The record-union., 1893-09-28
THE DYNAMITE OUTRAGE AND
LABOR.

The activity in San Francisco among
the police authorities in the endeavor to
ferret out the guilty in the dynamite out
rage and massacre is very gratifying. 1t
could not be desired that more earnest
ness and industry should be manifested
by the officers. The action of the Board
of Supervisors of the metropolis in offer
ing very large reward for the discovery
of the wretches guilty of the crime is
prompt and satisfying, and well supple
ments the action of the Governor.
The discovery of the satchel filed with
dynamite sticks, illuminate of murcury
caps, fuse and other tools of the assassin
is an important step in the direction of
discovery. This satchel was left at
lodging-house only two hours before the
explosion at Curtin's place, and it bears
the name of man now missing, who it
is admitted was an enrolled member of
the Sailors Union. 1t is denied, how
ever, that he is known in the union. 1t
proves how loose is the system of en-
rolling members in that organization
that a man can join it without paying
any dues, and Of whom so little was
known that no member of the society
can now recall him or knows whence he
came or where he has gone. 1t raises the
justifiable suspicion that the union mem
bers do know the man. but decline to
confess it. They have offered a reward
for the discovery of the perpetrators of the
crime, and whatever credit that gives
they are entitled to. But it would be far
more creditable to them to set on foot
methods for finding Sorenson, the fellow
who left the sack of dynamite at the
lodging-house only a few blocks distant
from the scene of the explosion, and so
short time before that event.
There are evidences in plenty that from
this satchel were taken the dynamite
sticks, the fuse and the caps with which
the destruction of life and property was
effected on Main street. The saws found
in the satchel, also, correspond to the i'm
plements that must have been employed
in cutting the cables of ships in the har-
Dor of San Francisco.
Unquestionably the Secretary of the
Sailors Union is right in saying that
strong suspicion will attach to his union,
and that there is reason for it; no one free
from prejudice, accustomed to weigh tes-
timony and estimate its value, will deny.
While the presumption of innocence
must prevail, still all the circumstances
of the case justify suspicion that either
directly or Indirectly the Sailors Union
is responsible for the awful tragedy of
Sunday morning.
There is no escape from that, and the
official head of the union comedies it
while protesting the innocence of his or
ganization. The society had a quarrel
with the Curtins; their house was under
the ban of the association; its members
had been bitter in their expressions
against the obnoxious house for harbor
ing non-union sailors; at least two of
them had threatened the Curtins, and one,
a friend, had told Mrs Curtin that he
could not afford to board with her longer
because his union had forbidden it. Nom
union sailors during several recent
months have been beaten and killed by
union sailors; cables had been cut, sails
alashed, and other outrages committed,
all in the quarrel between the union and
the non-union factions. On the heels of
ali comes the blowing up of the house of
the Curtins and the killing of the unfort-
unate passers-by.
Under these es..honest labor
and straightforward labor organizations.
abhorring the methods of the anarchist
and the murderer. ought TO leave no
stone unturned to unearth the criminals
and bring them to swift punishment.
Labor in California cannot afford to rest
under the imputation OF having had any
hand IN the monstrous tragedy which the
suspicion attaching to the Sailors Union
creates. Fortunately. several of the labor
organizations have already spoken with
no uncertain emphasis. and the first to do