Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-11-13
FORMER SOLDIERS
SHOT BY |. v. WIS
Three Ex-Service Men in Armis-
tice Parade at Centralia,
Wash. Slain BY Reds Firing
from Roofs
SEVERAL ARRESTS MADE
Mob Attacks I. W. w. Headquarters
and Destroys Everything In Sight
semitic Hears There Has Been One
LynchinE

| Centralia, Wash, Nov. 11.-Three for
mer soldiers were killed and u number
injured to-day by snipers, said to have
been Industrial Workers of the World.
who fired on an Armistce day parade
marching through the streets of the
city.
Shots poured from the roofs Of buildings
as the parade neared Tower avenue.
Centra.ia's main street. and Second
avenue. Arthur +. McI1lfresh fell dead
and Warren o. Grimm, attorney and for
mer University of Washington football
star, and Ben Cassagrana, real estate
man. suffered wounds from which they
later died. All three were residents Of
Centralia. -Four others, sustaining less
severe wounds, were: George Stevens and
Dale Hubbard of Centralia and two men
from Chehalis, Wash. whose last names
were given as Friscus and Watt.
The parade of veterans of the world
war broke up quickly while the uni
formed narchers made dash to raid
the |. w W. hall and round up all sus-
piclous characters.
The service men soon stripped the
hall of all furniture and documents
and arrested six men. These thrown
soldiers to prevent their escape and
protect them from lynching.
A mob seeking the prisoners was
fought back by the overseas men who
stood guard at the Jail to see that Of
ficials made no effort to take the
suspects away.
quantity of arms and ammunition
was seized when the mob ransacked
the |. w. w. headquarters, near which
the shooting occurred trampled down
the building front ana threw into the
street and burned all of the organiza-
tons literature and property which
could be found. Posses secured the
timber camps and searched feverish-
ly among the towns 5000 Inhabitants
for other radicals.
Threats of lynching were frequent.
One man was taken from the police
and preparations made to hang him
but he was rescued by officers.
The whole city had turned out to cee-
brate the anniversary of Armstice day
and large parade was formed, headed
by the city's boys who had Helped bring
about the glad day n year ago. Wearing
their uniforms the service men were the
cynosure of the hundred of women and
children who lined the streets.
! AS the column swung around the cor
ner of Tower avenue and Second avenue
the band struck up patriotic march.
Then bullets came from an unseen enemy.
Men fell to the pavement and rivulets of
blood showed the spectators what had
happened although the crack Of the rifles
had been drowned by the blare Of the
band.
| Puffs of smoke from the roof Of near
by building indica led whence the bu let's
had come and the nearness Of the !. w. w.
hall led to the quick decision that the
heroes who had weathered the battle
fields of Europe had been slain from
ambush by radicals.
The marching soldiers did not lin
ger to await the order to fall out but
with seeming intuition rushed into the
nearby structure and sought their way
to the roofs, The snpers had disap-
peared. but the service men sought
highways and byways for all suspi-
cous persons and then sent out pion-
GERS into the timbered country around
the city.
Wives, daughters and sweethearts
of the paraders after momentary
pause from the sudden terror Of the
situation rushed to the aid of the fall
| len.
That the firing was intended for sol.
diers was shown by the fact that all
the killed and injured were In the
military section Of the parade which
was made up partly of residents OF
Chehalis.
AS soon as the first excitement sub.
sided somewhat. word of the attack
was sent to Governor Hart at Olympia
He communicat ted with the department
+ justice officers at Seattle and then
dispatched % members OF the national
uard who are expected to arrive by
morning.
| Seattle, Nov. 11.-About eight o'clock the
mob surrounding the Centralia jail sue
ceeded in getting one OF the !. w. WIS
arrested out of Jail into an automobile
and rushed him away before guards could
prevent 1t, telephone reports here said.
| According to a report telephoned to the
Associated Press tonight from the Cen.
tralia Chronicle, the mob took the alleged
l. w. W. from jail escorted him to a
point Just outside the city limits and
hanged him on bridge on what Is known
as the old Chehalis military road.
THE mans body is now hanging on q
rope under the bridge about 10 feet from
the water" the telephone message said
The l. W. w. the mob lynched was the
one who shot Dale Hubbard during the
fight in the river bed"
At 1880 tonight the city's lights sudden.
ly were cut off and a volley of shots rain.
ed down Pearl street 1t was during