Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-28
Protest Against Holding OF EttOr and
Ciovannitti--S Several Small Riots
Police Make Three Ar
rests Haywood Coming,

= of the city could be reached here, to-
| night, To say anything about the
! strike. All inquiries were referred to
the offices Of the mills in Boston.
where the American Wooden Co. gave
| out ,he following statement:
The officials of the American Wool
en- Co, say that they do not know
any cause for the present strike at
| Lawrence. The employees have present
ed 10 grievances or made any demand
relative to wages since the settlement
of the strike in March last. Everything
has been preceding satisfactorily since
the settlement of the former strike.
No formal notice was given that a
strike WAS to occur at this time and
they assume that this is intended
merely for n demonstration having
some relation to the Ettor trial, which
is to begin next Week. 1t is further
said that they have every reason to
| believe that after the demonstration
had been made that the employees
would return to their work md bust
ness could be resumed"
Pickets were busy during the noon
hour, but gave the police no trouble.
Many of those who left their work when
away their overalls and towels,
Nearly 500 weavers and loomfxers were
forced out of work with the closing of
the weave room of the Washington mill
at noon. It was announced that the de
partment would not resume until Mon
day, the strike in the spinning. carding
and drawing rooms having Left nothing
for workers to do.
The Industrial Workers of the World
leaders sent a telegram to the Chicago
headquarters asking that William d.
Haywood be sent to Lawrence at once
to take charge of the strike. BenJamir
Robinson, an overseer at the Wood mill,
was slightly injured this noon by being
struck in the head by a weight in the
hands of an operative. No other inju-
ries Were reported.
At the conclusion of the various
meetings held, tonight, it was am
nounced that the question of return
ing to work, Monday, or continuing
the strike will be decided. tomorrow.
The Syrians, Poles and Lithuanians
voted tonight in favor of resumins
work. The Italians did not vote, but
many seemed to be against the idea
of going back At the mass meeting
tomorrow, the question will be brought
up again. For a time. tonight il
looked as if there would be trouble
when several thousand operatives
gathered in front of City hall. where
it had been announced a meeting OF
strikers would be held. The crowd
found the doors locked and police
guarding the entrances. There was
some confusion but no outbreak. and
the crowd finally dispersed when IT
was learned that the license for the
use of the hall be granted to the In
dustrial Workers for an exhibit Of
moving pictures only and that the
hall could not be used for a meeting
to discuss the strike
A report in circulation among the
strikers that the Ettor statement
asking that there be no strike at pres
ent was a forgery was met with the
declaration of two of the operatives,
tonight, that they had personal as
surances from Ettor himself that the
statement was his. Charles Webert
and Peter Claus, two operatives, went
to the Essex county Jail and, accord
ing to their statement, were allowed
to see Ettor and Giovannitti. Webert
said that when he asked Ettor if the
statement made public, Wednesday,
was his. Ettor answered:
Il wrote that letter and / do not
advise the workers to go out on
strike Whether there will be a gen
eral strike, however. must be decided
by the workers themselves. / do not
control them"