(Testimony of Hyman Rubenstein)
Mr. Rubenstein.
myself. "I got a good spot," she says. "1717 Ervay Street." I said, "What do you need?" She says, "I need about a thousand dollars." I said, "What for?"
She wants to buy a piano, so I bought her a piano and cost me $625 for the piano. She wanted a loudspeaker system for the nightclub, cost me a couple of hundred bucks for that. Then she bought some dishes, and some pots and pans for the restaurant in the back. I said, "O.K. I will ship them all down to you." We picked out the piano. I got her the loudspeaker system, and the paraphernalia that goes with it, the speakers, and we went down to Maxwell Street and we bought pots and pans and dishes and cups and saucers and shipped it all down to Dallas, Tex. That was the last I heard of it until I went down there. I was subpenaed by the Government by a guy by the name of Paul Jones. They got in a jam. How did she meet Paul Jones? Eva sent him up to Chicago and he is in Chicago and he calls me. I came downtown and I met him. Do you want this part of the story now?
Mr. Griffin.
Yes; go ahead.
Mr. Rubenstein.
Paul is looking over things down in Dallas that they can't buy. We were looking for stuff in Chicago that you can't buy either; merchandise, legitimate merchandise. One of the items was pipe. Of course right after the war, you couldn't buy anything. There was nothing to be had. I made a connection with somebody I don't remember now--this is 20 years ago--on pipe. So I sent Paul down a small piece of pipe about 6 inches, and I put a sticker on it and I mailed it down to Dallas, and I said, I sent him a letter, how else can you send a piece of pipe, that was the best way. I figured nobody is going to use a piece like that. I put a label on it and I mailed it down to Paul Jones. I mailed it to the tavern; Eva's place. He got it.
Mr. Griffin.
Had you met Jones before you sent the pipe down?
Mr. Rubenstein.
Up here in Chicago. I never heard anything else from Paul Jones. But shortly after I am subpenaed, come down to Dallas by the U.S. District Attorney from Chicago, Al Lehman, who died since, they wanted me to go to Dallas. "What do you know about Paul Jones?" So I told them. He said, "Go down there and tell the truth," and I did. I go down to Dallas, the district attorney down there cross-examined .me for about an hour, and I told him exactly what happened about the pipe deal, and he didn't like it because he subpenaed me as his witness, here I am testifying for Paul Jones on the pipe deal. I had to tell him the truth. So he got sore at me, and I said, "Look, I don't want no part of this court; you sent for me and I am ,telling you the truth," and he got angry at me. That was it.
I hung around, this was not in Dallas, the trial was in Nuevo Laredo, Tex. It seems that some of Paul's associates were smuggling dope, by airplane, from Mexico--across the line and Paul got grabbed. They found my ticket, I think one of my cards, in his pocket. So, I am subpenaed. I am a dope peddler right off the bat. What the hell do I know about dope peddling? And that was the story of my connection with Uncle Sam. I don't know what year it was, either 1944 or 1945. That was it.
Mr. Griffin.
Was it before or after Jack had moved down to Dallas?
Mr. Rubenstein.
Jack was in the service.
Mr. Griffin.
This was while Jack was in the service?
Mr. Rubenstein.
I am almost positive.
Mr. Griffin.
Jack didn't testify in that trial, did he?
Mr. Rubenstein.
No.
Mr. Griffin.
Do you recall being questioned by Federal narcotics agents in connection with Jones?
Mr. Rubenstein.
Yes.
Mr. Griffin.
Was that--were you questioned about that before or after the trial?
Mr. Rubenstein.
It must have been before the trial because after the trial they let me go. They didn't even bother with me after that because I was no good to them.
Mr. Griffin.
So the best way to date it when you went down there was when the Federal narcotics agents questioned you in Chicago?
Mr. Rubenstein.
Yes. Al Lehman, I think, was the one who questioned me.
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