Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-03-03
DETECTIVE WORK.
ANOTHER CRIMINAL POLICE
CONSPIRACY.
Martin Irons Vindicated-C Capitalists
Fail to Send a Labor AgitatOr
to PrisOn-Will the Real
Criminals be Pun.
ished No!

What with perjury, subornation
OF witnesses, corrupt jurles specially
selected, and conspiracy against labor
advocates, the labor movement has
a "hard road to travel"
The following dispatch was printed
as obscurely as possible in the capl-
talist papers last Sunday:
"Sr. LOUIS, Feb. 25.-Martin Irons,
erstwhle leader of the the great railroad
strike of 1886, has been on trial in the
criminal court of this city during the past
week, on the charge of conspiracy to
tap telegraph wires,' which caused so
much excitement during the days of the
strike After trial lasting four days,
in which it which it was shown that both
McKeighan and Nichols, the two tele-
graph operators who claimed they were
acting under Irons orders, were really
acting under Instructions of the detective
system of the road, Irons was to-day ac-
quilted, the jury remaining out only
thirteen minutes The cases against
Jackson and Coughlan for the same of
fense were nolle pressed.
This ends the numerous cases of the
railroad against strike leaders growing
out of the strike, all having been dis
missed or aquitted."
When the strikers were accused of
committing that awful crime of tap
ping telegraph wires, the capitalist
papers could not find type large
enough for flaming captions, nor
words expressive enough to denounce
the anarchists and destructionists," "
among whom was the devoted Martin
Irons. True to his traitorous nature,
Powderly, the ''pope" of the "noble
and holy" promulgated the curse of
the inner pentagon and hurled it at
Martin Irons head.
And now?
Why, the capitalstlc news mong-
ers simply announce the acquittal of
Irons aud his "co-conspirators," say
ing "thls ends the numerous cases
against the leaders," Nor has it
transpired that Powderly has got
down on his knees to crave pardon
of the men he wronged.
We have not heard of the sum
mary arrest of the real conspirators,
so vaguely described as "the detec-
tive system of the road" The two
miserable telegraph operators cer-
tainly know who it was that hired
them to "tap the wires" and to per-
jure themselves, in order to convict
honest workmen, and thus arouse
public sentiment against the strikers.
But not a word of Indignation
against the real criminals is expressed
by the "prcss'; no demand is made
for their punishment; the case is
"settled."
Does it need more than this to ar
rouse the workers to renewed activity q?
Must each individual slave be kicked
before he turns?
With such enemies to contend
against and the government-the
spawn Of the corrupt political parties
ON the side of the enemies of labor,
is it not plain that something more
than old-fashioned trades unionism
and traitor-directed "noble and holy
orders with ono strikes, no boycotts,
no politics." as the limit of action,
is necessary?
Throughout the "civilized" world
such cowardly tactics as were resort
ed to by the wealthy criminals of the
South West railway system, are prac-
ticed. But recently we recorded the
arrest by the Swiss government Of
German dynamiters in the pay Of
Prince Bismarck's government; Chi.
cago has had her experience and has
sacrificed the lives of Labor's valiant
defenders on the testimony of paid
and terrorized perjurers; August Spies
exposed the schemes Of provocative
agents Of the Pinkerton band Of
murderers in their operations among
the poor miners Of the Hooking
Valley and during the Mccormick
affair only a day previous to the po.