The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-05-21
State Auditor Scherr Attacked by a
Murderous Ruffian.
Fairmont Coal Company e'Detective''
knocks Him Down While His
Back is Turned.

Another blot on the fair name
of the state of West Virginia has
been added to the long list of dep
relations committtd by corpo-
ration guards" Usually these
acts Of violence, murder and as
suits are directed chiefly to mem
bers OF the organized labor and
their friends by these bloodthirsty
thugs, but they are becoming
more bold and daring since the
late legislature legalized the
'guard' system by refusing to
pass bill placing corporation
guards and private detectives
under bond the same as officers of
the law and other conservators of
the peace, and this hired band of
asSaSsins are not satisfied with
patrolling the public highways and
tcrrorizing the population of the
mining camps and beating up and
manning labor representatives, but
now boldly stalk into our cities
and enter hotels and other public
places and abuse and assault citi-
zenS who have had the manhood to
take a stand against or oppose the
methods or wishes of the soulless
corporations who employ them to
violate the laws of the state, un-
der the very eyes of the officials
who are sworn to enforce the laws.
This is not the first offense of
this character committed by this
fellow Shuttlesworth, he and his
gang have assaulted and beaten up
number of organizers of the
United Mine Workers, several of
whom were compelled to lay in the
Cincinnati hospital for weeks be-
fore recovering from injuries re-
ccived at the hands of these despe-
radoes, but strange to say the
press of the state failed to make
any mention of these facts, and
thus far these "guards" have es-
capped the law, thanks to the pow
er wildcd over the authorizes by
the corporations who maintain the
system.
That these lawless acts are COM
mitted with full knowledge of
IN" authorities can not be denied,
mt for some reason they are
never prosecuted, this, however,
Is not strange under the circum-
stances as the honorable Governor
OF IN" state has publicly stated
That the county prosecutors are
controlled by the corporations.
The following article taken
ir"m the Wheeling Intelligencer of
last Friday is the latest act OF
Ni"!rnce committed qy corpora
t'9n thug:
= special from Clarksburg
UaIer date Of yesterday to the In.
trlIisencer, says
state Auditor Arnold O. Scherr,
'anIIdate for the republican nomi.
usjion for governor, was muderous,
y .tSSaulted here tonight in the
.""py of the Waldo hotel by
.Ank ShuttleSworth, chief of de
,""'lVeS for the Fairmont Coal and
."'cton Company, and was Sc
'rI,Iy, If not seriously, injured as
q rrSult.
i.ecause of the intense excite
'S 'ltdlcu Dy Ine aUCdck upon
The auditor it is almost impossible
'"i" tonight to get coherent story
ol the att'ray from any of thos'
"n" We're in the hotel at the time
ind there were at least on,
hundred people present when th'
assault was made, but from th'
best Information that can be OBJ
tanned it follows:
Nudltor Scherr arrived here to
cay i1om the eastern end of tn
'ic- where he has been for som
I@NS Looking after his fences in th
a .ht for the nomination, and hat
zen circulating among his friend
i"re talking over the situation
iIiS evening he was in the 1obb
"' The Waldo hotel talking with
amber of people when Fran
,Hnttlesworth, the coal compan
t'oecflve, came along. Shuttles
worth approached the auditor an
N.art"d a conversation regardin