The daily Nome industrial worker., 1918-04-03

mand of the men for more money might result in closing the railroads,
 and Riggs chances would be ruined
 thereby. As commissioner he receives $1O,OO0 a year, something worth being alarmed over
 When the Federal officials arrived
 in Nenana they interviewed Bob
 Smith, the temporary secretary of the
 union, and told him to quit, but he asked them whether or not he was
 doing anything unlawful, and being told that he was not, he could see no
 reason why he should quit the union
 The evening when Riggs was to ad-
 dress the meeting the representatives
 of justice got in some fancy work
 that will forever stand as a blot on the
 present Administration, unless it will
 appoint some one to investigate this
 affair, and punish the unscrupulous of
 lenders and make good the injuries
 and less perpetrated upon the peace
 able and freedom-loving victims
 About six o'clock they arrested the
 temporary chairman, Charles Lestor,
 on q trumpedup charge of having
 made seditious utterances and later convicted him thereof and sentenced him to one year. imprisonment anI
 .aO0 fine, which is equivalent to two
 years, four months and IS days
 Wishing to. have Lester present at the
 meeting, bonds were given, and I.estor
 should have been free at The time the
 meeting started, but the local marshal was in a hiding place. and could not befound. Smith, who was also active in securing bondsmen, was told that Lestor wished to speak to him in jail. | When he got there the doors were locked behind him. and he was told that he was under arrest, and was also prevented from being present at the meeting, Smith has only his first citizenship papers out, and they used that as pretense for accusing him of being an alien enemy.
 The unwarranted action of the guard l ians of law and order, of which Riggs is believed to be the instigator, an gered the men, and it was decided that | the invitation extended to Riggs to 1 address the meeting be withdrawn. !, Having been elected temporary chair man, l announced that fact, a motion was put and carried, and Riggs with. drew. At 9.30 ?. m. the marshal show cd up and released Lestor. After the the marshal arrested another man, Fred Barrinsohn, also on the charge of being an alien enemy; re also had his first papers out These men had done absolutely nothing that any fair-minded person could find feult with
 Next morning, seeing that the rep resentatives of justice. by their brutal md high-handed conduct had 4queer- ed" the whole situation (which was m a fair way to being amicably ad- usted) I started for my grading camp. While crossing the street 1 was hailed )y some one. and told that Roth the Y. $. Attorney, wished to speak to me.
 was asked whether I was United States citizen. I said that I had my irst papers Roth then said. that he relieved that l was an agitator, and tn alien enemy. I told him I was not for what he believed, he called the marshal and ut me in jail. told him that I was m my way to finish my contract with he Government and that he stopped ne forcibly from helping to build the Alaska Railroad. the very thing that le preteuded to stop other men from |. loing, .
 We were all transferred to the Fair . banks Jail, and have been held here ,ver since. now for about four months. The treatment that we are subjected . Q is such as murderer would not be . deserving of. We are held absolutely 'nconrmunicado; we are not permitted 1, Q breathe a breath of resh air, we are :. given no exercise, and even medical . treatment is denied me, I ;un almost soing blind in the dungeon that we . were brown into. The docter promised {. hat he would send me something to 'athe my eyes with, and that he would