Evening star., 1939-06-23
Lang Jail Term
In Swiind|e Held
Death Decree
Attorney Pleads for
Ex-Broker, Who Gets
w to 3h Years

The man who pleaded guilty to
charges involving 100000 stock
swindle in the District was on his
way to prison today, broken, par
TALLY blind figure, whose attorney
brands his one and a half to three
and half year sentence as death
decree"
B. Edwin Lang, who was indicted
as the head of the former broker
age firm of Crumpton e. Co.. under
the name of Frank j. Hill, had
pleaded guilty to charges of violat-
ing the Securities Act of 1888 and
mail fraud statute.
Justice Jesse c. Adkins in Dis
trict Court yesterday sentenced
Lang on the first count to from
six to 18 months and ON the second
from one to two years-directing
that they run consecutively.
Lang, who once lived and enter
tanned lavishly at the Westchester
Apartments, was a downcast man,
appearing much older than his So
years as he heard the sentence pro-
nounced.
Attorney Makes Plea.
His attorney, William H. Collins,
in making a plea for the former
stock dealer. declared:
ANY sentence your honor i'm
poses upon my client will be a death
sentence. Even his eyes are in such
bad condition that your honor ap-
pears to him now merely as
shadow. He has other physical in
flrmities."
Lang bowed his head and had TO
be supported by two bailiffs as he ap-
peared in court more than a week
ago to plead guilty to two counts
of the indictment.
Edward r. Haigler, investigator
for the Securities and Exchange
Commission, who has been in charge
of the case since several months be-
fore Lang was indicted in April,
1885. described the defendant as one
of the biggest confidence game
operators in the entire country"
Before sentence was imposed. As
sistant United States Attorney Cecil
r Heflin, who has handled the case
for the Government, asked Justice
Adkins to give Lang the maximum
penalty He declared that when the
Government allowed the former
stock salesman to plead guilty to
only two counts of the indictment,
the utmost measure of leniency was
granted.
400 Residents Victims.
The sentencing of Lang marked
the close of one of the biggest securi-
ties fraud cases in the history of the
District "a large-scale "sell-and-
switch" scheme in which more than
400 residents of Washington and
nearby Maryland and Virginia were
duped.
Crumpton a. Co. was closed un-
der temporary injunction by the
S. E. c. in 1885 and by a permanent
injunction, granted in District
Court. year later. Lang, under
the alias of Frank j. Hill, disap-
peared before the indictment was
lCtuI lieu d lew IllOIllllS ldlcl.
An intensive search for the fugi-
tive by the S. E. c. and the Post
Office Department ended last month
in Philadelphia where Lang was ar
rested under the name of Robert E.
Baker, an employe of a memorial
park concern.
At the time of his arrest. he
readily admitted the aliases and did
not contest removal proceedings to
the District to answer to the stock
swindle charge. He was held under
$4,000 bond.
Mr.. Haigler explained that Lang's
arrest climaxed an investigation
which revealed Lang is wanted in
several States for alleged stock and
real estate frauds.
The tip that led to Lang's arrest
came from confidential sources in
New York City Mr.. Haigler joined
Inspector Herbert N Graham of
New York. nationally known inves-
tigator for the Post Office Depart
ment, in tracking down the New
York tip, and the arrest followed
shortly thereafter.