Evening star., 1950-03-21
FBI Probes Charqe
That Lewis Signaled
Defiance Of Court

FBI agents today looked into a
charge that John L. Lewis secretly
signaled soft coal miners to defy
Federal Court order to return
to work last month.
Assistant Attorney General H.
Graham Morrison disclosed he re-
quested the FBI investigation, as
the Government urged the United
States Court of Appeals to reverse
the decision of District Judge
Richmond B. Keech in favor of
Mr.. Lewis United Mine Workers
Judge Keech cleared the union
of contempt after 10000 miners
had refused to go back to work
in accordance with his order of
February II. He ruled the Gov
ernment failed to prove union off,
cials responsible for continuing
the strike that finally ended
March 6.
Studied Inaction" Charged.
In a bitterly worded brief filed
with its appeal yesterday the JUS
tice Department declared Mr.
Lewis acted with tongue in cheek
when he sent messages asking the
miners to resume work in accord
ance with judge Keech'S original
order.
The brief. submitted by Mr..
Morrison, asserted that "a palmer
case of sham and pretense could
hardly be presented" than was
shown by Mr.. Lewis and fellow
UNIV officials. 1t contended that
Mr.. Lewis had exhibited studied
picture of inaction" in not forcing
UNIV district presidents to get
the men back to the pits.
The Court of Appeals set April
26 for argument on the case that
involves civil contempt charge
punishable by fine.
There was some question whe-
ther any information dug up by
the FBI in its present probe could
be introduced in the contempt
case at this late date.
Secret Orders Reported.
The investigation, Mr.. Morrison
said last night centers on the
story of Lloyd H. Sidener, ousted
president of the UNIV local at
Canton. ILL.,, that Mr.. Lewis sec
reilly ordered miners to disregard
the District Court injunction.
Mr.. Sidener said Bernard j..
Beasley, UNIV district board men,
Der in the Canton area, tele-
phoned him shortly after receiv-
ing the back-to-work request
telegram from Mr.. Lewis follow
ing issuance of the injunction.
Mr.. Beasley, according to Mr..
Sidener, told him that the whistle
blew once" That was a signal for
the miners to stay out, Mr. Sidener
said. The signal to return would
have been the whistle blew three, :"
he added.
II told the FBI to make a thor
ough investigation of everything
that has come up in the case" MIR.
Morrison said. 4 want to know
everything about it. We will leave
cfnno ,,ptl1ry1aI ~
Remanding of Case Asked.
Proceedings before the Court of
Appeals rest largely on the written
record of the lower court proceed
ings. But Justice Department
officials explained that any new
evidence produced by the FBI
might conceivably be put before
Judge Keech again if the appel
late court returns the case to him,
Or possibly in the event of a
further damage suit by the Gov
ernment.
The Justice Department asked
the Court of Appeals to remand
the case to Judge Keech for re-
consideration and possible fine. or
levy penalty itself.
Whereas the terms of the or
der Judge Keech's back-to- work
order) called for urgent, even
drastic, action on the part of the
unions officers" thhe brief stated,
they nevertheless contented
themselves with a bookish, in
effectual writing compliance,
while at the same time boldly
utilizing to union advantage the
disobedience of its members
Finding Called Unsupported.
In finding the union not guilty
of contempt, the lower court
reached a result wholly unsup-
ported by the evidence, and COM
mitted error which should be cor
rected by this court
The brief claimed that the de-
cision completely ignores reality.