The Gladiators

Attorneys arguing the great coal case were almost obscured by the shadows cast by John L. Lewis, the U.S. Government, and the momentous issues. But seldom had opposing counsel seemed more aptly cast.

Joseph Arthur Padway, bullnecked, grey-haired, 55-year-old defender of John Lewis, is general counsel for the A.F.L. and the archetype of the U.S. labor lawyer. As confidant, adviser, defender of Jimmy Petrillo, Dan Tobin and many another A.F.L. chieftain, Joe Padway has written both labor history and labor law, could boast of many a thwacking from Columnist Westbrook Pegler. He was born in Leeds, England, came to the U.S. as a youth, was admitted to the Wisconsin bar

Fordham's law school, came to the Government service after eight years with the Wall Street firm of Cahill, Gordon, Zachry & Reindel.

By the time the nation was at war he was executive assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District, New York. Most notable prosecutions: the first U.S. wartime sedition case (the "Black Hitler" case) in which five were sent to prison; the first wartime spy case--a New York City ring of nine German-Americans who were sentenced to a total of 132 years in prison. Later, Lawyer Sonnett went into the Navy as a lieutenant commander, spent ten months investigating the Pearl Harbor attack for Navy Secretary James Forrestal. Last week, red-eyed from sleeplessness, he was determined i) to leave John Lewis no chance to argue that he had not had a fair hearing; 2) to win.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.