The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-12-03

ehsAssns 49, Wv w
fetal statement Of the city Of
Centralia with regard 10 the
murder al four members Of the
American Legion. was made pub
Ne today. Tho statement. which
|. Ia In the form Of IN Affidavh
signed BY Mayer r. G. Rogers
and City Commissioners. }. \.
Saunders aud W. W. Dicherson.
throws the entire responsibility
for the murders on members II
the !. w. W.
Tho statement follows:
~Armlrtioe dsy. Tuesday. Sovem'
Der n. 1919. III. people Of Lewis
county, Washington. assembled a,
CcnsruiIa 20 p~ncefuiiy celebrate the
fret Anniversary of the ending OF
tho world war and 10 honor all ser
vice and ex-servio~ men. all members
OF N. American Legion. and espe'
cialiy members OF the centralla and
chehaiis posts Of the American IL
gion.
Tho sr-aervice men were In uni.
form and marching In military form
alton. They were unarfned.
The line Of march lad past tho
I. W. w. headquarters. located on
the principal business street Of Con.
,ralla. Here the work Of thu I. W.
W. was being. and had been actively
carried on In defiance OF general. but
unorsanixed. public protest
As the ex--cryice men In the pa
rade arrived opposite the I. ". W
headquarters. they were fired upon,
and three men then and there we're
fatally shot. others wounded. The
attack was unprovokcd and without,
Justification or excuse.
Tho unarmcd cx-service men i'm.
mcdlately overpowercd those anaas.
sins within reach. jailed and safely
guarded them
Ono murderer. armed with an
au,omic pistol. was pursued and
ovcrtaken by a recently returned
overseas veteran. The assassin
turned on him. shot and mortally
wounded him. then fired three shots
into his body as Il lay prostrat. on
the ground. Other exsarvice men
overpowcrcd the murderer Of their
comrmde and delivered him to taii.
Tint evening he was taken from
Sail snd hanged by persons unknown.
From evidence gathered. tn. fol.
lowing facts have been established:
Il. Tho plot 10 KIN was laid two
or three weeks before the tragedy.
-. High powered arms and am.
muni,ion. including split soft.nosed
bullets. were collected TO an exten;
which made an arsenal OF the /. W
W. headquarters.
-. Conferences were held 10 lay
plans. In the I. w. w. hail. for the
murder.
-. From the nature OF the firing
II is evident there was precon.
celvcd plan to kill ex.servicc men of
u. s. army.
IS. Volleys OF shots were fired by
tho !. w. w. into the parading
columns and into the American Red
Cross In the parade. bringing i'm.
minent danger 90 women and chill.
dren and all the assembled people.
More than 100 shots were fired into
the crowd In reckless disregard of
human life
IS. Previous 10 the parade the
revoiutionists had been deliberately
tcrs. NJ the upper story windows
across the street therefrom, IN hiding
along the street. and three on sem.
mary hill near by. All OF said places
commanded a sweep of the line of
march. The assassins were armed
and under agreement to fire on
signal.
Thus is laid bare a reasonable
plot. conceived in hatred and venEe.
fulncss. which for diaboiIcal plan
and execution IL without parallel I'm
the history OF the United States.
when the cnormlty Of this
atrocious. dastardiy and traitorous
deed became known. all patriotic
people IN the twin cities OF Cen.
tralia and Chehalis and vicinity
arose as one man ana joined In a
determination 20 bring the guilty
parties TO prompt trial at the bar of
justice and TO cleanse tho community
down 10 the last element of dis.
loyalty and sedition.
Comrades OF tho American Legion
Joined with the officers OF the law In
hot pursuit. Tho county sheriff mul.
tiplied his deputies. So thoroiy
and systematic was the work OF
rounding up the criminals that all
but two OF the principals are now