The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-02-24
strikers And Strike
breakers Clash Near
Everett Ave. Bridge
AS Result of Non
Union Man-SOme
More Special Police
Stars Handed Out.

scab machinist--a fstic encounter
large audience-police patrol-justice
court-ten dollars and costs for each
combatant. Such would be the story
in headlines of the miX-up near the
Sumner Iron Works last week, which
wound up in police court and the issu-
ance of two more special police stars to
strike breakers for protection to thei
PERSONS Gus Berg, union picket, and
Chauncey Riggs, strike breaker and eX-
unionist, were fighting and hailed to
court last Friday morning. Riggs had
the strong moral support of Messrs.
Tom Sumner, j. Bruce Gibson, Gillette
and the legal services of Attorney Null
vihill. Berg was accompanied by his
machinst friends and Attorney McMur
chic as legal counsel. Case was set for
$3.50, but it not being a liquor case
City Attorney Sherwood was unadvised
of the fine points at issue and upon ar
rival in court readily assented to a post
poncment of the case until Saturday
afternoon. Upon the time set a choice
collection of "free and independent
worbmen" from the Sumner works was
present and many friends of Berg and
interested spectators. Fred Sumner was
present to cheer on his motley crew AMI
his honor, the mayor, was also an in
terested spectator. Berg's was the first
case called 'lndependent Workmen"
Riggs, Frazier, Leyman and Moore all
solemnly swore that Berg called Riggs
vile name and made threatening
move toward him, whereupon said Riggs
in defense of his person waged valiant
battle against Berg, Riggs is a man
much larger physically than Berg and
is special police officer, but he was
forced to fight, in self defense, he
claimed
Upon cross examination witnesses FOR
Riggs displayed a lamentable ignorance
of the entire occurrence, except the al
legged fact that Berg started the rum
pus Claimed they had frequently been
called vile names and followed to their
homes by the pugnacious pickets. Berg
and his witnesses swore that he was
leaning against the fence when Riggs
accosted him and said: "Now, you -
we'll have it out" and slapped him in
the face, Berg backed away from him
and was followed by Riggs, who struck
him twice and they then mixed it up
into camp. Judge Shelter wanted time
to ponder the mighty issues at stake
so took the case under advisement un
til Monday morning, when he assessed |
the fine on both combatants as stated |
above.
Some of the facts we are now going |
to relate We're brought out in police |
court-some of them wernt. Why do
we assume that they are facts? Be
cause we know these striking machin
lists; have seen and talked with them
every day for the past eight months;
because we will take the word of men |
who will stay out ON strike for eight |
months because they believe the prin
ciple they are striking for is right, |
against the word of any set of degener |
ate strike breakers that ever breathed. |
Line up these "free and independent |
workmen" that compose Summers army |
on one side of the road and the strik- |
ing machinists on the other, and after |
carefully looking them over form your
own conclusions.
On the 18th day of last June they |
struck at the Sumner Iron Works for
an eight hour day, They picketed the
plant, which they had Il right to do as
long as they did it peacably and stayed
off the company's premises. They
talked to the men whenever opportun- |
ity offered and told the new men as
they arrived of the conditions prevail
ing at the works. They stayed on the
job. When wet weather set in they
leased lot and erected shack on it
and kept up their picket duty unremit-
tingly They had a moral as well as a
legal right to picket. If man takes
your job at rate of pay or under
terms of employment you were forced
to strike to create or maintain, you have
right to know what he means by it
and explain what you are fighting for.
Summers seabs didn't like this 'inter-
ference with their inalienable right to
work for whatever they pleased" =" After
two or three little wordy battles, some
body in authority decorated them with
little stars which gave them special po
lice authority. You are familiar with
the special police appointments as
they were given publicity at the time
in this paper Then they grew pom
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