The Washington times., 1912-03-06
CRUELTY IN STRIKE
OF LAWRENCE MILL
WORKERS IS DENIED
Police Captain On Stand.
Mrs. Taft Is Interested
Listener.
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Continued from First Page)
arrange a meeting Between the strikers
and mill owners in an effort to settle
the strike. The mill owners, he said,
refused to negotiate with the organiza-
ton of the strikers, declaring they
would have to negotiate as individuals.
Lynch said that ne saw crowds
storming the mill.
Was any attempt made TO stop
them?" asked Congressman HardwiCk.
Yes the police tried, but there were
only seven or eight, and went to The
police station and telephoned the mayor
to order out the militia"
Reason For Action.
Lynch said that the children were
theld up from leaving Lawrence because
he feared they would not be sent 70
proper places.
What section OF the statutes o;
Massachusetts, authorized YOU to order
your police to prevent children leaving
Lawrence?"
m.n0sr ,,15 %ss + Up at that time I don't re-
Did you instruct the police to insist
upon the written consent of their par
Yes"
= What if the parents were at the sta
ton with them?'
Then they. could accept the oral per-
mission If they knew they were the
Did you order your police to lock I'M
women and children, or to club them, il
they did try to leave the cty?''
LETT that to the man immediat tely in
ohsrge OF the police-Captain Sullivan" ."
Captain Sullivan then took the stand.
Describes Disturbances.
After describing the early disturbances
OF the strike, Sullivan said that he
instructed his policemen to act as quiet
y and cautiously as possible, and not
no take the initiative. The reason for
this, he said, was that the police were
so greatly outnumbered.
he told of the bayoneting of an Ital-
ian boy sixteen years old, who encoun-
tered squad of soldiers on a narrow
The boy rushed at one of the SOL
diers, and another prodded him with
ms bayonet. 1t was brought out at
the investigation that the soldiers
thought the boy was endeaVoring "a
push the first militiaman from the tres
tie The boy was in the hospital two
or three days, but recovered, all right
sullivan described the mass meetings
of the strikers and said that.while there
was no disorder in the meetings the
crowds would fill the streets afterward
and yell at the police.
Tells of Rioting.
He told of a morning when a crowd
which he estimated at 5000, occupied
the streets leading to the mills. He said
that the crowds prevented those who
wanted TO 80 to work from getting tc
the mills.
Later in the day the strikers pulled
the trolleys of the street cars from the
wires. They threw chunks of ice
through the car windows and dragged
the passengers out and beat them.
was struck by pieces of ice at this
point and arrested a man for throwing
ice. The crowd continued to throw al
me and an officer who was near by
came TO my assistance. AS l was taking
my prisoner out of the crowd an Ar
rnenian struck me a particularly hare
blow with a chunk of ice reached out
and struck him with my club, just as
hard as could fetch it. He was the
only man used a club on that day"
Sullivan TOLD of the crowds rushing
Gould you identify either men anc
women who led these crowds?" asked
Congressman Wilson of Illinois.
Exonerates Policeman.
"There were no leaders. Women anG
children were usually in the front ranl
of the crowds. Women with children
in their arms and women carrying
flags did the leading"
The killing of an Italian woman ir
the trouble on Monday was asked
about
1T has been said here that Policeman
Benoit killed that woman" said Sulli
van. Now we have found that woman
was killed with .3S-caliber bullet. OF.
hcer Benoit carried .S2-csliber revol
yer, and each cartridge in his revolver
was intact. ] think we have just abou
decided who did that killing. 1t was q
striker, and we will get him, alright"
Sullivan told of the stabbing of a po
liceman in the same affair.