The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-24
MICHIGAN NATIONAL
GUARD IS CRITICIZED
BEFORE COMMITTEE
Alleged Brutal Treatment
of Strikers by Guardsmen
Told by Miners in the
Strike Probe

Hancock, Mich, February 2S-MiehigGn
National Guardsmen ON duty in the cop
per country during the early days Of
the mine workers strike were the cen-
ter of attack today in the testimony o.
fered before the congressional investi-
eating committee. Interference with,
strikers parades and alleged brutal treat
ment of some of the participants were
the principal charges made against tire
miltiamen by the dozen witnesses ill.,
troduced by the Western Federation of
Miners.
When the strikers conclude presentation
of their case, which probably will be
tomorrow or Wednesday, an opportunity
will be given the representatives of the
National Guard to reply to the charges
Charles IL. Tanner, auditor of the
Western Federation of Miners, expects
to appear before the committee tomor-
row and relate the circumstances sur
rounding the deportation or Charles Ii.
Meyer. He probably win be the last
witness heard on behalf of the strikers.
according to counsel.
Many Incidents RetoId
Many of the incidents described today
had been told before Capt frank Black
man of Company l.. from Jackson was
accused of brutal treatment by two wilt
nesses. Tony Stephanic said the captain
gave him a black eye in an encounter
between 200 parading strikers and sol
diers at Calumet, September 13. last, and
William Palmetre accused the officer of
striking a woman sympathizer across
the shoulder with his sabre at Tamaraek,
Junior mine on Septpn1bar
Palmetre declared that women and chill
dren were crying 'scab at four nom
union men whom Captain Blackman and
six soldiers were eScorting nome from
work When another woman yelled
coward at the officer. the witness said,
Blackman grabbed her, tearing off part
of her waist. He said third woman
was struck by soldier with the butt OF
his rifle and injured
Was it the custom to wait there for
the men returning from work and to
call them names?' asked Mai. S. w.
Pepper.
Yes" the witness replied II took 1t
as a sort of pastime.'
Witnesses told of parades at Calumet
and Mohawk, which they said had been
stopped by the soldiers. Frank King
said that during the Calumet parade ii
guardsmen had broken the staff of tie
American flag with a sabre and another
ndu puHClufeu IL Will MS Day Onel. VIC
tor Lievantas said he was attacked at
Mohawk while carrying the stars and
stripes.
Shot in Neck
Jacob Kunlin testified that he was shot
in the neck and knocked down by Jack
Kendall, a deputy sheriff, while In a pa
rade at Quincy on December II. Oh
eross-exa mination the witness admitted
that soldiers stopped fight between the
strikers and deputies.
Frank Stampehar told the committee
that one night in the latter part of Oc-
tober soldier came to his home at
Alouise and told him that n he saw him
in a parade again he would shoot him. He
said the soldier was not roo drunk TO
mount his horse
Antoine Papich said deputies had brok-
vember 26, and several strikers had been
beaten. One deputy shot a man in union
hail. he said. and when Ben Goggla, n
union organizer protested. saying, -
don't see how you can shoot a man like
that" he declared the deputy replied:
We've got to do it for the c. and H
Chairman Taylor admitted INTO the
record a petition presented 10 Major Cen
eral Abbey by 173 citizens or Centennial
Heights last autumn protesting against
the presence of miitiamen ana their al
agreed by the committee that the charges
therein would not be accepted as facts
until substantiated by witnesses