The Detroit times., 1912-02-24
POLICE REFUSE TO ALLOW
STRIKERS TO SEND CHILDREN
AWAY FROM LAWRENCE
4EiifftBegpS aid Eve Companies
Interfere With Plan at
Railroad Station
EIGHT WOMEN ARRESTED
Disturbance Breaks Out and Pa
trolman Is Hit on Head
With Stone
EIGHT WOMEN ARRESTED


latest Lawrence development was
made certain this afternoon.
Chairman Wilson, Of the house
committee on labor wired Presi-
dent Golden OF the Textile Work
ers' union for an official state
ment Of today's action Of the po-
lice. On receipt Of II he will order
his committee TO investigate fully
what he terms an "Unwarranted
assumption Of authority" Wilson
this afternoon wired Gov. Foss,
Of Massachusetts, requesting all
available information at the dis
posaI Of the state.
LAWRENCE, Mass, Feb. 24.-Fifty
policemen under direct command OF
Marshal Sullivan and two companies
u militia interfered today with the at
tempt OF the strike committee to send
20 children from this city TO outside
towns where they would be cared for
Eight women, Ave men and ten chill
dren were arrested and taken TO the
police station.
The interference by the police and
militia follows the action OF the mill
tary authorities last week when they
announced the strikers would be kept
when possible. from sending their
children out OF town. The strike lead
'ers have openly charged that this ac'
lion was taken at the behest of the
mill owners who believe that, II the
children are kept here their parents
will give up the struggle. The strike
leaders contend that II the children
had plenty and were safely housed, the
parents would get along somehow.
The children who were innocently
responsible for today's trouble were
brought to the railroad station to be
placed on board the I'LL train. They
we're TO be taken TO Philadelphia and
Providence via Boston. Applications
ior them had been filed more than 4
week ago and special car for their
transfer had been provided.
Shortly before 8 o'clock Marshal
Sullivan ordered out the police re-
erves and at the head OF fifty mem.
bers OF his force marched to the sta.
lion. A few minutes later the two
companies OF militia put in an ap-
pearance. Sullivan then pressed into
ervice a big two-horse, covered truck
Tor use as a patrol wagon and backed
il up against the station entrance.
When the strikers appeared with
their children, the marshal asked why
he children were to be sent away.
The women were all plainly frightened
by the display Of force. sullivan final
~ ordered number OF the men. wo-
men and children to go home. Those
who refused were gathered up, put
into the wagon and driven to the po-
lice station. While this was going on
under orders from the mayor, police
and soldiers were gathering in ten
strike pickets who had taken positions
at the edge OF the common and were
asking the men and women who were
going TO work to join the strike.
Charges of melting riot were lodged
against them and they were locked up.
Before the women were lodged In
he station many OF them had severely
scratched policemen. Policeman
Moore's head was split open with a
stone with which a woman hit him.
WASHINGTON. Feb. Ex-senator
William K. Borah, OF Idaho, author of
the children's bureau bill and recog-
nized as one OF the greatest constitu-
tional authorities in congress, today
asserted his belief that the action OF
The authorities at Lawrence In forcibly
>preventing strikers from sending their
children out Of the Massachusetts, city,
was an invasion OF constitutional
privileges.
What warrant-what right did they
have to do that pr exclaimed Solicitor
General Frederick w. Lehman when
he heard OF the Lawrence, Mass. out
rage today. Unless these children
were under arrest, or unless the par
ents were trying to escape the respon.
sibility of caring for them, the action
OF the marshal In preventing them
from being sent away from Lawrence
was in violation OF the constitutional
guarantee.
But Ii is doubtful whether the fed.
'eral authorities have any right TO in
terfere unless asked by the governor
Of Massachusetts,. This case is one of
those ON the borderland between fed
eral and state authority. The consti-
tuition guarantees citizens liberty, but
, leaves to the state the police power
Of making the guarantee good"
Rep. Sulzer Dem. N. ", declared
that some measure should be taken at
once to relieve the Lawrence situa-
ton.
Again today there comes a tale of
sorrow and oppression at Lawrence, -
said Sulzer. Men and women en-.
deavoring to send their little ones
away from the sqnalid conditions that
the strike has brought about werS held
up and arrested by policemen and
militia. The state Of Massachusetts,
for the honor OF the state should do
something at once to relieve the situa-