Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-03-08
ITALIAN HALL
DISASTER PROBED
BY CONGRESSMEN N
Many Witnesses Tell Vague
Stories of Alleged Man
Wearing Citizens Alliance.
Button Who Shouted Fire.
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tsY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w,sxi
Calumet, Mich. March IA score
tof Witnesses We're examined today hy
| Representatives Taylor Arkansas,
land casey Of Pennsylvania, members
of the congressional committee in-
lvestigating tho Michigan copper
strike, in an effort TO ascertain tho
cause Of the italian hail panic in
which seyenty-thrce persons lost their
lives.
Men. women and children who had
f been i'm the hall when the panic start
ed, testified Il stout man wearing
long dark coat and % fur cap stood
in the doorway and shouted "dre.
Some said the mans lapel bore Citi.
zens Alliance button, but none att
tempted 20 identify him
Frank schaltz, a boy, said he had
seen the man In Rcd Jacket several
weeks before the panic. carrying
club Erie Erickson testified he saw
two men wearing Citizens Alliance
insignia ia the doorway after the call
OF fire Tho testimony of these two
witnesses had not been brougn, out
lat the coroners inquest
Prosecutor Calls Witnesses.
Three witnesses selected by Anthony
Lucas, county prosecutor. as among
those he considered most important
TO support the coroner's verdict, were
subpoenaed by the committee, ass they
refused 10 appear otherwise.
TD1fgV Moo v9aoyf ust,. 4tr.a .t, ff.
ticket room outside tho main han,
said he heard no cry Of fire, but adj
mltted noise in the hall might have
prevented his hearing such n cry.
John Pogglo, who said he was in-
side tho hall near the door. said nc
heard no one shout and thought the
rush was because the entertainment
was over.
Eli Wuopia testified he was at the
bottom Of the steps with his little
girl when the rush began and heard
no cry although the child told him
somebody hollered fire up there"
Attorney Hilton Protests.
o. n. Hilton OF coun = for the
Western Federation OF Miners. pro-
tested at the decision Of the commit
tee that Prosecutor Lucas would be
the only attorney permitted To ox-
anime witnesses. Hilton told the in-
vestigators he could not carry tho
burden of proof unless he were per-
mitted TO question the witnesses. Rep
resentative Taylor told him it was the
decision of the full committee that the
inquiry be conducted in this way
but that any questions he wished ask
ed, would be asked for HIM by one
of the committeeman.
The South Range raid by members
of the Citizens alliance. acting as a
sheriffs posse. on union headquar-
tCrs I'm a search for arms was de-
Tended today by witnesses before the
congressional committee.
sherlfrs Office Defended.
Witnesses for the Houghton county
shcriffs office occupied the stand
throughout the day. Under Sheriff
William Heihila. who was accused by
Louis Fodar, "a striker. with an at
tempt TO railroad him to the pen.
explained his encounter with Fodar
whom he went 10 arrest him for as-
The witness said Chat the strikers
wife resisted his entrance with "a ket-
tie Of hot water and that lac found
Fodar in a closet with a gun I'm his
hand He told of graphing with Fo-
Oar and said the latter fired at him
He denied giving false testimony all
Fodars trial
Deputy Sheriff William Lucas told
.cf searching the union headquarters
for arms after being told that the
strikers meant to shoot up" South
Range. In the raid Deputy Sheriff
Driscoll was shot, thirty men were ar
rested and number of guns seized.
Nothing 10 DO With Meyer.
Sheriff Cruise denied on the stand
tonight that he had anything TO do
with the deportation OF Meyer He
said the sheriffs office had not paid
the bin for expenses Incurred in tho
sending of Mover and Tanner from
the copper country In referring TO
statement of G.. H. Tanner that
Deputy Sheriff Hensley had said 70
him while conveying him out Of town
NANN iliN nIlfiAAA 3 AAAtNE VI NAlA AAl
.an the bills Cruise said he did not
know Hensley had anything 10 do
with the incident until IL was over
The sheriff said he hired Waddell-
Mahon men because many of the dep
uies, nearly an of whom were mine
men. refused 10 serve after they had
been assaulted, and the others We're
inexperienced. He said deputies were
greatly needed to protect property
Committee Finishes Hearing.
The chairman remarked he hoped
congress would pass a law forhldding
the transit In interstate commerce of
"gunmen." Counsel for the opera
tors objected to the use of the word
~gunmen.'
The congressional committee. in
vestigating the copper miners strike.
tonight ended its hearing in the cop
per region. on Monday the commit
tee expects to hear witnesses in de-
Tense Of the Michigan national guard
in Chicago.