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CITY MACHINE\ home After a number of his ques-1*lions had been ruled out, Attorney 1the witnessesUNTRUE, RUNYONe(Continued from Pa*e 1)ing Authority, also defeated in the volved: ' 1938 school election.Ralph A. Dunkelberg. Brownsville City Attorney.T, A. Kinder, county commissioner for the Brownsville precinctG. D. Sutton, Brownsville.Hightower turnedover to his co-counsel. Noble G. Cofer. The latter elicited from Champion some details of what hesaid in the presence of HinojosaThree legal in:'r merits were in- Accordirg to Champion the conver- lt;?ation was principally about Cham- *1. The Hubert R. Hudson Trust pion'to appointment as poundmasterff agreement. The Trust, set up by, and the fact that Hinojosa ownedIHudson for his three children, is a cow and a horse.1x-aned•a!r rower.Lee B James, Brownsville, real estate dealer.a shareholder in some of the Hudsoninvestments.2. Contract between the Valk»-Publishing Company and Carl C Magee, former editor-in-chief of the Herald. Monitor and Star.1cTicket Support ToldOn cro.s-examination, Championtestified that he had supported theijRunyon ticket He did not make speeches, he said, but canvassedRunvon Is On Stand%Runyon testified he was bom in 1881. and that he has lived in j Brow nsville thirty years. He said he was a photographer by profession, operated a studio for 18 yearsvotes, and after the election was3. The trust agreement transfer- canvassed for the Dashicll-Mansur-of the Herald ticket in the school electionfrmg 80 per centiand Star stock to the employes of} and he dld i,kCwise in the1edir-the newspapersTwo Are Permittedhetel. . Judge Graham ruled against in-and was in the curio business for troducyon of the first, but permittedr satidrr-rnse£*be| 12 yearsAs to the curio business. Runyon stated it had been closed in May1939. and that it had been operaf-ed by his wife and a daughter since he was appointed city manager. He said that tourists were the I principal customers, but that people wh-lt; brought tourists to rtore were his friends over the ; Valle?Runyon said he was “horrified ' and very much embarrassed andthe other two.Further questioning of Hudson bycharter amendment election, and in the democratic primary elections j on behalf of T. A Kinder, county commissioner for the Brownsville precinct. Champion said that heuses his own car in performance of Attorney Hightower revealed that i offlcial duties. and gets gas and oil*«the new corporations for the Starand Herald do not own any of the real estate, buildings, or equipment at the plants, but are operating cor-l^ie porations. working on a contractto operate the newspapers. The stock red transferred to employes did not rep-1at the municipal garage, signing a ticket for them. This same car. he said, was used by him in taking csome votes in.The first splurge of humor occur- tbefore the noon recess•*Iwhen Attorney H shtower, on re-diresent ownership of plant or equip- rect cxammation. questioned Cham-\awas caused a lot of worry bymentofpublication of the Hinojosa affidavitand other articles involved in the share in the profits when declared suit. The city manager said he has 1 many close friends in Brc /nsvillent. which remained as property j pjon about his duties as poundmas-Hudson and his wife. The em- Champion said his duties includ-(b*MOlyof, __ Cfeanpi |Lployes trust agreement gives them a ^ rounaing up loose livestock with-*-and that he had to make many explanations. He declared that when he traveled up the Valley, personshe he met called attention to his be-m the form of dividends.Stein followed Hudson stand, testifying for about ten minutes. He substantiated Hudson's testimony relative to receiving thein the city limits. Hightower, in hisnext question, asked if livestock m-on the c]uded -horses, cows, mules, sheep,goat*, dogs . . . cat*. When he said’ the w.tness laughed, so didYvfIreadr-mg written up Anonymous per- appeLranee in the Heraldthe judge, the attorneys, and the Hinojosa affidavit and its subsequent spectators, and the morning session(1aspnfsons called him on the phone and harassed him, the city manager said, and he had the telephone takenoutRrce** Is Orderedended on a note of amusementA recess was ordered by JudgeGraham after Stem left the stand.„ ... and six witnesses of the plaintiff,He lost weight, sleep and appetite. cgjjed ^e bailiff, failed to appear.Tiit Takes StandRoy Tait. candidate for the school board in the 1938 election, was the first witness in the afternoon. Taita!edn-and developed a general run-down cr J condition requiring care of a doctor. Runyon declared, after publication of the affidavit and articles. Hesaid he weighed 180 pounds and . . . ,then dropped to 130 pounds. Since 11**”* anlt;* complained overthen he has regained 15 pounds.he stated.All ,h* witnesses were under sub- * rM,dent ot Mcnuch dMcr,b'r_ w, ^_________.___ Cdsvconversations between him andpoena since February when the trialwas continued. Hightower protestedthat the witnesess were under sub-. ....... _ . .. ..their ‘ su*$rstcd that the Dashicll-Mansur-Hudson with regard to the rchool election. According to Tait. HudsonacTait ticket withdraw and run twonon-appearance, referring to them. . . , ,, . ,. .witnesses” JUnsom ls,cr- Hud“ «'lt;* h*as•«ieirtofh-tot-inttereInstructions RevealedIn reply to questions by his counsel. Runyon said he had issued instructions to the effect that city automobiles were not to be UM?d for carrying voters and that as far as he knew they were not so used. He raid he had nothing to do with ____. Vfr t, Y~l~ had Yetn for them but that nowjumped to his feet, protesting the _______3Dunkelberg wouldremark, when a recess was called ^1 * •' A**?r,nlt;/take credit for the election Hud-!SIto locate the missing witnessesAfter the receas. Frank Walker..vecretary-treasurer of the Valley . ... w ,holding to run h,m oul Valley. Hud-' Fson said, accord.ng to the witness, that Dunkelberg had * threatenedhPSselection of school trustee candidates. that he hardly knew' a school I Hudson s employe for thirteen years.election was going on until he read the editorials in the newspapers Heremained at his office from 8 30 office manager. He said that stockPublishing Company, and ---------_ . _ . . , .. .. . .the s..mo alBce m the re-or*.n.z*d son told Taitthe latter .aidL that he Ihad a quarter million dollars in- { verted in the Valley and would notbe run out. He quoted Hudson ascorporations, took the stand.Walker testified he had been inlt;t.invarious capacities, including that i «^n* tT' 'UP *“ ow. '* had h*™of tecrelarjr, private secretary. and » f‘*ht “I*” ’ Donkelber* andm,n,.er He thal Oicl Hud.SOn. but that it TOlW looked ll»* a m until 5 p.m. on the day of the■ni-irPSwelection, after having cast his ballot on his way to work, he said. He returned to the polls after 5 pm,he said.Reporters harassed him by approaching him several times a day, ■g during the heat of the campaign, ,n the city' manager said, and they asked him all kinds of foolish questions. and embarrassing him* w'hile other persons were in the officeDid you invite them? Hightower asked No, they just walked in, Runyon replied.lor the new publish,n* corpora,bins would have lo cut off Runyon's f* , head to beat Dunkelberg. 1were paid in by Mr. and Mrs. Hudson. During Walkers testimony. Attorney Ransome objected to High-George M. nsur. secretary of the Brownsville Housing Authority. a!ao a member of the defeated schoolIiitower's repeated reference to a$2 500 b°arfi election ticket, testified as yto hit presence at the*43200.000 corporation and acorporation. Judge Graham in-. . _ .4. ... tt ..trurt-d Hishtowcr to identify the m T.its office. He si,dno_ mentionmeeting f»-ifi-corporations bv their names rather made of the HtnojoM affidavit, but that a propo^d affidavit.than the amount of their capitalstock.Envelope Is Traced „ ,Antonio Tamayo. Jr. clerk for arn'lt;‘d *« *»• ’ndFfdescribed as the 'Dunkelberg affidavit,* had been discussed. Dunkel-tF ..... Tamayo, Jr . _____ , . _ ....the tax collector of the Brownsville announced that he would not sign£nap.ddi-r*\$yi-ifMachine Is DeniedRunyon testified that some statements given reporters were published correctly.He denied that a machine” existed to put over the school election, as u ell as a series of assertions read from the Brownsville Herald byhis attorney. They related to aspoils 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 wutness was l* j making a speechA'ked about the firing of Prud-encio Hinojosa. Runyon said that t ] Hinojosa had a job at a city park, f and that he was not needed.He had only been working abouta month or so. Runyon stated. He was put on during the election (by the preceding administration)Independent School District, testified that J. P. Maher, school board secretary, had sent him to Joe Acevedo's office for an envelope, that he got it and delivered it to Maher. He said he did not knowboth Mansur andany affidavit,Tait testified. ,Dunkelberg h HeardDunkelberg. the next w itness, saidhe supported Runyon for mayor. Two days later, he added, he talked wMth Runyon and the conversation/aLrT. A Kinder asked him to make settled the questions in his mind.On cross-examination, James saidwhat the envelope contained Maher, the next witness, said he ..had held his po.t;^n \vi;h the sch xil on ° cr m.Cfboard since 1931. He related, in response to questioning, that he first . ,. . , . ..S..W the Hi:.: m .-ffidxvit about «i ,» meeting m Knder off.ee Hean affidavit to the effect that Dunkelberg had nothing to do with now thinks as much of Runyonschool■e. r •£ir**nft• *yHad No Organization*He declared that “no city machine existed, in reply to a statement read to him from the Herald, he related, to R B. Creager s office.a week before the school election. At that time it had not yet beensigned or executed, he said. Maher declared he got the unsigned document from Jesse Slots, 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.Brownsville lawyer, and that laterYturria 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—andwhen he got it again it had beensigned and notarized. He took itthe school election. Cross-examined as he ever did, and that he hasat which pro- supported him since the affidavitboard candidates anlt;* articles appeared just as he didbefore they appeared.Stein was recalled briefly to the said he left the room after declar- stond by the plaintiff's counsel and1lt;ec£spectivewere discussed, Dunkelberg recall-ntlt;mg that he was busy and did not questioned on circulation figures of know any candidates He made this *hlt;* Herald and the Star-Monitor-statement, he testified, in responseto a question about candidates. Per-Herald Stein said the Herald's circulation averaged between 8.900 andsons at the meeting, the witness 7.300 ard that of the Star-Monitor-said, had supported Runyon in th® Herald between 16.000 and 18.000.1937 municipal elections.County Commissioner Kinder was j called2:35 p. m.After a brief recess. Runyon wasto the witness stand aton th? stand for a few minutes, followed by G, D Sutton. Brownsville grower, and Lee B. James. Brownsville real estate dealer Sutton andJames describ-d their long acquaintances with Runyon and their reactions upon reading the affidavit and articles in the newspapers. Sutton said he was startled'* at theMcALLEN HADI• »Run-Lt*•reaifr *We had no organization, yon saidAs to connivance with union men”—also read from the newspaper—Runyon said:I have never talked to union men 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 from the papers Hiere is less lawlessness now in Brownsville than there has been in 25 years. Runyon declaredand that was the last he saw of it. Hudson testified Friday that the affidavit had been handed to him in Creager s office.NoUn Is (ailedRamon Munoz, the notary public jwho executed the affidavit, said heaffidavit but then dismissed itIt made me wonder why he should do such a thing, Sutton said, and then my reaction was that he didn't dlt; itStein Is RecalledThe Valley'* NewCooperation It ToldffiHe denied he was 'unrympathe-tiee to new capital. but that onthe contrary, he had done everything to get new capital.“I* it true that you and Dunkel-was called by Victorino Salmas tonotarize an instrument. Munoz accompanied him to the home of Pru-dencio Hinojosa, where the affidavit was igned by Hinojosa Salmas is Hinojosa's stepson placed on the payroll. He said he Sharp clashes between opposing counsel occurred during the testimony of Alex Champion, city police officer and poundmastcr, the last witness of the morning sessionChampion, who is mentioned in the Hinojosa affidavit denied that the name of Robert Runyon hadHe said he supported Runyon in 1937 and also voted for the Dashiell-Tait-Mansur ticket, IAre you a Democrat or a Republican? Ransome asked. ;Well. I don't know. was thereply. “I was raised a Democrat, tbut ...James said he had knowm Runyon for twenty years He declared that the affidavit snd articles shocked him and that he w'as greatly disappointed” in Runyon He said that:I'-r* run thr nty commission ^ m-nt. mcd in »ny VonWmUw:;Hightower asked the witness.’ No, sir.” w'aje the answer.Runyon said he and the commission have worked together m full co-operation.He denied there had been any attempt by the city administration to gam control of the schools, or that he had attempted to build a political machineThe questioning was carried up to the 1939 municipal elections, scheduled for November 7. but for which no opposition candidates have filed.between him and Hinojosa. Defense attorneys blocked attempts of Champion to tell of conversations with a man named Jose Maria Lopez, who occupies a room at the HmojosaFALSE TEETHtH. R. Hudson. Brownsville, banker and publisher, resumed his testimony a: the trial entered its second | cay Saturday Soon after he took the stand the jury was excused w hile attorney* arguM admissibility of evidence offered by the plaintiffDINTUR-IZIAd A K IS THIM SITUKI NIW AGAINTK# hi Oder* «r«y t* .p!ct# ft*4 ✓ '«c!nf#rf! «mlt;i +mm cuthicn I k# m««# /iPRIZE PUPIL CONFESSESUNOERWtlOSALEM CHINAmuiiEThe most discriminatinghousewife is sure to findHELPED ME MAKETOP GRADESIamong our many patterns something that exactlymeets her taste and in lineIfoUCMl 2X!ft* toowith her sense of values.tas*./// /..w/vrrThere is a pattern for everyoccasion.NOTEALL HOTELS. RESTAURANvial. Eh *4*r»tfcm* Z/7???7\VX *•“ f**l ^ Uifc; IASS TO APPLYA•inf l##f etifJUST RECEIVED—Large Supply. Hot#! CHIPLATESAll Sis# RlCUPSSAUCERSI
Newspaper Details
Valley Sunday Star-Monitor-Herald
Brownsville, Texas, US
Sun, Oct 15, 1939
Page 22
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 30 Apr 2022
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