Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-15
THE STRIKERS STATEMENT
Hot Shot Poured Into Two Deserters
 From the Union.

From the Union.
 The strikers executive committee is- sued the following statement this af- ternoop:
 To-day, the 1S6th of our strike, we are reluctantly obliged to tell our friends, the public, that we have had two or three assertions from our ranks within the past twenty-four hours The deserters are William Clarke, who, in the early part of the strike, drove a 'bus on Bank street, and Matt Kerrl- gan. We hear there is one more, but we will not give fhs name until we have absolute proof. Now, it is not our intention to show spite by roasting those two deserters. Such people have always existed and always will. Men of that stamp were found running from the battlefields during the crucial fights when our country was endeavor- ing to shake off foreign fmpositions. All we want is to ask the public what 1t thinks of men who will accept bread and butter from the union men of Wa ferbury for over six months, and then, when light is about to show out of the smoke of battle, turn traitor and bite the hands that fed them. Just look those men in the face when you see them in front of their cars and if they do not show every indication of men who are ashamed of their positions, we will give everything up. What a picture both of those deserters cut this noon when they went past our meeting place with bowed heads, the vigorous voices of our boys ringing in their ears to dihe tune of "Tn the Good Old Sum- mer Time" sIn concluding with those deserters, we wish to tell the pubic that since the strike began not man deserted except those in whom we have had no confidence at all and who bore watching every minute. If the company thinks taking back such men will weaken our ranks or increase the riding, they will find their mistake very soon. As for our union, such acts are only serving as invigorators to us and make us more determined thai ever to fight on and fight hard.
 The public has stood by us nobly and our future still depends upon their sup port. We believe they will stick by us despite such assertions as we have told of. We do not believe they want to see our cause humiliated and our grand fight disgraced. The people of
 
 else, even If honor must come with de- feat For traitors, Waterbury has nc use. Who has? Did people circle around those traitors who deserted their banner in our struggle for liberty or did they circle around those gallant fellows who held a1oft the stars and stripes, one relieving another as they were picked off by the enemy's bullets. The question needs no answering on our part Remember, however, that we are still holding onto our banner and we will stick to it until there is not man left to wave it.
 At our meeting this morning, by a unanimous vote, Deserters Clarke and Kerrigan were expelled from the union which they deserted. This removes from our tree a couple more dead branches, but it makes that tree the stronger for that reason. We fmag- inc those new deserters will feel proud to meet their old friends, Deserters Frank Miller and Jay Wood.
 A motorman on the South Main street line came pretty near getting a trimming yesterday afternoon. He stopped his car near the gypsy camp, took his handle and walked over to a small boy and accused him of calling him "scab." The boy denied it. whereupon big gypsy walked over, told the motorman to get onto his car unless he wanted trouble and informed him that 1t was he who called such men as him scabs, land if he wanted any satisfaction he could get 1t any minute. The motorman got.