The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-06-30

scabs, and had some principle" Bursch
claims that Jake used vile language to-
ward him. Jake denied it. Fred Michel
testified that Bursch picked up a pair
of long wire nippers and started to-
ward Jake and that his father at the
self. That he grabbed shovel and held
it to ward off from his father the i'm
pending blow; that with the threat, "Tll
shoot YOU" Bursch leveled an automatic
Colts revolver in his (Fred's) face.
Bursch admitted drawing the revolver
on the boy but claimed he was first
threatened. Said he was a SPECIAL
POLICE OFFICER and therefore entitled
to pack a gun. Testimony further ad-
duced that Jake after seeing the gun
poled under his boys nose, ran to the
house and got his gun but was restrained
by the union boys from doing any dam
age. Bursch was backed by four fellow
employees in the assertion that the
trouble was started by the Michels and
that Jake used insulting language.
The testimony of Fred and Jake was
identical that the first threatening move
came from Bursch and that no vile Ian
guage was used by either of them prior
to the gun play of Bursch You know
Jake Michel, you people, which party do
you believe?
Jake admitted going after his gun,
and do you wonder at it when his boy
had been threatened with shooting?
Here is the law under which the
charge was made: Session Laws of
1909, Sec. 307, page 9S4:
GAINING OR DISCHARGING FIRE
"Every person who shall aim any gun,
pistol, revolver or other firearm, whether
loaded or not, at or. towards any human
being, or who shall wilfully discharge
any firearm, airgun or other weapon, or
throw any deadly missile in a public
place where any person might be endan-
gered thereby, although no injury re-
suit, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor." :"
You know we have polite fiction
that in law the jury must regard only
the law and the evidence Bursch admit
ted he drew the gun on the boy Deputy
Sheriff Markham swore that Bursch when
arrested admitted that he pointed the
gun at young Michel. But the jury said,
after ten minutes deliberaton, mot
guilty" A Solomon come to justice!"
The jury, to be sure, has the last
word to say as far as court action is
concerned. Let the trial go at that. 1t
was unimportant only in that it fur
nished another insight into the beauti
full system by which the Stone Web
ster company holds the whip hand in
this city Just a few remarks anent
that trial might not be out of place. If
Bursch was special police officer and
his story was true, why did he not
place one or both the Michels under ar
rest instead of resorting to the weap-
on of the bully and physical coward, the
gun? Another thing: Jake Michel has
been resident of this city for nearly a
score of years. Everybody who knows
him will bear witness to the fact that
he is a man who tells the truth The
jurymen and attorneys know Jake
Michel His quiet declaration that he
intended to protect his boy at the guns
point should have satisfied any jury
that he told the truth in the first in
stance when he denied opening hostili
ties either by insulting language or
physical demonstration. That is about
all for the court trial. Now, We pro-
pose to tell few things that bear a
direct relation to the case that was
not told in court. On the face of things
it may appear that the gun play, arrest
and trial are trivial and not worth ex-
tended notice. Attorney Daley for the
defense very cleverly argued that it was
simply a hot-headed, foolish quarrel in
which the question of unionism or non
unionism should not appear. That it
was unfortunate but trivial, and should