The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-03-22
MAYOR MERRILL
GETS GRUELLINC
Continued from Page H.

| various departments and branches
throughout the country, its officials
and committees being elected by vote
OF the membership. Mailer has
most frank, open personality and
would be about the last person one
would suspect of having any dire
purpose in belonging to an organiza-
ton or who had any secret that he
feared to disclose in an umguarded
moment. Macdonald likewise re-
sponded readily and cheerfully to all
questions pertaining to the owner
ship, management and organization
of the paper of which he is editor.
The most dramatic incident of the
trial so far, was the introduction of
Louis Skaroff, an unusually interest
ing, bright-faved Jewish lad, who had
been arrested and detained at the
city jail in Everett after having been
arrested on the afternoon of Nov
9th while speaking on the street 1t
has been alleged that this lad had
been maltreated by officials at the
city Jail late one night, and that at
the termination of a series of kick
ings and beatings, during which he
sustained bruises about the head and
body inflicted by the mayor, assist
ed by another official, his fingers
were placed under the foot of an iron
bed by the mayor, while he, with the
other worthy, jumped upon the mid
die of the bed, thus crushing and
bruising the poor lads hand When
confronted by Skaroff, Merrill denied
having ever seen him. Again he re-
freshed his memory and admitted
that he had seen him, but denied any
connection with the atrocity.
At the same time there was in
troduced large-sized photograph
showing the mutilated back of Row
an, who was one of the many victims
of the brutalities common in and
about Everett during the maintain
ance Of claw and order" by the citi-
zen deputies Again Merrill had to
refresh his memory as before in or
der to recall having heard of the in
cident relative to Rowan's beating
up.
Mr.. Merrill, while testifying, sits
motionless and dull under the rapid
fire of cross-examination by Attor-
ney Vanderveer He slumps in his
seat like an inert mass of soft mat
ter, his face an extensive blank, his
memory all but gone. O, that the
citizens of Everett might see their
mayor in the witness chair
Several of the witnesses so far
have been wage slaves most, and in
some instances ALL of their lives.
and show the usual evidences of hard
labor. At least two of them have
testified that they were at one time
members of organized labor. Certain
it is that they have shared the ben
efits derived from the struggles and
sufferings of organized labor in it's
effort to improve working condi-
tons. Yet they view this entire sit
uation from the standpoint of their
exploiters. If there is anything more
pathetic than that of a person living
in the commonplace, poverty stricken
condition of the average wage Garner
and having the viewpoint of a Rock
eteller, it would be difficult to find.
One of the points sought persist
emily by the prosecution is to estab
lish proof that the I. w. w. as an
organization, countenances lawless-
ness. This attempt continues dav
after day. In reply to this, evil
dence is produced from the files of
their organ, the Industrial Worker,
showing that column after column
has been taken up denouncing bru-
talities and lawlessness of various
kinds. All of the witnesses thus far
examined have stated distinctly that
not once has a member of the Or
ganization been known to resist ar
rest throughout all of the difficulty
IN Everett. Taking into considera-
ton the manner in which some of
the men have been treated, this
would almost seem like obeying lit
orally the admonition to turn the
other cheek.
Another point that has been
brought out many times is that while
these individuals were arrested os-
tensibly for street speaking, that
they were booked at the Jail on
charges of vagrancy notwithstand-
ing the fact that many of them had
money on their persons when thew
were searched.
There is so much evidence vet 70
be taken that it is difficult to tell
with any degree of certainty inst
how long the trial will last. But in
all probability it will be of long dur
alton and that it will become more
interesting as it proceeds.
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