Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-07
MRS. | AFT IS
|NTERESTED|N
STRIKE HEARING
Presidents Wife Present
the Second Day at Com
rnittee Hearing; Police
Witnesses Defend Acts.

mlCCee nearing, T OllCe
Witnesses Defend Acts.
Washington, D. c.. March 6.-Mrs
Taft, wife Of the president of the
United States seated behind Repre-
sentative Henry of Texas, chairman
OF the rules committee of the house
and beside Victor Berger, the social
list member Of congress, listened at,
tentively for three hours today to
testimony relating to the strike OF
mill workers at Lawrence, Mass.
Several times she and Mr.. Berger
conversed. This was the second day
on which Mrs. Taft had appeared at
the hearing. 81
Attired in modest dark blue street
dress and brown plumed hat, Mrs.
Taft entered the crowded room &C
companied by her niece, Miss Ander-
son.
They walked unassisted around the
crowd Of spectators surrounding the
witness chair and passed the people
lined against the wall.
AS the testimony progressed she ap-
peared very much interested and defied
the cigar and cigaret smoke that filled
the room, ar
It was learned today that another
visitor at the hearing yesterday was
Miss Anne Morgan Of New York,
daughter Of ]. P. Morgan She stood
In the crowd surrounding the witness
room for some time and left unan-
nounced.
G. r. Lynch, commissioner of public
safety Of Lawrence, resumed the stand
ancial assistance to parents who were
persuaded not to send their children
from Lawrence.
"Did the city authorities and citi-
zens make any effort to settle the
striker asked Representative Hard
wick.
eyes. sir; the city government COM
missiOpers met with The strike COM
fmittee ana tried TO arrange meeting
with the mill owners. The mill own
ers refused to deal with the organiza-
ton but would with their own men" :"
The commissioner said he PERSONAL
" saw one riot about the mills. 4
II saw q crowd hurting rocks at the
Mills
What section Of the statute author
lied you to instruct the police to pre-
vent children leaving Lawrence?
asked Representative Stanley.
'It was looked up at the time. The
statute / think was that preventing
chtldren's departure without parents
consent
"Did you instruct the police to get
written consent OF their parents?''
Yes"
"What if the parents were present
1T the depot O.
..Well, that would be different if we
knew they were the parents"
"Did you read the law that you say
YOU have on the statute books of Mas
sachusetts on which you acted in this
matter?"
81 did not
aDid you order the police to Jail the
children?''
II left that to the man who had po-
lice experience"
Police Chief is Witness.
Captain John J. Sullivan, acting
chief marshal Of Lawrence, was asked
about the stabbing of an Italian boy.
SOLDIERS were going across
trestle bridge" he said, when this
Roy rushed at one of them. A second
soldier prodded him with bayonet.
No report ever was made to the police
on this case.
sNo one knew what was in the boys
mind but the supposition is he in
tended to push the soldier through the
trestle. The boy was taken to hos
pital and recovered"
Sullivan said one morning the strik-
ers planned to form an endless chain
parade, locking arms to prevent per-
sons who wished to go to work from
entering the mills.
although they did not do this. he
continued, 'they did fill several Of the
streets leading to the mills. am sure
there were $4,000 people in these
mobs.
Later in the day the strikers be-
gan pulling the trolleys off cars all
along the line. The cars were stoned
and people were driven out. saw one
man pick up two chunks Of ice and
hurl them. arrested him and was
pelted with ice. An American who
struck me in the head, particularly
hard blow, was the only man hit.
saw there also carpenter wounded.
assaulted by strikers, after they had
dragged him from the car.
The crowds were usually led by |
women and children. They were al
ways in the front rank and sometimes
women had children in their arms. |
Other women. carried flags. On the
first morning Etter, the strike leader.
was about the mills giving orders, but |
when the demonstrations took place /
ho a1ways diSanpeared
"The man who killed the woman |
was the man who wounded Officer !
Benert We know that man and We !
will get him.
Eve think he was a striker and the |
woman killed was also striker. I
think thai shooting started as pure
devilmens 60 gaise trouble and that