Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-15
Union Elects
3 Men With
Ugly Records
That's How Electricians
Have Cleaned House
BY wEsTBROOK PEGLER

By WESTBROOk PEGLEh
THE international Brotherhood
4 of Electrical Workers Of the
American Federation of Labor
recently held its convention In
st. Louis. and according to its
own peculiar Interpretation
of the housekeeping resolution
adopted with hesitant piety by
the AFL in Seattle, elected to
international office three men
with criminal records.
The three are, in order Of
their ranks
William A. Hogan Of Local )
of New York. treasurer.
Michael J. Umbrella Mike)
Boyle of Chicago, vice president.
Harry Van Arsdale Jr., bust
ness manager Of Local 3, men,
Der OF the executive council.
Hogan was convicted Of grand
larceny, first degree, in New
York, after trial, on June 80.
1922, and was sentenced to serve
not less than one and one-half
years nor more than three years
in Sing Sing. His sentence was
COMMITTED by Gov. AL Smith in
July. 1923, two months before
the expiration of his minimum
term, as a hardship case.
The indictment, which arose
from the Lockwood investigation
of corrupt practices by unioneers
and others in the building indus
try. charged that, as financial
secretary and trustee Of Local 3.
Hogan stole $21,675
Notwithstanding his convic-
ton on a charge of robbing his
own union, Hogan was restored
TO Office in Local 3 and raised
TO a position of even greater
financial trust in the interna-
tional union on the ground that
his conviction was "a bum rap"
DOYLE. who is a habitual vice
Opresident and notorious
unioneer of the Chicago area.
was victed of extorting
money from builders and served
a term behind the bars, but was
released on the plea Of the. late
Sam Gompers. Notwithstanding
the remark of the United States
Circuit Court of Appeals that
he had been depicted as a high
wayman. betrayer Of labor and
a leech on commerce.
Van Arsdale was convicted Of
shooting two fellow unioneers in
an intra union fight in Local 3
on Feb. "a, 1893. He was sem
fenced TO serve from 6 to II
years III SiHk olnB.
Van Arsdale's conviction was
reversed on trial errors, no ques-
tion of perjury being involved.
and the indictment was dis
missed. without retrial, on the
recommendation of an assistant
prosecutor on May 5. 1885. with
the explanation that the two
wounded men desired to with
draw their complaints because
1.-THE best interests of the union
warrant that attitude"
* -
THE November 5 issue Of the
i Electrical Union World, the
official organ of Van Arsdale's
ruling group. contains an edi-
torial covering an entire page in
which ii is represented to the
membership that these dis
patches have twisted the facts.
"greasing them with innuendoes.
sneering and snickering about
them. until a totally false i'm
preston is created.
The truth is that Van Arsdale
himself has admitted TO your
correspondent that the facts as
stated in this column are true.
He remarked. however. that
some of the boys in his organ
ization disliked the manner in
which the facts were Presented.
The editorial itself might be
accused of attempting to deceive
the union members at their own
expense and for the advantage
of their union bosses, for II to-
tally ignores most Of the facts
here presented, and wholly neg
lects to remind the members
that three men with criminal
records were elected to high
office in their international
union after the AFL had been
compelled 10 adopt its bashful
resolution in favor Of purifi-
cation.