Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-03-19
Houghton Tells Of Plot to As
SaSsinate Him When the
Strike First Started.
RAPS FEDERATION OF LABOR
Sheriff Defended His Action
and Seemed to Make I'M
preston on Pr0berS
of the Assembly.
Especial by staff Correspondent }


Roosevelt, March 19:-The assem-
bly, committee investigating the
strike of the fertilizer workers of
Roosevelt in January and conditions
leading up to the industrial unrest,
today continued their probe in fire
house No. 2. Chief among the wit
nesses called to testify today was
Sheriff Edward F. Houghton.
Two of the constables who assist
ed Sheriff Houghton in handling the
strike will be called, and, it is under
stood, some of the officials of the
fertilizer plants will be asked to take
the stand this afternoon.
Three of the committee appeared
this morning, as follows: Chairman
William N. Runyon, Charles M. Pill
grim and Arthur A. Quinn. Joseph
E. Stricken, who has attended all the
hearings held by the committee, was
here for short while this morning,
but as no eye-witnesses were sched-
uled to be placed on the stand until
this afternoon he left until that time.
Sheriff Reads Statement.
Sheriff Houghton read his state
ment on the strike, which was made
public last month, defending his ac-
tion In pursuing the policy of former
sheriffs in handling the strike, and
deputizing the members of the
Jerry" O'Brien agency. He read
from his statement how representa-
tives of the plant had requested pro-
lection from him and the means he
took to give them protection. The
statement which was published in
the NEWS and other couHty papers
at the time 1t was made was allowed
to be read In its entirety to form a
part OF the official record of the
probe.
Quite number of citizens attend
ed the hearing and remained
throughout the proceedings. show
ing considerable interest in the
probe.
Some startling testimony was give,
before the committee by the sherifl
after he had completed reading the
statement which had been previously
made public. He recounted phases
OF the strike that never before have
been published. He declared that
he believed during the trouble an
attempt had been made to assassi-
nate him, telling of two shots having
DOCu hiSu at nlo dt nix L,
one Of which struck mud guard
and the other went wild.
Hougbton revealed the amount the
county was paid by the plans for pro-
lection, which he said totaled ST.
600. made in three payments of $1O,-
600, $4,000 and $4,000 each. He
said that out of this he had paid the
Jerry O'Brien agency $4,000,
leaving $4,000 for automobile hire
and incidentals. He said the money
was deposited in the Peoples Ma
tional bank in New Brunswick, and
that there had been a balance of s8
left, after all expenses had been paid
Add No 3 Probe
The sheriff defended his action in
the strike and seemed to make a
deep impression on the investigators
He pointed out that the county had
been saved thousands of dollars by
the agreement with the plants that
they bear the expense of employing
deputies. He maintained that the
plants were entitled to protection
and If an agreement had not been
reached with them for their paying
the deputies, then the county would
have had to bear this tremendous
cost.
Continued on page y