New-York tribune., 1919-11-16
Plans for the Murders. on
Armistice Day Made 3
Weeks Before, Says One
of Members Under Arrest
Boy Saw Firing From Hill
Several of Those Held
in Centralia Named as
Being Involved i'm Crime

CENTRAL1A, Wash. Nov. Is (By The
Associated Press).-I. W. VS. planned
the Centralia shooting three weeks be-
fore Armistice Day. according to an al
legged confession made by L. Roberts.
confessed I. W. W.. who surrndered to
the officers following Tuesdays shoot
ing, in which bullets from the guns of
the radicals killed four former Ameri-
can soldiers marching in the holiday
parade.
The confession said the /. ". W.
expected their hall would be attacked
on Armistice Day, and that all the radi-
Gals who took part in the shooting eX-
pected to be killed According to the
statement of Roberts, Wesley Everetts
the lynched |. W. W., apparently di-
rected the movements OF the radicals
as he sent Roberts and two others to
Seminary Hill, near the scene of the
shooting, with orders to "shoot when
they heard shooting"
Roberts implicated several I. w. WIS
IN jail here and in nearby cities. After
making the confession Roberts is said
to have said he feared vengeance at the
hands of his fellow radicals.
The confession, bearing Roberts's
signature and witnessed by Robert
Jackson, local police officer, and G. H.
LEWIS, " OIl4uuU ore, Il McmDeC OF
the American Legion, follows:
Il was on top of hill with a %
high power shooting into the street.
| shot five shots. We started planning
this three weeks ago, as we figured
the |. w. W. were going to be attacked
Wesley Everetts sent me to the hin
with two other men. | don't know
both Of their names. Hansen was
the name of one. His right name is
7 \, of /, "
l. w. w. furnished the guns
Il used % high power calibre and
Hansen used $50 Savage l don't
know the name of the other man, but
ne wore logger's shirt and blue over
ais. We were sent up on the hill
about l o'clock. Just before we went
one man was put in the Avlon Hotel.
don't know his name, but he wore a
brown suit. light macknaw, and he had
q small. light mustacho. Everetts told
is to shoot when they shot at Us or
when we heard shots. Smith was to
use a $3.50 revolver.
I'VE expected all 10 be killed, and we
done this with the intention of protect
ing our hall. l do not think that we
got orders to do this from the outside,
but planned it among ourselves. |
don't know anything about any other
plan or where men were to be put,
5ut Smith was to stay in the hail |
<now c. C. Bland. Britt Smith, Roy
Becker, Hansen, alias Ioughtenotf, the
pther fellow that was with us, and my
elf took part in The shooting.
after the shoe ting went home and
hid across the feld from the house
IN the brush. The other two men went
to a shack of Hansens up at the head
of the Handford River. Hansen and
the other man went together. We
Suitcase and
Hansen carried the suitcase. That
was the suitcase that was fund up
Il. ROBERTS.
witnesses:
"ROBERT JACKSON.
Sc II. LEWIS"
Roberts. who, it is said, is known
among the radical element as "Grand
Mount made the confession, according
to officials, while in jail here Friday.
Roberts was one of the ten prisoners
charged here yesterday with murder
IN the first degree. 1t was said to-
night that County Attorney Herman
Allen and C. d. Cunningham, his spe-
cal assistant, have obtained a mere
letailed confes ssion from Roberts since
friday
Seminary Hil, mentioned in the CON
ession, lies not far from Tower and
second avenues, the street corner
near which Tuesdays shooting oc-
cured. After the attack a small boy
reported he saw three men on the hill
during the parade. They were shoot
ing toward town, he told the police
Later the boy found the suitcase men
toned in the statement
The Hanford River mentioned ap-
parently is not known here. There is
a Hanford Valley near here, and it is
thought possibly some small stream
N the valley is called the Hanford
River.
G. S. Ross, said to be head and or
ganizer of the I. W. W. on the Olympic
peninsula is under arrest at Port An
gees officers searched his office and
aid they found five suitcases of |. W
W stickers and pamphlets and many
alleged radical periodicals.
In Ross nail, the police asserted
hey found letter from an organiza-
tion known as Der Kiassenkampf, OF
Chicago, purported to be signed by d
man who styled himself as secretary
If the German propaganda branch OF
he |. w. w.