(Testimony of George William Fehrenbach)
Mr. Griffin.
What did he say?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
He said, "I will see it gets into the proper hands."
Mr. Griffin.
Did he indicate that he knew about this?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
He didn't seem at all surprised. But he said, "I will see that these get into the proper hands." I told him what I thought this was or what they were, I believe this was a muster list of the Communist Party that have been holding meetings here and I said, "I know this." I said I have known of several meetings and they have had and I said I have heard them when they all come up that they were holding a meeting that night and I said I went up there and this list was on the table and I said I thought they ought to be given to the proper authority and he said, "I will see that it gets into the proper hands."
Mr. Griffin.
How long did you retain that list before you gave it to Mr. Collins?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
I put it in my shirt and I think that was about, it must have been around, 9 o'clock in the morning, between 9 and 9:30, and then I went out of the shop, just shortly thereafter because it was burning a hole in my belly, the thing was. I knew I didn't want to hold onto it and so I made the excuse of getting out of the shop and going for a cup of coffee, I can't remember what it was that I told Sam I was going to do, so I took it directly from there over to Merv Collins and back to the shop. Just so I got it off my--that is all I was worried about.
Mr. Griffin.
And when was the next time that you had occasion to think about the names that were on that list?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
Well, actually I regretted, and I still regret in a way that I didn't actually take time to look, read all the names but I didn't. All I did was look at the first few and seen who they were and now these were boys who had at one time said something to me or indicated that they were Communists, and so I just figured they all were. And I figured if it was given to the proper authorities they could investigate and find out for themselves or find out for sure.
Mr. Griffin.
Did you ever inquire of Mr. Collins what had become of that list after you gave it to him?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
No, because actually, I don't believe there was any law against the Communist Party at that time unless they was doing actually sabotaging or teaching the violent overthrow of the Government or something like that and as far as I know none of these men were practicing anything like that.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, at the time that in the late forties and early fifties when the country was very interested in these kind of activities, Senator McCarthy and people in the Congress were active in this, is there any reason why at that time you didn't make known your experience in Muncie?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
No, I had turned the list in, and so I just took it for granted if they wanted to talk to me about anything about it that they would have contacted me, and it never dawned on me, that Merv never turned it over to the FBI.
Mr. Griffin.
You were in Muncie--
Mr. Fehrenbach.
Yes.
Mr. Griffin.
Back in the period from 1948 to 1952. isn't that right?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
No; 1950, 1950, and 1951 was back in the service at Green Cove Springs and then I came back and I was There for the rest of 1951, and I believe it was in 1952 when we moved to Jacksonville, Fla.
Mr. Griffin.
All of the late forties you were in Muncie?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
Yes.
Mr. Griffin.
And for a while in 1952 you were in Muncie?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
Yes.
Mr. Griffin.
Now, you were aware of what information was being developed by the Communist Party in Muncie, at that time, weren't you?
Mr. Fehrenbach.
I don't understand.
Mr. Griffin.
During this period in the late forties and the early fifties when Senator McCarthy and other people in the Congress were very interested in
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