Mr. CLARK. I have forgotten. It was either Senator NEELY. Was it as much as you received from the klan? Mr. CLARK. It was either $3,500 a year or $4,000 a year: I do not recall which. There was a bill passed raising the salary to $4,000, but whether or not that went into effect while I was judge, I do not know. Senator NEELY. Did you or not devote all your time to your duties as general counsel, or did you carry on the general practice of the law? Mr. CLARK. No, sir; you see, I came out in the open as a klansman. I was the only one known in Waco, as general counsel. I lost all my practice; both sides became afraid to employ me. I could have taken general practice if I had wished. Senator NEELY. That is all. Mr. McLEAN. During all that time while you were general counsel, a klansman, holding office in the Ku-Klux Klan, did you ever know the Ku-Klux Klan to donate one single copper cent to Earle B. Mayfield's campaign for the United States Senate? Mr. CLARK. No, sir. Senator KING. Did you collect money, or try to, for his candidacy? Mr. CLARK. No, sir. I wish to state, as explanatory of that, that I had nothing to do with the political end of it. I was very busy at that time representing the klan as their attorney. Senator KING. In your organization you participated in no meetings calling for money or arranging for money, or spending, for his campaign? Mr. CLARK. No, sir. Senator KING. That is all. The CHAIRMAN. That is all. You are excused, Judge Clark. TESTIMONY OF JAMES P. STRAUGHAN (The witness was sworn by the chairman.) Mr. STRAUGHAN. I live in Fort Worth. Mr. NICKELS. Have you lived there for some time? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Something over five years. Mr. NICKELS. What is your business? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I have been in the oil business for a good long time, for some years, about 20 years. Mr. NICKELS. You are acquainted with Mr. Earle B. Mayfield? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes. Mr. NICKELS. How long have you known him? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Quite a long time. Mr. NICKELS. Several years! Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes. Mr. NICKELS. Did you travel around the State with Mr. Mayfield any in the campaign of 1922? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I did. Mr. NICKELS. How extensively did you travel with Mr. Mayfield? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Well, I was with him at different times, sometimes three or four days at a time. Mr. NICKELS. Can you name some of the towns now? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes; I was with him at Houston, Senator WATSON. Let us get at this question. Does this mean the first campaign for the nomination, or the run-off, or the campaign for election? Mr. NICKELS. The campaign for the nomination. Senator WATSON. I will ask you, did you mean the first campaign or the second; which was it? Mr. STRAUGHAN. The first. Mr. NICKELS. Can you name some of the places visited in company with Mr. Mayfield? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes; I was in Houston, in Beaumont, in Orange, in Tyler, in Royse City, Caro, Kaufman, Mineral Wells, and possibly some others. I do not remember right now. Senator KING. Making speeches? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes, sir. Senator KING. Were you making speeches yourself? Mr. NICKELS. Did you make any speeches, Jim? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. What were you doing? What was the nature of your duties on those trips? Mr. STRAUGHAN. There was some few times that I went with him that I had nothing to do, when I drove him to several places, and toward the latter part of the campaign I went with him to protect his life. Mr. ZUMBRUNN. To do what? Mr. STRAUGHAN. To protect his life. We were afraid there would be some violence. Mr. NICKELS. You were not with Mr. Mayfield, if you can recall, at Port Arthur. Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir; I never was with him at Port Arthur. Mr. NICKELS. You visited Port Arthur, however, did you not, during the campaign? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes. Mr. NICKELS. More than once? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I think I was there twice. Mr. NICKELS. Can you approximate the dates of your visits to Port Arthur? Mr. STRAUGHAN. It was some time in July or August; possibly in July and August. Mr. NICKELS. Did you or not go there, make a trip to Port Arthur, for the purpose of seeing any particular man? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I made the trip down there to see some of my friends. Mr. NICKELS. Did you get a campaign contribution on that trip? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No. Mr. NICKELS. On either of the trips? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No. Mr. NICKELS. Did you on a trip to Beaumont, from a man who lived at Port Arthur? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Do you know Mr. Ben T. Richards, of the Fred B. Foster Oil Co. ? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. You knew Mr. Foster, however? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes; I knew Mr. Foster. Mr. NICKELS. He is dead now, is he not? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Did you or not receive from the Fred B. Foster Oil Co. a check to be used in the campaign? Mr. STRAUGHAN. He gave me a check for $250, which I used in the local campaign at Fort Worth. Mr. NICKELS. Now, for what purposes did you use the proceeds of that check? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I used it in paying hall rent and advertising and bands and such stuff as that. Mr. NICKELS. In connection with what meeting or meetings? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I can not recall, Mr. Nickels. I think at one time I used some funds there when Doctor Knickerbocker spoke. At different times when people spoke there in the interest of Mr. Mayfield's condidacy. Mr. NICKELS. That was during the first primary campaign? Mr. NICKELS. Who delivered this check to you? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I got it in Mr. Foster's office. I do not remember. I think Mr. Foster gave it to me. Mr. NICKELS. That was a check of the Fred B. Foster Oil Co.,. was it not? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I am not sure whether it was the check of the Foster Oil Co., or Mr. Foster's personal check. Mr. NICKELS. Now, refresh your memory as best you can and say whether or not it was a check of the company? To try to refresh your memory I will ask you, did you not tell Mr. Richards, or whoever it was that handed it to you, to change the form of the check? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I do not remember. Mr. NICKELS. You do not remember about that part of it? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Was or not the check made, not to you, but to the Mayfield campaign committee? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No; I think it was made to me; I am not sure about it. Mr. NICKELS. You are not sure? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Was that the first contribution that you had collected at Fort Worth? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No; I think it was the last one that I collected there. Mr. NICKELS. From whom-what other parties-did you collect contributions at Fort Worth? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Mr. Hoffer I think gave me a check for $200. Mr. NICKELS. What was Mr. Hoffer's business at that time? Mr. STRAUGHAN. He was in the oil business. Mr. NICKELS. Do you know what company be is connected with, if any? Mr. STRAUGHAN. The Fensland Oil Co. Mr. NICKELS. From what other parties, if any, did you make collections at Fort Worth? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Some time in the latter part of 1921, Clay, Simmons & Smith gave me a check for $250. Mr. NICKELS. Is it not a fact that that check was made to the Mayfield campaign committee? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No; it was made to me personally. Mr. NICKELS. Made to you? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes, sir. Mr. NICKELS. What was the business of Clay, Simmons & Smith, if they had any other than the law profession at that time? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Well, I understand that they deal in leases. I do not think produce any oil. They deal in leases and lands and real estate. Mr. NICKELS. Did you or not know of the Clay, Simmons & Smith Oil Co. at that time? Mr. STRAUGHAN. There was none at that time. Mr. NICKELS. Later? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I think they organized one some time last year, or maybe a little earlier than that. Mr. NICKELS. Name any other party at Fort Worth from whom you solicited and received a contribution, or payment, in that connection. Mr. STRAUGHAN. I think the firm of Phillips, Trammel & Caldwell gave me a check, I think, for $125. I am not sure about the amount, but I think it was $125. Mr. NICKELS. That is a firm of lawyers in Fort Worth? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes. Mr. NICKELS. Who else, if anybody, at Fort Worth? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I do not recall anybody else. Mr. NICKELS. Do you recall whether or not you got a contribution from George Beggs, jr.? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I do not. Mr. NICKELS. Are you acquainted with Mr. J. L. Hunter, generally called "Len " Hunter, who lives at Austin? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Did you see Mr. Hunter frequently during that campaign? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I never saw Mr. Hunter during the campaign until about-oh, I guess it was near the primary in August. Mr. MCLEAN. That is, the run-off primary? Mr. STRAUGHAN. That was the first primary. I think it was run August 22, was it not? Mr. NICKELS. The 26th. Mr. STRAUGHAN. Sometime near that time. Mr. McLEAN. The first primary was in July. Mr. STRAUGHAN. It was July, then. It was the first primary. Mr. NICKELS. Where was Mr. Hunter at that time, when you saw him? Mr. STRAUGHAN. The first time I met Mr. Hunter I believe it was at Kaufman. Mr. NICKELS. Did you know the occasion of Mr. Hunter's trip to Kaufman? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir; I did not. Mr. NICKELS. Was he there at the time Mr. Mayfield made a speech there? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes, sir. Mr. NICKELS. And you went there with Mr. Mayfield at that time? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes. Mr. NICKELS. Did you or not see Mr. Mayfield and Mr. Hunter in consultation at that time? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Well, I am sure they were, but I do not remember any particular time when I saw them. I think Mr. Hunter's visit over there was to bring Mrs. Mayfield over to visit Mr. Mayfield; and they drove with me in my automobile to Dallas that night, and I left them at Dallas. Mr. NICKELS. Do you know a Mr. Campbell at Beaumont? Mr. NICKELS. Yes. Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes. Mr. NICKELS. You visited with Mr. Campbell, did you not, while the campaign was going on? Mr. STRAUGHAN. I saw him several times. Mr. NICKELS. Did you or not discuss the campaign and the matter of campaign expenditures with Mr. Campbell? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. You are certain about that? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Did you ever discuss it on the occasion of any visit? Mr. STRAUGHAN. About campaign expenses? Mr. NICKELS. Yes. Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Did you discuss any other feature of the campaign with him? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Yes; I talked about the campaign with him. He was opposing Mayfield, and I tried to get him to support him. Mr. NICKELS. Do you now recall whether you had a conversation with Mr. Collins at Fort Worth about the campaign and how much money had been spent? Mr. STRAUGHAN. Collins? Mr. NICKELS. Yes. Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Have you any records of any sort pertaining to the collection and disbursement of that money which has been mentioned already? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. Did you keep any record of it at all? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No; I paid the money out, and probably had the bills for it at that time; but I know just about what the items were. Mr. NICKELS. I assume, then, that you made no report of those moneys? Mr. STRAUGHAN. No, sir. Mr. NICKELS. From what other person or firm did you receive any contributions during that campaign? Mr. STRAUGHAN. None other. |