The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1917-04-26
TRACY DEFENSE
SCORES HEAVILY
Evidence Proves ionciuSively
That Everett Was Being Run
Ey Gunmen and Thugs

another blow ut the states evidence
in the trial of Thomas II. Tracy, who
is being tried as an abettor in con
spiracy to murder, before Judge Ron
aid Of King county superior court,
when it subpoenaed Fred Luke, n
deputy sheriff who was in the employ
Of SnohomiSh county at the time of
the free speech fight and whose
name has been constantly mentioned
by the witnesses in the course of
their testimony This makes the
second deputy who disclosed the in
side of the Commercial clubs scheme,
in stopping free speech.
Luke testified that he was present
at Rowan's meeting but did not hear
anything said to which as an officer
of the law he could take exception.
The reason he caused the arrest of
Rowan was because McRae had give
him orders to. He denied that any
violence or diSobedience to authori-
ties was ever advocated at |. w. w.
meetings that he attended He told
about the crowd that gathered around
the county jail, but it was easily
dispersed" The fence that had been
broken down was there for a long
time; it had rotten posts, the witness
explained. There was no resistance
at the time the crowd was dispersed.
Mrs. Frenette was around but he did
not hear her incite anyone to VIC
lence. When he was asked by Attor-
ney Nanderveer why the deputies had
white handkerchiefs he replied. $50
we would not beat up our own men."
Sheriff Staged Beverly Affair
Luke said he was in the same car
that Sheriff McRae had been in and
that the sheriff supervised the Bev-
erly affair. He went home with the
sheriff that night after everything
was over at Beverly. He corroborat-
ed the fact that beating had been
done in Beverly. When he was ask
ed by the prosecution why he DELHI
erately hit the L w. w. when they
had done nothing, he replied reluct-
antly, well, that was the orders of
the Commercial club; the people
there did not want any arrests, they
gave US orders to deport the |. w. W.
and beat them up at the same time"
When further questioned he retort-
ed, Il heard that personally Govern
or Clough and Captain Ramwell were
among those who advocated itt."
The witness also testified that he
was on the dock on November ), he
was ordered to keep the crowd off.
Rifles were brought down from Os-
wald's Pacific Hardware Store. The
rifles were placed in Captain Ram
wells office. After the shooting
started the rifles were given to the
deputies.
Frank A. Brown, an insurance
agent, establishes an important fact
for the defense. Brown testified
that he saw the first shot fired from
about the same place where McRae
stood. He saw the smoke. pass by
the head Of McRae as he dropped his
hand. He stated that he had a good
view Of the boat as she came in and
OF the shooting afterwards. He saw
a man killed aboard the boat falling
over the railing backwards. He es-
timated that there were about from
1900 to 1900 shots fired from the
dock. Bullets were whizzing around
the heads of the struggling men in
the water.
Mike Luney testified that "at the
time Of the shooting l saw deputy
running half crazy out of the dock
by me. When | asked him what was
the matter he replied: The people
on the dock are shooting from all d.
rections. l got shot in the ear bv
Deputy"
Another important point was de-
Veloped in the testimony of Albert
Freeman, who was on the boat on
November 5. He stated that he was
on the lower deck where the piano
stood. As the boat came in he could
not hear any talking. He heard a
shot. When he swung his body out
to observe from where the shooting
came he saw no one in particular.
When he was asked if he had seen
a man with his arms up or falling
down, he said "No." The reason he
gave for not being able to observe
anyone from his line Of vision was
because the stern Of the boat was
swung out, and the bulge of the boat
obstructed his view. The significance
OF his testimony lies in the fact that
Tracy was identified by the sheriff
and one or two more from the SPOT
Just above where Freeman claimed
to be- If it is true that the witness
Freeman could not see anyone on
the dock from the boat at that angle
OF his vision the sheriff could not
have seen Tracy or anyone else at