Evening star., 1951-08-31
Louisiana Group Asks
Governor 10 Suspend 7.
In Defamation Case
BY fhe Associated Press

LAKE CHARLES, La, Aug. 81.
Gov. Earl Long was asked today
to suspend two Calcasieu Parish
county officials who allegedly |
were DETAINED in stories which
brought indictments against five
Lake Charles newspapermen.
The Peoples Action Group, a 4
citizens organization formed to
fight gambling in Lake Charles |
and vicinity. telegraphed the Gov
ernor last night to ask the attor-
ney general to suspend District
Attorney Griffin Hawkins and
Sheriff Henry Reid. The request
was signed by George Buchanan,
president of the PAG, and James /
O'Brien, chairman of the PAG I
crime commission.
The request asked that Gov.
Long have Mr.. Hawkins and
Sheriff Reid suspended either
temporarily or permanently. The
Governor also was asked to in
struct the attorney general to
name assistants to handle the in
dictments case and suggested that |
they determine if the evidence |
JuStitleS prosecution.
Cites Special Law.
1--WE are attaching to this ap-
peal the specific law which we
believe authorizes such action
(Article 8. Section 6. of Revised
Civil Statutes)," the telegram
read.
IF it is deemed necessary to i
discuss the unf1tneSS of the afore-
mentioned officials for further \
handling of this highly publicized |
case, we will be happy to go into |
it in detail. We assumed that is \
matter of such wide public /
knowledge as to be unnecessary :"
The five newspapermen are
Kenneth Dixon. managing editor
of the Lake Charles American
Press; Publisher Thomas B. Shear
man, his son and co-publisher,
William Hugh Shearman; JamesI|
Norton, city editor, and Carter
George, police and court reporter.
They were indicted on charges
of defaming the police jury (the
parish governing body, three
other public officials and three
admitted gamblers.
The PAG request to Gov. Long
recalled that congressman had
suggested that an investigation
by Congress be initiated here and
added:
While We heartily deplore that
situation which we believe to rep
resent threat to the freedom Of |
the press-and potential threat
to the freedom of speech and re-
1gion-we remain completely
convinced that the sovereign State
of Louisiana is perfectly capable
OF protecting the constitutional
rights of its citizens.
Seek to Avoid U. S. Action.
I'VE cannot emphasize too
strongly that we believe it is to-
tally unnecessary for the Federal
Government to come into Calca-
sieu Parish and Louisiana to pro-
tect these basic freedoms which
our State is perfectly capable of
protecting.
I'VE appeal to you to take the
aforesaid necessary action to pro-
tect those historic freedoms in the
name of our State Of Louisiana
without the necessity of federal
intervention"
Earlier. Dave Dugas, president
of the police jury, said the indict-
ments came as a result of Dixon
sticking his nose into politics."
Il thought sticking a nose into
politics was a newspaperman's
job" Mr.. Dixon replied.
Mr.. Dugas described the PAG as
"a bunch of church-goers but not
Christians"
"A lot of peoples religion down
here does not oppose little family
games like bingo and punch
boards" Mr.. DugaS said. That's
the kind of thing these people
were riled about. think the whole
thing is political. believe there is
money behind it,"