Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1914-06-13
Assistant Prosecutor in inter-
view Defends Former Sena-
tor on Attack Made by Gen.
traI Labor Union of This City.
BEING DOOMED FOR JUDGE
County Official Presents Record
of Silzer'S Work n ConneC-
ton With Labor Strikes Here
Respect Organized Labor.

Organized labor is making a vital
mistake in opposing Prosecutor
George s. Silzer for appointment as
associate justice of the supreme
court ana as attorney general of the
state in the future, declared Assist
ant Prosecutor Joseph E. Stricken
here today. The county official pre-
sented a record of Mr.. SilZer's
work in connection with labor
strikes here, after which he stated
that he now had, as he always had,
most intense sympathy and respect
for organized labor, but felt that it
was making a mistake in this case.
Resolutions passed by the Central
Labor Union Thursday night show
that the union men took the prose-
cutor to task for action in connec-
tion with strikes at the American
Smelling & Refining works and the
Federal Terra Gotta plant. 1t was
charged that he had not investigated
sufficiently to warrant the bringing
to justice of persons alleged to be
guilty in connection with shooting
and other cases. Mr. Stricken, speak
ing in behalf of Mr.. Silzer, who is
now in Europe, stated today that
the facts were presented after in
vestigations and that the grand jury
failed to render true bill in the
A. S. & r. cases. Regarding action
in connection with the terra Gotta
strike, Mr.. Stricken knows nothing
of any step on the part of the
nrOCnnntnr
tremely fair to both sides. Regard
ing the subject, he said:
"A strike of the laborers took
place at the plant of the American
Smelling & Refining Company in the
City of Perth Amboy in the summer
of 1912. 1t appeared that a crowd of
men numbering two or three thou
sand had gathered at the plant of the
company causing considerable viol-
ence, so much so that the Perth Am
boy police department was unable to
cope with 1t. Armed guards were
employed by the company to protect
it's property, but failed to do so. The
situation became so aggravated that
1t was necessary to place a search
light on top of one of the buildings
of the plant in order to properly pro-
tect the same at night. This was
done after one of the buildings had
been set on fire, and, as was claimed,
by the strikers. All this occurred
after the sheriff of the county had
been called upon to take charge. The
arrival of the sheriff and his depu-
ties seemed to have no effect upon
the crowd which was increasing in
~, har tn
governor of the state for assistance
Adjutant General Sadler with his
staff was sent to Perth Amboy and
for several days conferences were
held In order to determine whether
or not the militia should be called
out. Fortunately, this did not be-
come necessary, although Adjutant
General Sadler had orders issued for
the militia to move on very sh ort
notice.
During one of the frequent dis
turbances at the plant the company's S
armed guard fired on an advancing
crowd, which was bombarding the
people in the plant with stones,
bricks and other missiles, and during
which attack the armed guard fired
on the crowd, with the result that
two men were injured and one kill
ed. 1t was said at the time that
neither the injured nor the deceased
we're strikers, but onlookers, who
were brought to the neighborhood of
the scene by curiosity. An order
issued by the sheriff required all per-
sons to keep away from the vicinity
of the plant, and especially after he
had read the riot act commanding
all persons to disperse. The prose-
cutor with the assistance of the coro-
ner, the Perth Amboy police depart
ment, the county detectives as well
as a number Of private detectives
made a thorough investigation and
subpoenaed eighteen witnesses who
were heard by the grand jury then
Continued on page 4)