Evening star., 1954-06-03
Rover Tells Jurors
4Terrorists Plotted
Killings in House
By jack Jonas

United States Attorney Leo.
A. Rover told a jury of seven
men and five women today that
a quartet of Puerto Rican ter
rorists Matched "a murderouS
plan" in New York and then
came here March / and tried
to carry it out by raking the
floor of the House with gunfire.
Mr.. Rover made the statement
as the trial of the four opened
today in U. S. District Court
for the District of Columbia.
The accused-Mrs. Lolita Le-
bron, "a, Rafael Concel Miranda,
Is, Andres Figueroa Cordero, 20,
and Irving Flores Rodriguez, q,
all of New York-are charged
with five counts each of assault
with intent to kill and five counts
each of assault with dangerous
weapon.
Wounded Five.
The volley from the gallery
wounded five Representatives and
threw the House into an uproar.
THE evidence will show that
these efforts (the shooting) were
deliberately planned-that these
people shot with intent to kill"
MI. Rover said.
He recalled the incidents sur
rounding the shooting. He said
he would prove the defendants
planned the shooting in New
York, bought guns there and
carried them here loaded, along
with extra ammunition. He
said he would ask the jury to
find each of the defendants
guilty on each of the 10 counts.
If the jury does this, the de-
PENDANTS face maximum
sentence of 125 years in prison.
Waitress Is Witness.
The Governments first wit
ness was Miss Catherine Schulz,
waitress at Union Station. She
testified that the four came into
the restaurant on the station
concourSe, where the three men
ate lunch. and the woman had
a glass of water.
Later, she said, she identified
each of them from photographs
brought to the restaurant by
police.
In court today she pointed out
each of the defendants individ-
ually as the ones who came into
the restaurant at noon last
March l. In identifying Rodri-
guez, she said she remembered
him because he had been wear
ing the same 'zoot suit" that he
wore in court.
Top Lawyers in Case.
They are being prosecuted in
person by Mr.. Rover, the man
who as private lawyer defended
Oscar Collazo, Puerto Rican Ma
tionalist tried for the assassina-
ton attempt on former President
Truman in 1850. ........
Mr.. Rover faces an array of
legal talent headed by former
District Commissioner F.. Joseph
Donohue as chief counsel. Mr..
DonohueS aides include Myron
Ehrlich, one of the city's top
criminal lawyers, and Abraham
S. GoldStein and Ben Paul Noble.
Mr.. Rover has announced it
will take about 10 days to pre-
sent the prosecution case.
A key witness is expected to be
Representative Shafer, Republi-
can, of Michigan, who was one
of the principal witnesses before
the grand jury which indicted
the four. He identified Rod
riguez-the only one of the four
arrested away from the Capitol
from a photograph, saying he
recognized the ''zoot suit" Rod
riguez was wearing.
Wounded to Testify.
In addition, Mr.. Rover will
call the five wounded men
Representatives Bentley, Repub-
lican, of Michigan; Fallon, Dem
ocrat, of Maryland; Davis, Dem
ocrat, of Tennessee; Roberts,
Democrat. of Alabama, and Jen-
sen, Republican, of Iowa.
Other members of the House
to be called are Representatives
Simpson, Republican, of Illinois;
Miller. Republican. of Nebraska;
Van Zandt, Republican, of
Pennsylvania; Burdick, Repub-
lican, of North Dakota; Graham,
Republican, of Pennsylvania,
and Kearns, Republican, of
Pennsylvania.
Others may include:
DR.. Joseph R. Young, chief of
staff at Casualty Hospital, who