Evening star., 1931-05-21
COUNSEL FOR UNION
ATTACKS ROVER IN
LANGDON SHOOTING
Col. lanes EaSby-Smith
Points to Dismissal of
HofseWhipping by Woman.
CHARGES ACTION INVITED
ATTACK UPON OFFICIAL
Attorney Criticizes Handsoff Policy
Adopted by United States
Attorney.

Charges that the action of the Office
of United States Attorney Leo A.
Rover IN dropping an assault case
against a woman and three men, &C.
cused OF attacking a union supervisor
invited the shooting of Frank Lang
don, 72-year-old union official yester-
day were made today by CoI James
Essby-Smith, attorney for the Inter
national Union OF Operating Engineers
Langdon, assistant TO the general
secretary of the Operating Engineer 5
Union, was shot while eating lunch
with two other labor officials.
The woman and three men referred
to by Gel. Easily Smith were charged
with asSaulting Charles e. Haury, a
union supervisor, in front OF the
organizations of1ces at Tenth and K
streets.
HOrsewhipped Official
The attack occurred In April, when
Mrs Robert Stephens allegedly lashed
Haury with horsewhip. She was as
sisted by several men, who are said to
have closed in on the supervisor and
subjected him to severe pummeling.
the four arrested, but they were dis
missed = short time later, when the
United States attorney once explained
It was not the policy Of the ONCE to
air labor disputes N court, Col.
Easby-Smith said.
Rover declined 70 comment or Col.
.ss.Sby-Snith's Ssse-st1-.s. TIE l2r-sr
made the char<a; G. Ei- wy -
.i'4tics z aLeTS coErtt, =. ets q 10 slt..c3l l
o.ion 20 o1smi-s 8 sGiE ssain-t Lac
I4lion Was 10 be argued tcd&y.
Iangdon Near Death.
: Langdon still was In a critical con-
dition at Emergency Hospital today,
having undergone an operation for the
removal Of an eye yesterday. One Of
the bullets passed through his eye. while
the other cut his cheek. Surgeons were
forced to remove the eye in an effect
TO save the other.
With Langdon at the time OF the
shooting, which occurred in the Robin
Hood Coffee Shop. across the street
from the offices OF the union, were
Arthur NJ Huddell, president Of the
organization, and John Possehl Of
Cleveland, general secretary Of the or
ganization.
One of the bullets struck Hudden.
but it was prevented from penetrating
IliS uOQg Dy a pdlHp4AlCb CdAlACA AAA hAS
pocket. PoSsehl escaped injury.
Explains Litigation.
Litigation involving the organization,
according to Col. EaSby-Snith, began
when Henry Z. Fish, former business
agent for one of the three locals, and
William ]. Green, q suspended member.
fled an injunction suit charging Hud-
dell and other officers of the union with
misuing their authority IN suspending
members and conspiring to misapply the
organizations funds.
A second suit was filed by Samuel
Untermyer of New York in December,
1929. on behalf of several suspended
members. Last week Harry F. Barger,
attorney for four Washington steam
engineers whose memberships had been
suspended, filed an intervening petition
to join Untermyer's suit. The motion
for dismissal on which Col. Easily
Smith was TO argue today was In con-
nection with this suit.
Other suits filed aaainst the union
in District Supreme Court were dis
missed, but one still Is pending before
the Court Of Appeals.
In the suit fled by Barger, Huddell
and other officers of the union are
charged with Tacketeering, allegedly
having robbed and mulcted members. I"
O6lcers Suspended.
The organizations troubles, according
10 Col Easily Smith. begun some time
ago when officers OF the local branch
of the union sought TO keep the mem
beTship down TO 90 members when
about 400 were seeking admittance.
Those officers were suspended, Col.
Essby-Smith continued, and their places
were filled by supervisors chosen by the
national organization. Since then, he
added, the local membership has been
increased To approximately 400.