Mr. WHITLEY. A fellow just taking a cab and he got in the cab the other night. Mr. KENNEDY. The other night? Mr. WHITLEY. Yes, sir, and it was Saturday and he said, “You take me around the block," and he sat in the back seat and I was in the Christmas traffic and I didn't look at him. Mr. KENNEDY. What did he say to you again? Mr. WHITLEY. He said that everybody that testified up here against them would be taken care of sooner or later. Mr. KENNEDY. And you were told that regarding your testimony? Mr. WHITLEY. Yes, sir; that I should be careful. Mr. KENNEDY. What did he say? Mr. WHITLEY. That is exactly what he said. Mr. KENNEDY. That everybody would be taken care of sooner or later? Mr. WHITLEY. That is right. The CHAIRMAN. Where did that conversation take place? Mr. WHITLEY. Downtown. The CHAIRMAN. Downtown in Nashville? Mr. WHITLEY. In Nashville; yes. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know who it was? Mr. WHITLEY. I never saw the man before and, as a matter of fact, it was dark and I was watching the traffic and so I said, “Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. You were in a cab? Mr. WHITLEY. Yes, sir. During the rush periods of time I drive some; very, very little. The CHAIRMAN. You were driving the cab? Mr. WHITLEY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And you picked up this passenger? seat and I drove around. is what he said. I had stopped there and he got in the back He said "Take me around the block.” That The CHAIRMAN. He got in your cab and had you take him just around the block? Mr. WHITLEY. Yes, sir; just around the block. The CHAIRMAN. And he gave you that warning in the course of the drive around the block? Mr. WHITLEY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Are you kind of frightened about it? Mr. WHITLEY. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You couldn't give us his name; could you? Mr. WHITLEY. No, sir; I never saw the man before. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any further questions? Mr. KENNEDY. No, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Senator Curtis, have you any questions? The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much. You may stand aside. At this point the Chair will place in the record 2 affidavits, 1 from Paul W. Dinkins, and another from Belle Johnson. These relate to the trouble that has been had. I don't think there is a need to read them. They may be printed in the record at this point. (The affidavit of Belle Johnson follows:) AFFIDAVIT No I, Belle Johnson, who reside at 1018 Eighth Avenue S., Nashville, Tenn., freely and voluntarily make the following statement to Lavern J. Duffy, who has identified himself to me as a member of the staff of the United States Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor-Management Field. threat, force, or duress has been used to induce me to make this statement, nor have I received any promise of immunity from any consequences which may result from submission of this statement to the aforementioned Senate select committee. During the year 1955 I was working as an employee at Mike's Tap Room, located at Fourth Avenue S., in Nashville, Tenn. On or about January 8, 1955, in the early evening a party unknown to me called a taxi from Mike's Tap Room. Shortly after the cab arrived, I was attracted to the front of the building by someone swearing and cursing. I looked out the door; I saw W. A. Smith, of the teamsters union, standing by a taxicab, cursing the driver and attempting to jerk open the cab door to get at the driver. Suddenly the driver drove the cab away. W. A. Smith, known as Smitty to me, came into the bar and purchased a bottle of Coca-Cola and took it outside with him. Shortly thereafter, I heard a noise from the front of the building and someone yelled out, "Smith broke the window of the cab." I made the comment, "I hope no one is hurt." I again looked out the door and Smith was standing on the sidewalk near the curb. The taxicab was by this time some distance up the street. Smith then came back into Mike's Tap Room and I said, "You should not have cursed the driver and broke the window." He answered, "That is what he gets for being a scab driver, and that is what I get for calling a scab driver." I have read the foregoing statement, and to the best of my knowledge it is true and correct. Witnesses: LAVERN J. DUFFY. JAMES R. MCSHANE. (s) BELLE JOHNSON. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 3d day of July 1957. [SEAL] (s) NETTIE F. KINSEY, Notary Public. My commission expires November 27, 1960. AFFIDAVIT I, Paul W. Dinkins, who resides at 2700 Hartford Drive, Nashville, Tenn., and currently employed at the Tennessee Tufting Co., in Nashville, Tenn., freely and voluntarily make the following statement to LaVern J. Duffy, who has identified himself to me as a member of the staff of the United States Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor-Management Field. No threat, force, or duress has been used to induce me to make this statement, nor have I received any promise of immunity from any consequences which may result from submission of this statement to the aforementioned Senate select committee. During the year 1955, I was working as a driver for the Woodbine Cab Co., in Nashville, Tenn. On or about January 8, 1955, in the early evening I answered a call from Mike's Tap Room, located at Fourth Avenue S., Nashville, Tenn. As I drove up in front of the taproom 2 or 3 men whom I had never seen before were standing on the curb. One of the men was cursing and trying to jerk open the door of the cab. When this happened, I pulled away from the curb, drove up the street a short distance and then backed up, hoping still to find a customer. As I remained in the middle of the street, I saw one of the men throw a Coke bottle at my cab which broke my window. As the man drew back to throw the bottle, I detected a hearing aid in his left front shirt pocket. After this happened, I quickly drove away. I have examined a picture of W. A. Smith, of the teamsters union, and after examining the picture closely I am reasonably sure he was the man who threw the Coke bottle and broke the window of my cab. 89330-58-pt. 18-16 I have read the foregoing statement, and ot the best of my knowledge it is true and correct. Witnesses: (Signed) PAUL DINKINS. LUCY C. TERRELL. LAVERN J. DUFFY. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 5th day of July 1957. (Signed) NETTIE F. KINSEY, Notary Public. My commission expires November 27, 1960. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Duffy, you have been previously sworn? TESTIMONY OF LAVERN J. DUFFY-Resumed The CHAIRMAN. Have you examined the minutes of a meeting of the executive board meeting of the Teamsters Union, Local 327, at Nashville, the minutes of their meeting of November 19, 1955? Mr. DUFFY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You have a photostatic copy of those minutes; do you? Mr. DUFFY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Is this the photostatic copy that you have of the minutes of the meeting of that local at that time? Mr. DUFFY. It is, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. These minutes, the copy of the minutes may be made exhibit No. 17. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 17" for reference and may be found in the files of the select committee.) The CHAIRMAN. I will read from the minutes of that meeting: Harold Dies made the motion to give Frank Reed $250 for a Christmas present, who is city cab inspector, and also $50 for Dawson, who is the colored cab inspector, who have both helped labor in Nashville. Seconded by Bill Richardson. Carried 100 percent. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Earl Dicicco, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Come forward, Mr. Dicicco. You do solemnly swear taht the evidence you shall give before this Senate select committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mr. DICICCO. I do. TESTIMONY OF EARL P. DICICCO The CHAIRMAN. State your name, your place of residence and your business or occupation. Mr. DICICCO. Earl P. Dicicco, 124 High Street, Foxboro, with the General Tire Co. The CHAIRMAN. Where do you live? Mr. DICICCO. Foxboro, Mass. The CHAIRMAN. You are with whom? Mr. DICICCO. The General Tire Co. The CHAIRMAN. What is your position with them? The CHAIRMAN. Manager of their filling station? The CHAIRMAN. You waive the right of counsel, do you? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Áll right, Mr. Kennedy, you may proceed. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Dicicco, you came from Natick, Mass., originally? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. And then you were in the Army? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. And married a girl frrom Nashville, Tenn.? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. So you went down there to work after you got out of the Army! Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. And you were employed down there in the Whitley Cab Co. ? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. During the time that the Whitley Cab Co. was on strike, you continued to drive? Mr. DICICCO. Right, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Were there any acts of violence against you while you were driving the cab for the Whitley Cab Co.? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Would you tell the committee what happened? Mr. DICICCO. One night it was between 10 and 11 o'clock, at night, I picked up these two passengers at this beer room, and they said they wanted to go to this housing project. The CHAIRMAN. This what? Mr. DICICCO. This housing project. I stopped the cab in front of the housing project to let them out. One of them hit me across the head with a motorcycle chain, and the other one had a beer bottle, bouncing that off my head. Mr. KENNEDY. One of them hit you with a beer bottle and the other one hit you with a motorcycle chain? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Wrapped it around your head? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir; from the ear around to the mouth. Mr. KENNEDY. Did it knock you out? Mr. DICICCo. No, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. What did you do? Did you hide in the bottom of the cab? Mr. DICICCO. No, sir. I got out and went to open up the back door to jump on them. They jumped out of the cab. to Mr. KENNEDY. You got out of your cab and went in the back door after them? go Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. They jumped out of the other door? Mr. DICICCO. They jumped out the other door, and one of them ran up the street. At this point there was a road bearing off to the right. One of them ran straight and one ran up the road going to the right and jumped in this automobile. I took off after the automobile. Mr. KENNEDY. You got back in your cab? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. I got back in my cab and drove the automobile around the corner to chase this automobile that picked up one of the fellows. When he went around the further corner, there was a patrol car coming and he almost hit him, and the patrol car was turning around in the middle of the street to chase the vehicle, and I had to stop before I hit the patrol car and then he chased him for a little way. He lost him. Then they sent a patrol car and we searched the area but we couldn't find the other man. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you recognize either one of your assailants? Mr. DICICCO. No, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you recognize the car? Mr. DICICCO. I recognized the automobile; yes, sir. Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Whose automobile was it? Mr. DICICCO. As far as I know, it belongs to Red Vaughn. Mr. DICICCO. Business representative, I believe it was, for the teamsters. Mr. KENNEDY. He was the business agent for 327 of the teamsters? Mr. DICICCO. Right. Mr. KENNEDY. And the man that hit you got into that car and drove away? Mr. DICICCO. That is right. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you turn that information over to the police? Mr. DICICCO. No, sir. They were already up there. I told them about it, but I don't know if they put it on their log or not. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you tell them whose car it was? Mr. DICICCO. No, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. You told them what had happened to you? Mr. KENNEDY. Why didn't you tell them whose car it was when you recognized it? Mr. DICICCO. Why didn't I? I was afraid there would be more trouble. Mr. KENNEDY. You didn't want to get into any more difficulty? Mr. DICICCO. No, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Can you explain that? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. I have a wife and children and I don't want to get involved in it no more than I had to. Mr. KENNEDY. Had there been quite a bit of trouble and difficulties in Nashville, Tenn.? Mr. DICICCO. Yes, sir. In the paper there had been some dynamiting of some equipment, and putting sugar in the gas tanks, and all that sort. Mr. KENNEDY. And you didn't want to get involved? Mr. DICICCO. I didn't want it no more. The CHAIRMAN. How long did you continue to drive after that? Mr. DICICCO. Well, I was out about a week and I went back and I drove about another month. The CHAIRMAN. You were out about a week? Why? Mr. DICICCO. I had to go to the doctor, sir. I had a head injury. The CHAIRMAN. You had what? Mr. DICICCO. A head injury. |