The Calumet news., 1913-09-27
FINDS FLAG WAS
USED AS WEAPON
No Dishonor Shown Old Glory
by Soldiers Says Board

Elm streets, 10 prevent the strikers
! from marching onto Tamarack mine
property. a flag was torn from a staf'
in the hands OF "A striker and IL was
charged that il was cut down by sol
dier with a sabre and trampled and
torn, The board. consisting of Major
John =, Bersey president. Major APP
ted. member, and Capt. Meads record
er found, upon investigation, however
that the parade was properly stopped;
that the flag was used as weapon by
the strikers; and that there was no in
tent on part OF the militia to desecrate
the flag. The report is as follows:
The board finds that the strikers
parade was ordered To stop by First
Sergeant Strauchman. when it arrived
on Eighth street, as he believed that
the parade was going 10 cross Eighth
street and march into Yellow Jacket
this being contrary to the prior orders
given him by Capt Blackman, which
was 10 prevent the parade from
marching into the private mine prop
erty of Yellow Jacket.
The parade was stopped by Ser
peant Strauchman upon the refusal of
the leading horseman. Arvid Jarvie,
10 turn onto Eighth street, and his at
tempt 10 force his horse forward in
tne direction of yellow Jacket.
The stopping of the parade caused
the paraders in the rear to crowd for
ward in a congested mass on Elm
street, Just east of Eighth street and
caused the flag bearers To apparently
attack Sergeant Strauchman ana the
other soldiers who had come to the
assistance uf Sergeant Strauchman
with some of their flags-usng the
nag-staffs a. lances.
First Sergeant Strauchman saw
several men having hold of flag
staff, using it to push the soldiers.
Sergeant Miller saw a flag bearer
wing 10 prod him with flag.
Sergeant Rine saw a flag bearer
trying To prod Capt. Blackman with
his flag staff and drew his sabre and
struck the man over the back with il,
This incident was apparently mistaken
by several paraders as an attempt by
Sergeant Rine To cut the flag itself
with his sabre.
Capt. Blackman saw a woman flag
bearer trying to reach Sergeant Mil
ler with a flag staff.
Joseph Stefancck saw flag bearer
drop nis nag and saw nag bearer try
10 recover flag from the ground, as
two other men held il and heard the
flag tear.
Erred y Dosson saw flag-hcarcr
throw flag on the ground when the
parade was stopped and saw two other
men attempt TO raise the flag from
the ground and thrust a mounted sol
dier. who thrust it aside with his hand,
whereupon Mr.. Bosson saw that the
flag was slightly torn but not as bad
lN as it was torn when ne saw il later
at the Italian han.
Leo Goulct saw the flag-bearers
using their Flagstaff as prods To prod
at the soldiers who were mounted.
Lieut.. Ferris received a thrust in
The side from flag-staff.
Mrs Annie Clemenc parader,
grasped a flag from n parade flag
bearer and attempted To use it as a
"ralisman" to cause the soldiers to
permit her to lead the parade forward
into forbidden territory. on finding
this "Talisman" ineffective, she held
the flag horizonal i'm front of her and
refused to move back at command of
soldiers and dared them To molest her
through the folds of their own flag"
rncontradicted verbal testimony OF
Mrs Annie Clemenc.
~ photo snapshot taken by Lieut..
McNlillcn. retired, of Jackson. shows
condition of the stopping of the pa
rade This picture shows a congestion
at the corner of Eighth and Elm
streets, and shows flag staff being
used as a lance, or being raised from
the ground by its bearer. and shows
other flags erect in the air. 1t is ap-
parent from this picture and the posi-
ton of the soldiers shown therein, that
10 fists or arms were being used by
the soldiers at this point and that the
excitement at the time was not great
az ilblNdNNh ny wv P'SiNi'il VI ''''
ference of the onlookers and soldiers
i'm the immediate foreground, although
there is more excitement discernible
near the northeast curb. at which point
the testimony showed there was very
fractions horse, ridden by one of the
paraders, which had become unman-
ageable
The testimony Of such flag bearers
as could bc secured, denied the using
Of tho flags as weapons but from the
Testimony OF those soldiers already
mentioned, who were struck by the
flags. and the apparent action of the
flag bearer shown by the picture. the
board believes that at least one nag
was so used The flag with the eagle
top shown in the picture. was damaged
and the eagle was knocked off. IL rs
the conclusion of the board that this
flag was damaged by being used as n
| weapon of offense, in which case II
can be readily seen that the flag it
self would he damaged by being trailed
on the ground and by being stepped
on by those using IT as weapon.
The board finds no conflict in the
testimony of the paraders, the sper-
tators, and soldiers involved, except
ls.H