Unknown Assailants Attack HYD Pamphlet Distributor

George W. Stocking '49, still limping and wearing broken glasses, will file assault complaints today with Dean Bender and the Student Council, and will lodge information with University police against "three unknown Harvard men." He was attacked while distributing HYD-John Reed Society flyers in front of Wigglesworth Hall Wednesday night.

With Dean Watson's permission, Stocking was distributing notices of a talk by Communist regional director Emmanuel Blum, scheduled for tomorrow night at Kirkland House Common Room, in Wigglesworth E entry, when three figures, obscured somewhat by darkness and rain, jumped him.

One of the men grabbed his leaflets and disappeared back into the dormitory. Another looked on approvingly, shouting "Communist bastard," and the last of the trio, who "acted drunk," proceeded to pummel Stocking.

Stocking was clearly worsted in the encounter. He suffered a sprained knee, and his eyeglasses, which he was carrying in his hip pocket, were shattered. He will seek restitution from what he thinks were College men, for the cost of new lenses.

A door-to-door check of Wigglesworth E entry last night revealed the presence of the seized leaflets in E-21. There three of the four residents of the room, who were at home, denied any knowledge of the attack.

Since they always leave their door unlocked, they surmised that the man who had made off with the leaflets had "planted" them there before making his departure. At the estimated time of the incident, about 10 p.m., John Cramer '52 and Stephen E. Hedberg '52 asserted they were "at the movies" with Hugh B. Hartwell '52, while Peter A. Brooke '52 claimed he was "at a jam session."

A statement delivered to the CRIMSON by the executive committee of HYD last night asserted that "failure to punish these students and force them to repair the damage done will only give sanction to future attacks of a similar nature."

The declaration signed by Stephen Wechsler '49, said that "the physical violence of this attack was negligible . . . but an attack of this nature on the Harvard campus cannot pass unnoticed."