say whether he had
ever paid off Government in
spectors and used petty cash en-
tries to cover up the payments.
He invoked the Fifth Amend
ment and said an answer might
tend to incriminate him.
Mrs. Marine appeared before
the Senate Investigating subcom-
mittee as 1t continued the hear
ings on Government procedure
OF Army clothing and other serv-
ice supplies.
Senators Renew Demands
AS she left the witness chair at
the end of the morning hearing ;,
Chairman Mcclellan, Democrat
of Arkansas, and Senator Mundt,
Republican of South Dakota ;.
joined in demanding again that
the Defense Department move
Immediately to cancel any con-
tracts with any firms in which
Mr.. DiGiacomo might be in
terested.
Senator Mcclellan, who voiced
the same demand yesterday, said
the subcommittee had reason toI
believe that companies in which
Mr.. DiGiacomo was interested
still held Government contracts.
Senator Mundt said the Gov
eminent should mot do business
with Fifth Amendment Ameri-
cans"
Subcommittee Counsel Robert
Kennedy said investigators had
reason to believe that the short
hand symbols used by Mrs. Ma
rine indicated payments to Cow
eminent inspectors.
Carmine Bellino of the sub
committee staff testified that
payments of $50 and subse-
Iquently of 500 a week were en-
tered on the petty cash ledger
as having been made to "A.
Spector' from August 1850 toI
July 1851. He added that these
payments conceded with the as
|signment of a certain Govern
Iment inspector to the MadiSonI
Park plant.
Mrs. Marine testified that "a.
Spector" was IAN odd-jobS mani
around the plant. His name, It'll
was brought out. was never en-
tered on the regular company
payroll.
Borrowed From Firm
Asked if she had ever received
any money from Mr.. Di Giaco-
mo. Mrs. Marine testified She
had received a Christmas bonus,
a Christmas present, and that I'M
1852 she borrowed $1,000 from
the Madison Park company TO
pay of a home mortgage.
The witness said she and her
husband paid back the loan.
which carried no interest, in
three years.
The subcommittee brought out
that at the time the loan was
obtained Mrs. Marine had more
than $1,000 in three separate
checking accounts and in Gov
eminent bonds. She also said her
husband had at least two sepa-
rate bank accounts at the time.
At one point in Mrs. Marines
testimony, Senator Mcclellan
said her statements were in
conflict" with other information
obtained by the subcommittee.
The witness appeared without
counsel and Senator Mcclellan.
while saying he was not accusing
her of perjury. warned her that
perjury might be involved.