The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-03-22
(By T.. b. Ault)

prove to be one of the greatest labor
trials in history drawing to a close,
in which Thomas f. Tracy, the de
PENDANT, is the first of "a workers to
be tried for the fatal fracas at Ever
EFT last November 5, one great out
standing fact is being made more and
more apparent-in so far as Judge j.
7. Ronald has power and influence,
the trial will be absolutely fair.
Judge Ronald is the dean of the
King County superior court, and it
was probably for that reason he was
chosen by Governor Ernest Lister to
preside over these trials His course
throughout the examination of jurors
and later on Of witnesses, and his
rulings on the introduction of testi-
mony have been so fair and equitable
as to call forth expressions of ad-
miration from the large audience,
many Of whom had come to have but
little respect for the law or for any
one connected with its operation. ow-
ing to the many injustices they have
su- cred in the past at the hands Of
officers of the law
A peculiarly pertinent case in point
occurred on the afternoon of Thurs
day, when, after the Sabotage"
pamphlet by Walter C. Smith had
been admitted as evidence, Prosecut-
ing Attorney Lloyd Black read por-
tions of the book to the jury. Mr..
Black picked out only those portions
which would tend to show sabotage
as a method of violence, and carefully
eliminated such portions as would
show its use to be merely a matter
of slowing up in work and without
violent intent. AS was natural. De-
Tense Attorney George F. Vanderveer
objected to the method of Mr.. Black,
declaring the desire was to prejudice
the jury and not to establish any fact.
and demanded the right to read with
Mr.. Black, supplying to the jury those
parts of the text which were left out
by the prosecutor. Judge Ronald
ruled that WAS not permissible, and
that Mr.. Black was within his rights.
The judge, however, closely followed
the reading, and after Black had fin
ished and had in one instance quoted
all of certain paragraph except the
last sentence, which was set out in
black type, he sent the jury out and
heard argument on the point. The
sentence omitted by Black was ''Note
this important point, however, sabot
age does not seek nor desire to take
human life"
Prosecution Not Fair
Judge Ronald then stated to the
attorneys that while Blacks action
was in accord with the practice, it is
very rare thing that it is done to
such an extent, and calling attention
to the paragraph above said that it's
elimination did not appeal to his sense
Of fairness. He then ruled that the
defense might read portions Of the
book bearing on the portions Black
had read The jury was recalled and
Attorney Vanderveer read quietly and
effectively the true explanation of
sabotage as a slowing up process de-
signed to secure better conditions for
the wage worker.
Judge Ronald's ruling, while it was
eminently fair, was signal victory
for the defense, for had the prosecu-
ton been allowed to continue on the
line they started the jury would have
been prejudiced beyond recall. Fol
lowing the reading by Vanderveer, H.
d. Cooley for the state read several
articles from the Industrial Worker,
the local l. w. w. paper, and showed
cartoons which had been published in
that organ.
The trial to date has been lacking
In dramatic situations, the nearest an
proach to tenseness being at the time
Deputy Owen Clay while on the stand
admitted he himself may have fired
the shot that killed jefferson Beard
the deputy for whose murder Thomas
f. Tracy is being tried. Clay also ad-
mitted he had joined the Commercial
Club at the request of the Weyer-
haeuser's, for whom he works, and
that he had been injured in the melee
and his hospital bill paid by the com
pany.
Deputies Determined to Convict
The "citizen-deputies" who have so
far been called are either men who
had been whipped into a state of real
fear by the infammatory articles
which appeared in the daily press or
are typical gunner who are for hire
for anyone who will pay the price
Of the latter class was William Tuck
err, who admitted having been en-
ployed as a guard at the Clough-
Hartley Single Company, having the
use of a machine owned by Colonel
Roland Hartley, and having scabbed
at RalliDpbav,, 10 To-