Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-17
WOMAN s BODY IS
MUT|LATED AF TER
AUTOPSY IS HELD
Sheriff Of Allegheny County
Pennsylvania, Makes Seri-
GUS Charge in Connection
With Mrs, SeIIinS' Death,

Pittsburgh, Pa. oct. 16.-Sheriff
William S. Haddock of Allegheny
county today sent to Chairman Ken
yon of the senate committee investi-
eating the steel strike, a letter in
which he practically charges that the
body of Fannie Sellins, an organizer
for the United Mine Workers who was
shot and killed August 26 at West Ma
trona. where there was strike of
miners, had been deliberately mutt
lated after the official autopsy to
make it appear she was shot in the
back
The death of the woman has at
tracted much attention because of
charges made by labor union men
that she was murdered by deputy
sheriffs. The coroners verdict de-
clared she was killed during a riot.
The miners charge she was shot to
death while protecting children from
the sherih's deputies. The body was
exhumed last Monday at the instance
of a relative and yesterday labor men
sent to Chairman Kenyon an aftida-
Wit signed by two physicians averrins
that there was gunshot wound in
the back. The coroner's finding made
no mention of such a wound. Some
labor leaders have referred to the
Sellins case as an example of the al
legged methods used by certain cor
poratlous to defeat workers who strike
for higher wages and better working
conditions.
The sheriff's letter after briefly re-
citing the history of the case says:
The investigation conducted by the
sheriff and by the coroner also lead
to the decision that the wound found
in Fannie Selln's back when the
body was disinterred last Monday,
after being buried forty-three days,
may or may not be bullet wound,
and that whatever kind of an injury
it is, was deliberately inflicted after
the official autopsy in the presence of
reputable Witnesses to discredit those
in authority and for the further pur-
pee Of s4.glgas.At. ..ietfa. ti4gs-s
gerous and revolutionary agitators
and organizers propaganda to be used
in the steel strike against the state
and national governments, although
the incident is not remotely connected
with the strike.
your attention is also respectfully
called to the methods pursued by
agents Of the department of labor and
department of justice who have been
and are conducting Investigations into
this occurrence. These investigators
came here at the behest of these agi-
tators, openly charging regularly
elected and lawfully commissioned
peace officers with most outrageous
conduct for which there is not the
slightest foundation and pursue their
inquiries any way but impartially.
They usually, if not always, seek out
the persons making the charges and
leave here with little less than man
llfactured evidence and leave behind
them trail of anarchistic speeches
and newspaper publicity with which
to inflame the populace,
Allegheny county IS district
more affected and concerned by the
steel strike than any other commun-
ity in the United States and in main
tanning peace and order. the sheriff
rs the buffer here between the con-
testants in this important controversy
In this capacity we have observed
that whatever unrest and disorder
exists here is due entirely to the
presence III this community of dis
honest, revolutionary and Boshevik
agitators whose purpose is to prey on
the unintelligent foreigner an goad
him into deed which the American
worker will not tolerate"