The Washington times., 1929-06-17
Murder Warrants in
Plattsburg Killing
Sought by Attorney


Q.N.S1.-Having failed to receive a
report from customs officials of the
killing of Arthur Gordon, %, OF this
city, alleged bootlegger. District At
torney B. Loyal O'Connel announced
shortly before noon today he would
Immediately institute John Doe pro-
ceedings in an effort to secure muir
der warrants against the youths
slayers
John C. Tulloch, collector Of the
port of Ogdensburg, announced
earlier in the day he would file re-
port of the killing with District AT
torney O'Connell Tulloch said two
border customs patrolmen. John
Cheatham and Frank Coveney, had
admitted shooting Gordon but IN
sisted it was accidental.
The John Doe proceedings, O'Con-
nell said, would be held before
Judge Robert Booth in Plattsburgh
city court this afternoon.
A blanket subpoena has been rs
sued for all customs patrolmen, the
district attorney announced.
Gordon was shot and killed early
Saturday on a back road leading
from this city to Mooers, small
village on the Canadian border.
Two customs patrolmen brought his
body to the Physicians Hospital
here, insisting at that time, they
had found him dead in the road
with bullet hole in his back.
Residents of northern New York
have been aroused to a high pitch
by the killing. Mayor McGaulley
of this city said he would write
President Hoover, demanding that
the border killings be stopped.
Ordered to Fire
The resentment of the citizens
mounted in intensity when Lucien
Bosworth, an eyewitness, to d
Sheriff Brunnell that an officer OF
the customs service patrol ordered
a. subordinate to fire" just before
Gordon pitched forward with a rifle
bullet in his back.
Gordon was shot when he leaped
a fence to flee from arrest after
abandoning his automobile contain
ing LIQUOR. where it had been STOP
ned by customs patrolmen. He was
dead when taken to the physicians
hospital by two men who refused to
reveal their identities.
Responsibility for gun play by dry
officers along the Detroit river was
placed on the head Of prohibition
commissioner ]. M. Doran by Repre-
sentative Clancy R.) Of Michigan IN
a fiery speech in the House today.
Doran, he declared. had notified
45O agents massed for a great drive
on bootleggers that "if you don't
make good we're going to cut your
heads off,
This drastic order, Clancy de.
clared, had frightened agents into
an outrageous use of guns along
the river.
Clancy told the House that Louis
H. Jacques, former dry agent in
charge of the detail of which Jonah
Cox, who last week shot and killed
Archibald Eugster, alleged rum run
ner, at Detroit, had come to Wash
ingto to protest against the 'pro-
miscuous use of firearms"
Jacques resigned his position with
the dry forces, and joined Clancy
in condemning methods used by
the dry agents in the new battle
of Detroit"
Reviewing the many shootings in
Detroit in the last few years, Clancy
admitted that the prohibition Of
ficers faced a serious situation in
dealing with bootleggers who are
importing huge quantities of liquor
from Canada, across the Detroit
River.
He said that Jacques had di
vulged to him that within the last
few weeks dry agents in Detroi'
had tapped the telephone wires OF
the collector of customs in spite OF
the supreme court decision last
year ruling "wire tapping" uncon
Stitutional.
He said that before Cox shot and