The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-19
ARRESTS ARE
MADE OF men
INDICTED IN
STRIKE RIOT
Police System Of City is Scored
in Grand Jury Report -
Sheriff and City Force Busy
Many Men Leave City.
efficient" -CORMAN

Lack or efficiency on the part OF
the Richmond police department heads
IN handling the riot at the plant of
the Richmond Malleable Castings
company on the night of August 2s, is
charged by the Wayne county grand
jury, in its report filed late Thursday
afternoon The jury returned twenty
1our indictments against persons con-
nected with the riots, and nine per
sons have already been arrested.
Those arrested on grand jury In
olctments charging rioting are: U. D.
lBoomer) Hartman, Andy Kovacs,
David Z. Morrison, Mervin Cassel,
Walter Godsey. Elmer Piehe. Thomas
BROOKS Carl Davis, Ed F. Weiss, Louis
GrlesWell, James Hoover.
With the exception of Kovacs, Nor
rison and Davis, all of the men arrest
ed were released on $500 bond, al
though the same bond was fixed by
the court on every charge. Sheriff
Carr and his deputies are making
every effort to complete the arrests,
although 1t is understood that several
| men are out Of the city.
Were Not Mourders
The list of indictments shows That
a large portion Of the men indicted
were not connected with either the
| moulders' union or the foundries
which were damaged by the rioting.
although several members of the
union are included in the list. The
grand jury was in session for ten
days. and examined 144 witnesses.
Recommends Changes
The grand jury recommended that
| Immediate steps be taken to provide
| the city with adequate police protec-
yCIo hi oh
could have prevented this disgrace
full occurrence" The report states
that with an efficient and fearless
head to the department. the force OF
policemen at the riot was sufficiently
| large to have coped with the situation
and dispersed the crowds.
Chief of Police German, when asked
his opinion concerning the statement
OF the grand jury, denied any ineffici-
ency IN the police department.
| Our records will show that IN
every other instance the department
has been very efficient" German said,
and it was absolutely impossible for
the men to check the rioting."
| The report credits Edwr d McNally.
assistant chief of police, Roy NJ. Wen
ger. night sergeant, and Harmon Wier-
hake and William Coleman with hav.
ing done as much as could be expect
ed of them. Practically the entire
night force Of the department was on
duty and testified before the jury.
Firemen's Action Reported.
A grand jury report also included
the action Of city fireman and patrol
men IN affiliating with labor organi-
cations, and denounced the efforts of
| labor unions to organize these two de-
partments of the city government.
prosecuting Attorney Freeman, in
speaking Of the grand jury action, de-
clared that any effort to orgapize
| these departments and make them
subservient to a labor organization.
was entirely against principles Of the
country. and that If such a thing were
done. the situation in this country
would be as bad as that in Russia.
"Firemen and policemen have abso-
lutely no right to affiliate with any
particular class" Freeman said.
They are services of the communits
and officers of the state, and any act
which tends to make them follow the
dictates Of one class is entirely wrong,
"One can easily see what would re-
suit If the firemen were organized and
affiliated with other labor organiza.
tions. If a strike was called in a To-
cal factory, and while the strike was
on, the factory caught fire, even
though they were not called on sym
pathetic strike. their efforts would
not be as conscientious as though
they were not affiliated with the strik.
ers in union organization"
While | have no objection TO or.
ganized labor, and think that for pri.
vate concerns and vocations, it is a
good thing, still l cannot see where
it should try to affiliate the iremen
and policemen of the city to further
their own ends, as was shown to be
case in at least one instance dur
ing the riot" Freeman continued.
Reference to the riot, Freeman ex
! planned, was that OF a member Of the
police department, who was also a
member Of labor union and who re-
. signed.