The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-20
union OFFICIAL.
SHOT down IN
CAPITAL WAR
Cafe Outrage Is Latest in
Series Blamed on Cana
Conflict.
ASSAIL POLICE FORCE
Officer Is Questioned in
Murder of BootIegger
in Washington.
BIZ United Press

IN Washington.
BIZ United Press
WASHINGTON, May 20.-Frank
Langdon, assistant secretary of the
International Union of Operating
Engineers, was shot through the
head as he was dining in a res
taurant near the American Fedora
ton Of Labor headquarters here to-
day with Arthur M. Huddell of Chi
cago, president of the union, and
another union man.
Langdon'S assailant fired eight
shots at the party of three labor men
and then escaped. Only one shot,
according to police reports, took
effect.
The shooting, which police at
tributed TO troubles among labor
groups. was the seventh in startl-
ing outbreak OF violence which has
shaken the national capital this
week.
1t followed series of gan muir
ders, which have amazed the public
OF the usually staid capital.
Fires in Restaurant
Langdon, Huddell and John Pas
shel, general secretary of the organ
ization, were seated together in the
restaurant when an unidentified
man came in, and sat near them.
AS the waitress turned away after
serving his dinner, the man arose
from his chair, pulled out a gun
and started firing at the three labor
officials, according to witnesses.
The man then backed toward the
door, threw the smoking gun TO
the floor and drew out another.
Passehl attempted to block his
way, but was held back.
Eangdon was rushed to emergency
hospital, where his condition was
said to be serious.
The asSailant fled in an automo-
bile.
Gang war in the capital city today
reached a Stage more acute than
ever before in its history.
Tuesday midnight, Wallace j.
Middleton, policeman, was arrested
following d tour of duty at the
circus grounds and questioned for
an hour i'll connection with the
mysterious gang murder Monday
night of Jack Cunningham, police
informer and reputed bootlegger
and racketeer.
Seek to Connect Killings
Earlier in the day Elmer Dull
dog Sweeney walked into head
quarters with his lawyer and con-
fessed killing Talley Day, racketeer
and gambler during a gamblers
quarrel in a speakeasy Sunday
night. He said he shot in self
defense
Tuesday night Senator Smith w.
Brooklart (Rep., la charged di-
rectly that certain police officers
were acting in conclusion with I'M
derworld characters, and that Com
missioner Herbert Crosby is "a good
man who is having the wool pulled
over his eyes"
Police were seeking a connection
between the slayings of Day and
Cunningham, but admittedly we're
baffled following Sweeney's confess
sion Their earlier theory had been
that Day was shot in a quarrel over
division of Spoils from the liquor
robbery recently at the Salvadorean
legation, and that Cunningham was
put on the spot" for informing.
Day had been arrested in connec-
ton with the robbery, but was re-
leased for lack of evidence.
Policeman Is Quizzed
Cunningham died Tuesday night
just fifty-five minutes before Mid
dleton's arrest.
The policeman admitted he was
IN the vicinity at the time of the
shooting from a passing automobile,
but attributed this to the fact that
he lived at the Ambassador hotel
nearby. No charge was laid against
him, but he was locked up for the
night.
A Washington patrolman's salary
is 81 800 year. Rooms at the AM
bassador hotel, not far from the
White House, range in price from So
a day upward. 1t was reported that
he occupied a $1,500-a-year suite,
but this could not be confirmed.
Order Cop Be Held
Police maintained today that
Cunningham in his dying moments
after having refused to answer
questions as to his assailant, gave
them information which, they said,
justified their holding of Middle
ton. Captain Edward j. Kelly OF
the police force informed Cunning
ham of Middleton's arrest Just be-
fore Cunningham died.
Good" they said Cunningham
replied. You'd better keep him. -
Today Day will have a funeral in
imitation of the more pretentious
ones that have become famous in
Chicago.
All day Tuesday he lay in state in
a funeral parlor in a gold-plate&
casket. Roses, lilies and orchids were
piled high, and one particularly
elaborate piece was a card with the
inscription:
Deepest sympathy from the
boys"