Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-19
ATTEMPT MADE TO
! WH|TEWASH LONG
PROBE CHARGED
Mrs. Hammond Terms Cues
tons Disgrace to United
States and Its Flag"
BY GEORGE HEALY, JR.
'pecia dispatch to The Star.


epecia Dispatch to The Star.
NEW ORLEANS, La, November 18.-
Scene- which paralleled the Loui1iana
Legislatures wild disorder in 1929 In
mediately before Inauguration Of i'm
parchment proceedings against then
Gov. Huey P. Long marked the resump-
ton here Of the Senate select commit
tees investigation of the Broussard-
Overton 1882 primary election.
Crowds at the committees open hear
ing grew as the verbal fireworks in
creased, and when the third days ses-
sion was opened Wednesday. standing
room only was available in the Scottish
Rite Cathedral auditorium, where pro-
ceedings of the committee are being
conducted.
The first three days of the resumed
hearing we're marked by spectacular
developments.
gator for the committee, charged Mon
day that Seymour Weiss. witness who
declined to answer the committees
questions In February, was being placed
on the stand Monday to purge himself
of contempt.
Mr.. Holland, who is a veteran Wash
ington investigator, Monday charged
also that Senator Tom Connally, COM
mittee chairman, who did not begin
to participate in the hearing until
Wednesday, was not present Monday
because he Is $50 yellow he hasn't the
CUTS to be here today"
Mrs. Hilda Phelps Hammond, chair
man of the Women'S Committee OF
Louisiana, which is active in movemc0ts
against the organization led by Senator
Huey p. Long, in the presence of Sen
ators M M. Logan Of Kentucky and
Ebert D. Thomas of Utah, committee
members, described their questioning of
Mr.. Weiss as "a disgrace to the United
States and its flag"
The Honest Election League, through
its officials, announced Monday after
noon its withdrawal from the investi-
cation because it claimed the commit
tee "-atertains no serious purpose and
intention of prosecuting an effective
probe of the senatorial primary"
The developments OF Monday were no
more spectacular than those of Tues
days session, at which Edward Rightor,
attorney for former Senator Edwin S.
Broussard. whose complaint to the SEN
ate led to the Inauguration Of the in
vestigation more than a year ego, an
nounced that he and former Senator
Broussard were retiring from the case.
Mr. Rightor described the investiga-
ton es farce" and asserted that he
and former Senator Broussard had lost
confidence In the committee Including
Senator Connaliy and excluding Sem
ator Thomas" Senator Thomas only
recently became member of the COM
mittee
Before Withdrawing from any con-
nection with the investiga ton, Mr..
Rightor charged that the people of
Louisiana are "terrorized" by Senator
Long and his organization.
Senator Logan's threat to cite Mr..
Rightor and Francis williams, member
of the Louisiana Public Service Com
mission. for contempt because Of their
Interruption of the committee and criti-
cism of its members soon was with
drawn by the Senator.
After an outbreak by spectators We'd
nesday, which marked Senator Con-
nally's first appearance as chairman
of the committee, the questioning Of
witnesses placed ct the committees
disposal by Mr.. Williams was started.
Senator Connally, who described Mr..
Hollands charges as "vile. scurrilous
lies" referred to towards of Louisiana"
In his opening remarks Wednesday
morning Thinking that they had been
insulted by the committee chairman,
several spectators started toward the
dais. but Senator Logan Gained the
large crowd. Senator Connally later ex-
planned that he intended to criticize
Louisianians who claim to have evil
dence Of fraud in the primary election,
but are too cowardly to present this
evidence to the committee"
Witnesses Questioned by the commit
tee Wednesday, after Monday and Tues
day were spent in argument and in pres
entation of Senator Longs claim that
the primary election was entirely fair,
described how Overton election commits
sioners were accused directly by watch
ers Of violating provisions Of the pri-
mary election law: how a Broussard
watcher was slugged and put in Jail:
how one man was seen to vote three
times IN one precinct; how Broussard
commissioners were not allowed to
serve, how Broussard watchers were
kept outside Of the polling place bar
in the presence Of oVerto-l corarniss Snoas
ers; how Broussa-d watchers were not
allowed 10 witness the count Of b'll0t1
when the polls closed. and how, IN at
least one instance. votes were tabulated
several hours before the polls closed
The hearing is the third since the
select committee started its tnvestiga-
ton. Senator Connally and former Sen
ator Sam @. Bratton came here in Nov
ember. 1882. TO conduct a preliminary
hearing which was followed BY the send
ing Of Investigator Hollond and his cs-
Eistants TO Louisiana.
In February, 1888 the late Senator
r. B. Howell and Senator Robert D.
Carev Of tfs committee conducted
second hearing which lasted two weeks.
After this hearing the commuters in
ve5tigators were withdrawn firm Louis
lana
Investigator Holland has announced
that he will not withdraw from the
investigation. "All I want" he said, lis
a fighting chance to fight this commit
tee and fighting chance to maintain
the integrity Of this record"
The investigator claims that he has
much evidence which members Of the
committee never have examined or in
spected.