Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-09-14
KILL THEM!
WAS THE CRY
GANG FROM AMBUSH GETS TWO
PAPER MILL WORKERS ON
TONY ROAD
BEATEN IN The DARK WITH CLUBS
Employees Left for Dead While AS
saiIants Get Safely Away in
Machines

Two men, employed as machine
tenders at the paper mill, were bru-
tally assaulted on the road from
Tony to Ladysmith, about midnight
Tuesday and left lying in the road
way apparently dead.
The men injured are Matt Culver
and Joe IStoffel, who came here to
work when the strike and lockout
at the mill occurred.
These two men with third,
known as "John," walked to Tony
Tuesday evening, had drinks at the
Tony saloon and about 12 O'Clock
started home, walking. somewhere
between Tony and Ladysmith, they
were met by gang of men who the
three men state were spread across
the road.
xiii themi Kill the - -"
was what they heard. Clubs fell.
StOffel took the count with a bro
ken nose early in the melee. Cul-
YER was beaten on the head and
has a half dozen scalp wounds and
a black eye. He had presence Of
mind enough to roll over and ap-
pear dead. Stoffel was down in the
road. John escaped. He jumped in
to the bushes and fled to town.
All three men stop at Kirvan's
Hotel John went there, told Mr..
Kirvan, who telephoned to M. H.
Ballou, manager of the paper mills.
At 1920 Wednesday morning, Sher
if Dodson was notified by Mr.. Bal
lou and they went to the supposed
scene of the assault.
Culver and Stoffel had come to
consciousness and walked into town,
going to the hotel.
Later they were taken to DR..
Landmarks and their wounds
dressed. Neither of them would talk
for publication.
Culver, who is a husky person,
went to work wednesday afternoon.
Since then an investigation has
been going on and number Of men
connected with the Papermakers' I'm
ion and others not members, but
who are strikers, have been closely
questioned.
Up to Friday noon no arrests have
been made
In the public mind the paper
Makers Union has, justly or unjust
ly, been closely connected with the
assault. That it is an Outgrowth of
the situation at the mill is plain.
Since the demands of the members
OF the union on Aug. 20 and their
immediate discharge by the company
there has been more or less acrimon-
ious feeling between union men,
those laid off on account of the Sit
uation, and the new men brought
here Or who have come to fill their
places.
A few fights, many threats of bod
lily harm to new men have been ru-
mored and in some cases proved
true.
There was a special meeting of
the local union wednesday even
ing, but no information as to what
action was taken was given out.
The local members have been ex-
pecting some officers of the Inter
national body here, but so far none
have come.
Wilbur jacobson, president of the
local in an interview Friday morn.
ing with a representative Of the
News-Budget stated that the union
had nothing to do with the assault
and did not endorse the methods OF
Tuesday night.
Friday morning there seems to be
some question as to just where the
assault did occur. 1t is probable
however that the two men were
about a mile east of town, close to
the road that leads from the soutl
Tony road to the north road. 1t i!
believed there were three auto loads
of the gang of assailants.
But after three days of investiga
ton not much more is known. thai
at the beginning. Whether the gan,
went from Ladysmith on telephon
message or other information sen
Or brought from Tony, or whethe
the assailants were already in Ton