Evening star., 1942-03-24
Ewing Witness Sues
U. 5. Aides, Alleging
False Arrest
Waitress Charges She
Was Imprisoned in
FiheIIy's Office

A 100000 damage suit. charging
false arrest and false imprisonment,
was filed today in District Court
against United States Attorney Ed
ward M. Curran, Assistant United
States Attorney John Fihelly, United
States Marshal John B. Colpoys and
two unknown defendants" by Miss
Florence Steadman, 1l0l Sixteenth
street NV, q waitress.
The suit was an outgrowth Of the
Ewing criminal assault case.
Through Attorney James j.
Laughlin, who is seeking new trial
for Orman w. Ewing, former Demo-
cratic national committeeman from
Utah, convicted recently in District
Court of criminal assault on a 20
year-old Government employe, Miss
Steadman filed her suit, contending
that she was imprisoned" in Mr..
Fihelly's Office at District Court "for
about an hour" yesterday afternoon.
The two unnamed defendants are
presumably deputy United States
marshals who served a paper on
Miss Steadman yesterday at a res
taurant, the suit indicates.
Heard No Disturbance.
Meanwhile, Justice James W..
Morris continued to hear testimony
in Ewing's fight for new trial, with
Miss Steadman on the witness stand.
She testified that she lived at the
rooming house that Ewing operated,
and that on the night of the alleged
criminal attack she returned home
from work about the time it is said
to have occurred, but noticed no
disturbance.
She said that she got word to
EWing's former lawyers about this
circumstance, but she was never
called as a witness at the trial.
The defense is attempting to con-
vince Justice Morris that, among
other reasons, because Ewing was
improperly represented at his trial,
he should be granted another trial
In her suit Miss Steadman told
the court that yesterday while she
was working at her place of en-
pOyment at 1910 New York avenue
NV. two persons called there, hand
ed her a slip Of paper and ordered
her to go with them Immediately to
Mr.. Fihelly's Office.
Attorney Locked Out.
When she informed them she
could not leave the two unnamed
defendants informed her that they
would obtain warrant for her ar
rest if she did not go Immediately
with them to Mr. Fihelly's Office
Under this threat, the suit says
Miss Steadman accompanied these
two defendants to Mr.. Fihelly's Of
fee
When she entered the Office she
was not told by Mr. Fihelly, the suit
contends, why she was being un-
lawfully detained" and she alleges
that soon thereafter shorthand re-
porter entered Mr.. Fihelly's Office
and when another person attempt
ed to enter Mr.. Fihelly slammed the
door in the face of her attorney, Mr.
Laughlin. and locked the door.
The plaintiff alleges in the suit
that she was questioned in loud
bolsterouS, harsh and belligerent
manner" and she accordingly re-
fused to answer any questions put
to her by Mr.. Fihelly.
Beyond Scope of Duties"
She was unable to leave the Office
Of Mr.. Fihelly, since the door lead
ing to the corridor was locked by
Mr. Fihelly and another person
under his direction, was seated near
the entrance to the outer Office and
plaintiff was "unlawfully restrained
Of her liberty for about one hour
the suit contends.
She contends, in her suit, that
her unlawful arrest and false i'm
prisonment was malicious and will
full and that all the defendants were
acting beyond the scope of their
official duties and that her incar-
ceration has greatly upset her and
left her in an extremely nervous
state and has caused her to suffer
great pain Of mind and body"
Due to the unlawful acts" of Mr.
Fihelly and the other defendants
Miss Steadman contends that she
was forced to expend large sum
of money to effect her release and
plaintiffs counsel was forced to OBJ
tain writ of habeas corpus to effect
her release; her livelihood was
placed in jeopardy and the de-
PENDANTS actions caused her to be
held up to scorn, contempt and