Evening star., 1934-04-05
ASKED
TO ACTION
Must Give Reason for Re-
quest That Newman Drop
Shoemaker Charge.

An investigation was begun today
to determine why a policeman asked
the complaining witness in the as
sault case against Representative
Francis H. Shoemaker of Minnesota
If he was willing to reconsider his
charge The trial of the lawmaker
yesterday ended with the discharge
of hung jury" which spent six
hours in deliberation. A new trial
was set for April 25.
The officer. Harold Overstreet, of
the Traffic Bureau was directed by
his superiors to submit an explana-
tory statement.
In Police Court Overstreet testi-
fled he went to 2pl6 Georgia ave-
nue., where the complaining witness.
Charles Newman, a taxicab driver,
lived, and interviewed him in a
billiard parlor occupying the first floor
OF that building. He said he asked
Newman if he would be willing to
reconsider his charges In the case
Newman replied, he said, that if he
did he would go to Jail.
Refusal Not Explained.
Overstreet was a defense witness
and an attempt was made to get
him TO testify that Newman thought
he would be prosecuted for perjury
If he abandoned the charge after
swearing to an affidavit that Shoe
maker had assaulted him. The Of
ficer. however, maintained that New
man did not explain his refusal
Overstreet's explanation of his con-
nection with the case was that Shoe
maker stopped at Ninth and U streets
the morning following the alleged as
sault and asked him if he knew the
names of any witnesses. Shoemaker
Is alleged to have struck Newman at
that intersection. Overstreet, who was
directing traffic there, said he replied
he did not know any witnesses.
The demand for a statement was
made by Inspector B. A. Lamb. COM
mander of the Traffic Bureau. follow
ing a conference with Inspector L. l.
H. Edwards. assistant to Mai. Ernest
w. Brown. superintendent of police.
fOIcc Hea0 silent.
Maj. Brown was reluctant this
morning to discuss details of the case.
but said that it is distinctly against
police regulations for one officer to in
terfere in another officers case.
Newman testified that Overstreet
came to him and said:
Il am a friend of Representative
Shoemaker. You are doing the
wrong thing In pressing these charges.
Mr.. Shoemaker was a little hot the
night of your trouble, but he'll fix
you up"
other testimony regarding an al
legged attempt to influence a witness
came while Benjamin R. Coward.
colored attorney. was on the stand as
q Government witness.
He said a man named Briggs came
to him and said some organization of
men from the Lorton Reforratorv
were trying to contact witnesses and
straighten out the matter"
The case went to the fury at
AIS pm. and announcement of a
hung jury" came at 1913 m, after
the jurors had twice asked Judge
Gus A. Schuldt for instructions and
had once complained they were un-
able to agree and had been sent back
for further deliberation.
IL Ask Conviction.
1t was learned that the 10 men and
2 women took eight ballots and on
each the vote was the same as the
final stand-l1 for conviction and l
for acquittal
Throughout it all Shoemaker waited
in the court house. When he learned
the verdict he smiled and said:
The result shows there were at
least some honest persons on the
jury"
When he dismissed the jury Judge
Schuldt said:
Your conscientious efforts are ap-
preciated. Tho court regrets you
were unable to reach a verdict"
Throughout the day the jury heard
two irreconcilable stories from Gov
ernment and defense witnesses. It
was matter of which group the
jurors chose to believe.
INCWmdu 1ciS OI htLack,
On one side was Newman, who said
Shoemaker hit him in the eye, knocked
him down, cursed him and threatened
to kill him. He was supported in his
story by two colored eyewitnesses and
by policeman. who said he saw Shoe
maker lunge at the taxi driver and
shout, "Yes. I hit him and III kill
him if get at him"
Shoemaker admitted he was greatly
aggravated" by Newman. who. he
said. drove his cab so as to prevent
Shoemaker's automobile passing. He
also admitted he may have cursed
little. but he denied emphatically that
he struck Newman 1t was Newman.
he said, who was the aggressor brag-
ging that he was a boxer and offering
to fight.
During argument to the Jury by
Representative Raymond j. Cannon of
Wisconsin. his attorney, Shoemaker
wept quietly. Cannon was describing
him as a defender of down-trodden
mankind" and as a friend of the
common people and widows and
orphans" following with the state
ment: Il wish there were 435 ex-
convict members of the House render-
ing such service tC mankind"
Prison Record Admitted.
Shoemaker is an ex-convict He
a fv1 "a