Evening star., 1954-06-04
Davis Identifies
Assai|ants in
House ShootinQ
Wounded Legislator
Says He Sow Bullet
Coming Toward Him
By Jack Jonas

A Representative shot in the
leg as he stood on the floor oi
the House last March l pointed
out his asSailants in Federal
Court today, and declared:
II will always remember the
tall man and the woman stand
ing close together and shooting.
Representative Davis, Demo-
crat, of Tennessee, said that, al
though he had been told later
that such a thing was impossible
he saw the bullet which struck
him coming toward me-"
Appears at Trial of 4.
He appeared as a witness in
the trial of four Puerto Ricar
terrorists accused with assault
with intent to kill and assault
with a dangerous weapon in the
shooting spree in the House
which, left five Representatives
wounded.
The defendants are Mrs. Lolita
Lebron, "a, Rafael Concel Miriam
da, 25, Andres Figueroa Cordero
%. and Irving Flores Rodriguez,
81, all of New York.
Mr.. Davis said that although
he remembered Miranda and
Mrs. Lebron standing in the gall
lery and shooting, he could not
say definitely who had shot him.
II saw him (Miranda) taking
a dead level aim. But who shot
me, I don't know" Mr.. Davis
testified.
Another witness, Representa-
tive Graham, Republican, of
Pennsylvania, vividly and firmly
described the shooting, pointing
to each defendant and calling
each by name as he described
where they stood in the gallery
that day.
Recalls WOman'S Sheer.
He said Mrs. Lebron fired first.
After she fired two shots, he
declared. the three men rose and
began shooting. Describing the
struggle in the gallery following
the shooting, he said:
"The Lebron woman was
screaming at the top of her voice.
What impressed me at the time
was a sneer on her face. She
continued to scream and con-
tinued to fight and struggle until
several people subdued her"
Mr.. Graham remained firm in
his version of the shooting under
cross-examinatiOn by Myron G.
Ehrlich, one of the four court
appointed attorneys handling the
Puerto RicanS' defense.
Mr.. Graham said that during
the shooting he remained stand
ing in one spot while the other
Representatives moved like
lightning. I was alone in my
glory"
AS he pointed toward Miranda,
Mr.. Graham declared:
I'm as sure as I will meet my
God that he was aiming at Cle. "
Van Zandt May Testify.
Those who had hand in
capturing the terrorists were ex-
pected to tell their stories to the
jury today.
Among today's witnesses,
United States Attorney Leo A.
Rover expects to call Represent
ative Van zandt, Republican, of
Pennsylvania, who rushed up
from the floor to help subdue the
aSSailantS.
Each defendant is facing a
maximum prison term of 125
years if convicted of charges
of assault with intent to kill and
assault with a dangerous weapon.
One of the wounded men, Rep
resentative Roberts, Democrat,
of Alabama, testified at length
yesterday about his leg wound
and the effects he still suffers
from it. He entered the court
room on crutches. He said, how
ever. he could not positively
identify any of the defendants
as those who fired from the gal
lery.
Two other Representatives
were definite in identifying the
woman and the three men as
the ones who stood in Gallery
No. II and fired into the House
chamber.
Representative Shafer. Repub-
lican, of Michigan. pointed out
each of them in the courtroom,
as did Representative Burdick,
Republican, of North Dakota.
'NO Place to Smoke Cigar"
Mr.. Bufdick recalled that
when the shooting began a bullet
whizzed past his head as he
stood near the railing behind
the members seats on the floor
81 moved down among the
Seats" he said. II thought
would be as safe there as any
where else. A lot of the other
members were going toward the
doors. The traffic was pretty in
tense.
IT thought the shooting was
over and started to light cigar
I didn't have it quite lit when
the shooting started again. ]
decided that was no place tc
smoke a cigar"
Mr.. Burdick estimated that
about 80 shots were fired. Mr.
Van Zandt placed it at between
Is and 80.
Another witness yesterday wa;
Miss Catherine Schulz, wait
ress at a restaurant on the
Union Station concourse. She
testified the four stopped there
for lunch before going to the
Capitol last March /. The prose
cution contends the four stopped
there after alighting from 8