(The witness confers with his counsel.)
Mr. Robel. I apologize for that statement, sir, and withdraw it.
Mr. Moulder. Ordinarily a person referred to as a stool pigeon is one who is an accuser of some fact against someone else, and that person ordinarily retorts that they are a stool pigeon.
You do withdraw that reference.
Mr. Wheeler. Mrs. Hartle also testified—and this reference to her testimony can be found on page 6173 of volume 3 of the hearings:
Gene Robel, whom I have mentioned before, and Glenn Kinney were also members of this industrial section.
Mr. Robel, the committee, in pursuance of its duties, is endeavoring to gain knowledge of the industrial section of the Communist Party in King County, and you, having been identified as a member of that section, is the reason you have been subpenaed here. We would like to get what information we can from you.
Now I would like to ask you:
Were you a member of the industrial section of the Communist Party?
Mr. Robel. I must invoke the fifth amendment for the same reason previously stated, and refuse to answer that question.