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TZCITY MACHINE* home After a number of hu ques-iUNTRUE, RUNYONtions had been ruled out. Attorney Hightower turned the witnesses over to his co-counsel. Noble G. Cofer. The latter elicited from Champion some details of what heie(Continued from Pare 11mg Authority, also defeated in the' 1938 school election.Ralph A Dunkelberg. Brownsville City Attorney.T, A. Kinder, county commissioner f«r the Brownsville precinct G. D. Sutton, Brownrviile.:x-tan■edrallol.oficd*r-growerLee B James, Brownsville, real estate dealerhetel•rsatnder-?rn!*se^g-teRunyon Is On SUndRunyon testified he was bom in 1881. and that he has lived in Brownsville thirty years. He said he was a photographer by profession, operated a studio for 18 yearsand was in the curio business for12 years.As to the curio business. Runyon .stated it had been closed in May1939. and that it had been operated by his wife and a daughter since he was appointed city managerthat tourists were thecustomers, but that peo-brought tourists to the “his friends over the*|ueiiywoilyofHe saidprincipal pie wh *store wereValley-Runyon said he was -horrified nnd “very much embarrassed” andwas **cau *ed a lot of worry* ttypublication of the Hinojosa affidavit and other articles involved in the suit. The city manager said he has many close friends in Bro rnsville and that he had to make many explanations. He declared that when he traveled up the Valley, persons he met called attention to his being written up- Anonymous persons called him on the phone andharassed him. the city manager said.and he had the telephone takenoutHe lost weight sleep and appetite, and developed a general run-down condition requiring care of a doc-ral Itor* R,,r*yon declared, after publication of the affidavit and articles. He said he weighed 160 pounds and then dropped to 130 pounds. Since then he has regained 15 pounds.he stated.it-he•retadprayenlerledin-heveof•h-tostmtneicech:es*a-en■a-arInstruction* RevealedIn reply to questions by his coun-seL Runyon said he had issued instructions to the effect that city automobiles were not to be used for carrying vo'ers and that as far as he knew they were not so used He said he had nothing to do w’ith selection of school trustee candidate.-. that he “hardly krew a school Uon was going on“ until he read the editorials in the newspapers He remained at his office from 8 30 am until 5 pm. on the day of the election, after having cast his bal-;eswrganVuen-ma*e.idlot on his way to vork, he raid Hereturned to the polls after 5 pm.he saidReporters “harassed” him by approaching him several times a day. during the heat of the campaign, the city manager said, and they ask-. ' ed him all kinds of foolish questions, and “embanrpssing him while other persons were in the office.“Did you invite them*”tower asked.* No. they just w alked in,yon replied.• •HighRun-rdstate-pub-t»-r-ns»«»yn-ofveorKarh«inn-it.oflen-'gsi*rvMachine Is DeniedRunyon testified that some mbnts given reporters were lished correctly.He denied that a “machine” existed to put over the school election, as well as a series of assertions read from the Brownsville Herald byhis attorney. They related to a“spoils system; “perpetuation of office “splitting- of jobs and creation of new ones.During this portion of the testimony. Attorney Yates objected several times that the witness was making a speech .Asked about the firing of Prod-eneio Hinojosa, Runyon said that Hinojosa had a job at a city park, and that he was not needed.“He had only been working about a month or so. Runyon stated. He was put on during the election »bythe preceding administration*.Had No Organisation'He declared that “no city machine” existed, in reply to a statement read to h^m from the Herald1 Run-r-d.stt-irunionnew's-union“We had no organisation/yon saidA* to “connivance v ith men—also read from thepaper—Runyon said:“I have never talked tomen about politics in my life Runyon denied that this administration had “failed to give protection to property” or that it had“encouraged lawlessness. Both replies were to statements read fromthe papers.“There is lets lawlessness now in ,r * Brow nsville than there has been in 25 years. Runyon declared.LEWIS ALLEN PRYORMcALLEN—Word has beenre-instrument s were in-r-inVitC neper at inn It Toldfi\hIV«Jtiriflt;1$teilise1-H# dtniH he was “unrympathe-tscc la new capital/' but that on the contrary, he had done every*thin* to get new capital.I* it true that you and Dunkelberg run the city commission.” Hightower asked the witness.“No, sir was the answer. Runyon said he and the commission have worked together in full co-operation.He denied there had been any attempt by the city administration to gam control of the schools, orThree legalvolved:1. The Hubert R Hudson Trustagreement. The Trust, set up byHudson for his tnree children, is a shareholder in some of the Hudsoninvestments,2. Contract betw-ecn the Valle* Publishing Company and Carl C Magee, former editor-in-chief of the Herald. Monitor r.nd Star.3. The trust agreement transfer-60 Der cent of the Heraldsaid in the presence of Hinojosa.According to Champion the conver- ceived here of the death last Sat- i- - Ai- — ■■ ■ i‘» iH ^• • i nm .inprfaw ftf T vl*ic Allprt nr for* Isation was principally about Champion's appointment as poundmaster and the fact that Hinojosa owneda cow- and a horse.Ticket Support ToldOn cross-examination. Championurday of Lewis Allen Pryor, for mer chief operator of the Western Union at Wichita Falls. Brownsville. McAllen and San Antonio.Funeral services were conducted from the Floral Heights Methodist. . . .. .church m Wichita Falls Sundav attestified that he had nippor.ed the f ^ m wjth Hev. E. A. Hunter of-ring mi per and SUr stock to the employes ofthe newspapers.Two Are PermittedJudge Graham ruled against introduction of the first but permitted the other two.Further questioning of Hudson by Attorney Hightow*er revealed that the new corporations for the Star and Herald do not own any of the real estate, buildings, or equipment at the plants, but are operating corporations. work.ng on a contract to operate the newspapers The stock transferred to employes did not represent ownership of plant or equip-Runs on ticket. He did not make speeches, he said, but canvassed votes, and after the election was canvassed for the Dashiell-Mansur-Tait ticket in the school election and that he did likewise in the charter amendment election, and in the democratic primary elections on behalf of T A. Kinder, county commissioner for the Brownsville precinct. Champion said that heuses his own car in performance of official duties, and gets gas and oilat the municipal garage, signing aticket for them This same car, he said, was us?d by h m in takingsome votes in ”The first splurge of humor occurred just before the noon recess when Attorney Hightower, on re-di-j floating. Pallbearers were his Masonic friends.Pryor was stationed in McAllen in 1927. During the past few years he has been a rendcnt of Jefferson He is survived by his wife and two brothers. Will and George Pryor of Mexico, Mo.Fvuilnuctlt;JuyaSsiC5S13rect examination, questioned Cham-ment which remained as property j pjon about hls dull„ as poUndrn*s-of Hudson and his wife. The employes trust agreement gives them a share in the profits when declared in the form of dividends.Stein followed Hudson on the stand, testifying for about ten minutes. He substantiated Hudson's testimony relative to receiving the Hinojosa affidavit and its subsequentappearance in the Herald.Recess It OrderedA recess was ordered by Judge Graham after Stem left the stand.and six witnesses of the plaintiff, called by the ba.ltff, failed to appear.All the witnesses were under subpoena since February when the trial was continued. Hightower protested thzt the witnesess were under sub-theirter. Champion said his duties included rounding up loose livestock within the city limits. Hightower, in hisnext question, asked if livestock included “horses, cow’s, mules, sheep, goats, dogs . . . cats.” When he said cats,” the witness laughed, so did the judge, the attorneys, and the spectators, and the morning session ended on a note of amusementLOllS DeMIEVILLEBROWNSVILLE — Louis DcMie-ville. 70. of El Jardin. died Sa’tirday night at Mercy Hospital following a two weeks’ illness Well knownin the Brownsville area. DeM.evllJeowned property at El Jardin, nearRaymondville end in Pawnee coun- j L ty, Okla, his former residence.A Mason for many years. DcMie-ville came to Browmsville 14 years » d ago from Marame in Pawnee f* unty. Okla . where he was engaged in the y hardware business. Recently, he» won the distinction of being first man in Cameron coua»ypay his county taxesHe is survived by his wife.Funeral arrangements are to ’ announced by the Darling Funeral 1 Home.ethetobeahoeitinrJpoena and complained overnon-appe; rance. referring to them as “adverse witnesses. Ransom Jumped to his feet protesting the remark, when a recess was called to locate the missing witnesses.After the recess. Frank Walker., secretary-treasurer of the Valley Publishing Company, and holding the same office in the re-organizedcorporations, took the stand.Walker testified he had been in Hudson’s employe for thirteen years, in various capacities, including that jof secretary, private secretary', and office manager. He said that stockfor the new publishing corporations were paid in by Mr. and Mrs. Hud-aon. During Walker's testimony. Attorney Ransome objected to Hightower’s repeated reference to “a t$200 000 corporation” and “a 52.500 corporation” Judge Graham instructed Hightower to identify the corporations by the r names rather than the amount of their capital stock. IEnvelope Is Traced Antonio Tamayo. Jr., clerk forthe tax collector of the Brownsville Independent School District testified that J. P Maher, school boardsecretary, had sent him to JoeAcevedo's office for an envelope, that he got it and delivered it to Maher. He said he did not know what the envelope contained. Maher, the next witness, said hehad held his position with the school board since 1931. He related, in response to questioning, that he first saw the Hinojosa affidavit about a week before the school election At that timeTall Takes SUndRoy Tait candidate for the school board in the 1938 election, was the lirst witness in the afternoon. Tait now a resident of Edcouch. described conversations between him andHudson with regard to the schoolelection. According to Tait. Hudsonsuggested that the Dashiell-Mansur-Tait ticket withdraw and run two years later, that Hudson said he had been for them but that now City Attorney Dunkelberg “would take credit for the election ” Hudson said, accord ng to the witness, that Dunkelberg had “threatened to run him out of the Valley.*' Hudson told Tait. the latter said, that he had a qur.rter million dollars invested m the Valley and would not be run out. He quot-xi Hudson as saying that “up to now it had been a fight between” Dunkelberg and Hudson, but that it “now looked 1 i**? he would have to cut off Runyon's head to beat Dunkelberg.George Mansur, secret ry of the Brow nsville Housing Authority. b!jo a member of the defeated school board election ticket, testified as to his presence at the meeting in Tait * office. He said no mention had ben made of the Hinojosa affidavit but that a proposed affidavit.described as the 'Dunkelberg affidavit” had been discussed. Dunkelberg arr.ved at the meeting and announced that he would not sign any affidavit, both Mansur andTail testified. ,Dunkrlberg 1% HeardDunkelberg. the next witness, said T. A Kinder asked him to make an affidavit to the effect that Dunkelberg had nothing to do the school election. Cross-examinedCongratulationsTo Mr. and Mrs. W W. Anderson of Weslaco on birth of a sonwcignmg seven pounds, ten ounces, at the Mercedes General Hospital Saturday afternoon.1TnTo Mr. and Mrs. John P Rhvner. San Benito, on the birth of a seven-pound daughter Saturday at 8 30 a m. at Medical Arts Clinic, Harhn-genowTnJ(To Mr. and Mrs H. Howde, San Ben.to. on the birth of a son, weighing seven pounds. Saturday at 5p m at Medical Arts Clinic, Harlm-gen.rrtc btSearch To Be MadeiFor Amelia EarhartHONOLULU—f.e— A new' searchfor Amelia Earhart was announced Saturday by Eric Hanner who said he would leave Honolulu Monday in thlt;* 55 foot schooner Valkyrie.Hanner said he would spend a year in the South Seas searching for Miss Earhart and Edward Noonan, who were lost in the South Pacific July 2. 1937. while on a flight around the world Hanner said he w'as convinced that Msss Earhart is still alive, probably marooned on some Southisle.nuPwtlclt;VqdSnrTa;aAit had not yet been signed or executed, he said. Maher declared he got the unsigned document from Jesse Sloss. stenographer in the office of Rentfro, Rentfro and Rentfro. law firm headed by Mayor R B Rentfro, Maher said he turned it over to Fausto Yturria, Browmsville lawyer, and that later Yturria called and told him that the document was at Acevedo's office. still unsigned. Maher asserted he then turned it over to someone — he did not remember when—and when he got it again it had been signed and notarized He took it he related, to R B Creager s office.and that was the last he saw of itHudson testified Friday that the affidavit had been handed to him in Creagers officeNotary Is Called Ramon Munoz, the notary public who executed the affidavit, said hewas called by Victorino Salinas tonotarize an instrument Munoz aeon other meetings, at which prospective school board candidateswere discussed, Dunkelberg recalled a meeting in Kinder s office. He said he left the room after declaring that he was busy and did not know any candidates. He made this statement, he testified, in response to a question about candidates. Person* at the meeting, the witnesssaid, had supported Runyon in the 1937 municipal electionsCounty Commissioner Kinder was on the stand for a few minute*, fol- j lowed by G D Sutton, Brownsv ille grower, and Lee B James, Brownsville real estate dealer. Sutton and James described their long acquaintances with Runyon and their reaction* upon reading the affidavit and articles in the ncw-spapcr* Sutton said he was ’startled” at the affidavit but then dismissed it.“It made me wonder why he should do such a thing. Sutton said, “and then my reaction was thathe didn't do itStein It Recalledhe supported Runyon for mayor Two days later, he added, he talked with Runyon and the conversation settled the questions in his mind.On cross-examination. James said with he now thinks as much of Runyonas he ever did. and that he has supported him since the affidavit and articles appeared just as he did before they appeared.Stein was recalled briefly to the stand by the plaintiff s counsel and questioned on circulation figures of the Herald and the Star-Momtor-Herald Stem said the Herald’s cir-rlt;lceiclS'nlt;Uculation averaged between 6.900 and 7,300 and that of the Star-Monitor-Herald between 16.000 and 18.000 After a brief recess. Runyon was called to the witness stand at 2 35 n mMcALLEN HARThe Valley's Xetc•»compan ed him to the home of Pru-dencio Hinojosa, where the affidavit was igned by Hinojosa. Salinas is Hinojosa's stepson, placed on the payroll. He said heSharp clashes between opposing counsel occurred during the testimony of Alex Champion, city police officer nnd poundmaster, the lastwitness of theHe said he supported Runyon in 1937 and also voted for the Dashiell-Tait-Mansur ticket.' Are you a Democrat or a Republican Ransome askedWell. 1 don't know.” was thewas raised a Democrat.• •* *morning session Champion, who is mentioned in me Hinojosa affidavit, dented thatthe name of Robert Runyon had been mentioned in any conversationbetween him and Hinojosa. Defense attorneys blocked attempts of Cham- i pion to tejl of conversations with \ a man named Jose Maria Lopez.who occupies a room at the Hinojosareply, “Ibut . .James said he had known Runyon for twenty years He declared that the affidavit and articles shockedhim and that he was greatly disappointed in Runyon He said that!te3isthat h* had attempted to build a political machineFALSE TEETHd !r•rp•sfiThe questioning was carried up to the 1939 municipal elections,scheduled for November 7. but for which no opposition candidateshave filed.H R Hudson Brownsville, bank rr and publisher, resumed his testimony nr the trial entered its second oay Saturday. Soon after he tookthe stand the jury was excused whileattorneys argu'd admissibility ofevidence offrrc 1 by the plaintiffDENTUR-EZIMAKES THEM fit LIKE NEW AGAINTK# ••p!ti# cofifdtnrt §*d comlift «mn eM»f cushion tfc# *!««• ^rial Fs» •'•fvthifti ytab#! I Ruffe, ulk.MIK PUPIL CONFUSESUNDERWOODSALEM CHINAPRIMEThe most discriminating housewife is sure to findHELPED ME MIKEamong our many patternsthatTOR GRADESsomething that exactlymeets her taste and in linewith her sense of valuesIfau.There is a pattern for everyoccasion./« •.X. 0OVi#NOTEtooALL HOTELS. RESTAURANJu1JUST RECEIVED-»i*t *»th+u« f#ar clemhar.i iioirtl Oneefvn!izat.en lasts week*»iEASY TO APPLYTry It—MttkiILarge Supply. Hotel CHIRLATESAll Sise RECURSSAUCERSE
Newspaper Details
Valley Sunday Star-Monitor-Herald
Brownsville, Texas, US
Sun, Oct 15, 1939
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 16 Nov 2021
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