The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-07
HOLMAN EXPLAINS l FAILURE TOSETTLE LAWRENCE STR|KE: Declines to Answer One Question Asked by the
 Committee SULLIVAN TELLS OF
 RIOTS AT STATION
Mrs. Taft Is Again an Interested Spectator of the Hearing-She Laughs at Reference to Big
 Stick"-Haywood Present

Massachusetts, teStltylnS peiore 'he House rules committee today regarding the Lawrence mill strike, had explained the failure of the authorities to settle the. strike when he was confronted with question he objected to. Did you say in Lawrence that William Wood was the one man to blame?' ask ed Acting Chairman Hardwiek. The ques- tion had been submitted to him by Repre- sentative Victor Berger, who is pleading the strikers cause. Mr. Wood is presi- dent of the American Woolen company. T would not wish to answer that ques- ton, Mir. Holman replied. But l will If you insist"
 The committee, after comforting, decided to withdraw the question. Mrs., Taft Present Mrs. Taft, wife of the President, ac- companied by her niece, Miss Anderson, listened intently for three hours today 10 the story of the Lawfena as labor war as 1t was told to the house rules com mittec. Seated at the side of Congress man Berger, the Socialist member, and just behind MT. Henry of Texas. ena,f- man of the ruies committee, Mrs. Taft seemed absorbed in the narrative of the
  textile workers for more pay. Frequently she conversed in whispers with the socialist congressman or explain ed parts of the testimony to her niece. Mrs. Taft came attired in blue street suit and wearing hat in which brown plumes waved. With her niece, she crowded through the throng in the room to the platform where the committeeman had seats. Wives of several of the con- Praesmpp arrived a the ahead Of her.
 At the noon recess Congressman Henry |offered to get better seats for Mrs. Tart end her niece if they intended to return for the afternoon session. Mrs. Taft rc- piled she was undecided. 1tfwas learned today that one of yes ls-erday's visitors at the hearing was Mss Her appesran1s was apparently nnnotice9. lat tue time. MT. Holman followed Captain J. J. Sul- |liyan. acting marshal of Lawrence, who told detailed story of the police operations, concluding after a severe cross examination by Representative Stanley of Kentucky. Concerning the in- cidents at the Lawrence depot when the children were arrested. Mir. Stanley ques- tioned the marshal at length.
 "When you lined your police up on the |station platform" he asked, and divert cd the children from the train to yolr automobile truck, what was your pur- poser"
 ITO keep them from leaving Lawrence without any explanation of where they were going or whether their parents con |sented."
 "Where did you take them-'' Taken to Police Station
 "To the police station"
 "Why?''
 Because they had, in my opinion. vio- lated the laws of Massachusetts" What law?''
 The law providing for the care of neg kected children"
 How did you know they were neg ected?"
 'The situation was extraordinary--these people would not tell who they were land for that reason they were detained.'
 Well If some of these women were mothers of those children whstr right diI you have to arrest them?''
 ''The right, as l have told you, that 1 thought it was my duty under the law"
 When did you discover that any of these women were mothers
 Not until after they were taken to the state institution, where they were cared flor later that day That night some of the fathers came and acknowledged par  bring them in court on Tuesday and were allowed to take them home''
 Consulted Authorities
 Captain Sullivan said he had consulted Justice Chandler, Colonel Sweetzer and others, who advised him in his action
 Did you have any written authority to take these women and children?'
 ''I did not"
 Captain Sullivan said he had seen peo- ple in the streets of Washington more poorly dressed than lie had ever seen on the streets of Lawrence.
 As to the testimony that they eat meat only once a week." he said, 'I know there are scores of Italians and Jews, meat and fish peddlers, who sell to no one but these people. They also have their own clothing shops, which are well pat ronized."
 A sample of a club used by some sol diers at Lawrence was exhibited to the witness and he identified n-
 Mrs Taft laughed when Representative Wilson of Illinois in this connection said
 'Is the. big stick popular in Lawrence now?'
 Tt is not popular, but the only thing effective in Lawrence just now said the captain, ignoring. the representatives al- fusion.
 Efforts to Settle Strike
 
 MT. Holman outlined the efforts made by the governor of Massachusetts to set tie the strike and tho withdrawal from Lawrence of most of the troops.
 There was no undue violence used by the troops or police in Lawrence" he said. Force was necessary at times where the suffering people were ugly and had to be restrained"
 That the state authorities or soldiers had anything to do with stopping the de- parture of children from Lawrence, MT. Holman emphatically denied.
 .The police alone dealt with that sit- uation," he said. g
 Daniel J. Murphy, city solicitor at Law renee, was called to give testimony as to prosecution of strikers and mothers of
 Haywood Present
 William D. Haywood, organizer of the Indus.iiaf Workers of the World arrived from Lawrence late in the day and at tended the hearing, accompanied by Rep resentative Berger. .l Captain Sullivan told of an outburst at a Sunday n1eeting of the strikers, where men were arrested for blocking the side- walks. Two; of these men were struck with clubs said the captain.A As they were being taken to the station a mob
 
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