TESTIMONY OF MRS. HARRIET PIERCE, ACCOMPANIED BY HER COUNSEL, ROY F. TROLSON
Mr. Wheeler. Will you state your full name, please?
Mrs. Pierce. Mrs. Harriet Pierce.
Mr. Wheeler. Where do you presently reside?
Mrs. Pierce. In Seattle.
Mr. Wheeler. Are you presently employed?
Mrs. Pierce. Yes; I am.
Mr. Wheeler. Where are you employed?
Mrs. Pierce. I am employed at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club.
Mr. Wheeler. Do you have any part-time employment other than your present position?
Mrs. Pierce. No; I do not.
Mr. Wheeler. Would you advise the committee of your occupational background prior to your present occupation?
(The witness confers with her counsel.)
Mrs. Pierce. I wish to invoke the fifth amendment on this question.
Mr. Wheeler. On all prior occupation?
Mrs. Pierce. Yes, sir; that is on all prior occupation.
Mr. Wheeler. Isn’t it a fact that you worked for the United States Government at one time?
Mrs. Pierce. On this question, too, I wish to invoke the protection of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Moulder. Do you mean to say that your employment in the United States Government may tend to incriminate you?
Mrs. Pierce. I have already stated my answer, sir.
(The witness confers with her counsel.)
Mr. Moulder. If investigation, Mr. Wheeler, reveals the witness’ employment, then I suggest that you ask the question according to what your investigation has revealed, the specific questions which she can answer.
Mr. Wheeler. Have you ever been employed by the United States Post Office Department?
Mrs. Pierce. I decline to answer that question for the reasons previously stated, sir. And I would like to explain that I fear that answering these questions may lead to other questions which might tend to incriminate me.
Mr. Wheeler. Were you dismissed from this position because of security reasons?
Mrs. Pierce. I decline to answer that question for the reasons previously stated.
Mr. Wheeler. Have you been a paid employee of the Civil Rights Congress of the city of Seattle?
Mrs. Pierce. I decline to answer that question for the reasons previously stated.
Mr. Wheeler. Do you know Mrs. Barbara Hartle?
Mrs. Pierce. I decline to answer that question, sir, for the reasons previously stated.
Mr. Wheeler. She testified that you were a member of the Georgetown Club of the Communist Party, King County. Is that a statement of fact on the part of Mrs. Hartle?
Mrs. Pierce. I decline to answer, and invoke my protection under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Wheeler. Were you active in any way with the Progressive Party here in the State of Washington?
Mrs. Pierce. I decline to answer that for the reasons previously stated, sir.
Mr. Wheeler. Mr. Chairman, I think it is quite obvious that we are not going to get the information we desire from this witness.
I have no further questions.
Mr. Moulder. May I ask the witness where you were born?
Mrs. Pierce. I was born in Martinsburg, W. Va.
Mr. Moulder. And when did you come to the State of Washington?
(The witness confers with her counsel.)
Mrs. Pierce. I believe it was in 1942 or possibly 1943. I am not certain.
Mr. Moulder. Were you married at that time?
Mrs. Pierce. No, sir.
Mr. Moulder. Did you come to Washington alone?
Mrs. Pierce. Yes, sir.
Mr. Moulder. Did you have employment when you arrived or did you have to seek employment after you arrived?
(The witness confers with her counsel.)
Mrs. Pierce. On this question, sir, I wish to invoke my privilege under the fifth amendment.
Mr. Velde. Mr. Chairman, I fail to see how that could possibly tend to incriminate her or lead to incrimination. I suggest that the witness be directed to answer the question.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is directed to answer the question.
(The witness confers with her counsel.)
Mrs. Pierce. Sir, this is a question which I would like very much to answer, and answer fully, but I feel that it might lead either to other questions which might incriminate me or to a waiver of my right to claim the protection of the fifth amendment, and I therefore do claim protection of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Moulder. Are you now a member of the Communist Party?
Mrs. Pierce. Again I claim the protection of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Moulder. Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?
Mrs. Pierce. I claim the protection of the fifth amendment on that question, too.
Mr. Moulder. Are you now employed?
Mrs. Pierce. I have already answered that question.
Mr. Moulder. Then would you care to answer again?
Mrs. Pierce. Well, I could answer it again the same as I did before. I am employed now.
Mr. Moulder. Where are you now employed?
Mrs. Pierce. At the Tacoma Country and Golf Club.
Mr. Moulder. How long have you been employed there?
Mrs. Pierce. I decline to answer under the privilege of the fifth amendment.
Mr. Moulder. Do you mean to say the length of time you have been employed there would tend to incriminate you? Is that your reasoning on that?
Mrs. Pierce. I have already stated my answer, sir.
Mr. Moulder. Any questions, Mr. Velde?
Mr. Velde. No questions.
Mr. Moulder. The witness is excused.
The committee will stand in recess until tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock.
(Whereupon, at 4:50 p. m., the subcommittee was recessed, to be reconvened at 9 a. m., Saturday, March 19, 1955.)