Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-11-15
Testimony Of Physicians
That Service Men Rush
ed Hall First Offset by
Plot Confession.
Victims Given Military
Funeral; Patrol Shoots
Passing Autoist When
He Fails to Halt.

Centralia, Wash. Nov. 14.-Centralia
today paid final tribute to its soldier
dead In the presence of delegations of
American Legion men from all parts of
Washington and some from Oregon and
other states. memorial services were held
here over the bodies of the four former
service men who fell before Industrial
Workers of the World bullets while
marching in an Armistice day parade
here Tuesday
While the members of the American
Legion from many points in Oregon and
Washington and the citizens of Centrala
marched through the streets to the audi
torium. wherein the caskets were draped
with the flag, other ex-service men kept
watch on the streets and on the hills
which surround it lest lurking radicals
re-enact the attack of Armistice day
One formal complaint, charging 10 al
legged members of the Industrial Workers
Of the World with murder in the first
degree in connection with the Armistice
day parade shooting. was filed with Jus
tice of the Peace Charles III. Hoss here
today by Prosecuting Attorney Allen.
Seeking is Newcomers.
The 10 are r. G. Morgan. J. H. Nc
Inerney, Bert Bland, Commodore Bland,
j. II. Lamb. Eugene Barnett, Britt
Smith, Roy Becker, Loren Roberts and
a man named Faulkner. All are in Jail
except Bert Bland Bland. it has been
charged fired the shets that killed War
rem Grimm, commander of the local le-
gion post.
c. d. Cunningham, assistant county
attorney. declared the charges would be
pressed in spite of the testimony intro
duced at the coroner's inquest tending
to indicate an attack on the /. w. W.
hall before there was any shooting. This
testimony came principally from DR..
Frank c. Bickford, and is considered off
set by the confessions that plot existed
TO kill certain of the marchers who had
incurred the enmity of the i. w. w. By
their activities against the radicals.
The failure of the coroner's jury to
fix responsibility for the deaths of the
four former soldiers, G. ID. Cunningham.
assistant county attorney, declared,
would not affect the cases against the
/. w. VS. held in Jail. He said the
most reputable citizens of the town, who
were in the front ranks of the parade,
insist shots were fired from the /. w. w
hall before any of the marchers started
toward the hall.
Cunningham was of the opinion that
DR.. Frank j. Bickford, who testified at
marchers had put his foot against the
door Of the |. w. ". hall before a shot
had been fired, failed to hear the first
shots and saw only the crowd of march
ers moving toward the hall.
American legion men here today were
endeavoring to round up 16 alleged In
dustrial Workers of the World who |
came here from the north last night on
a freight train. According to q brake |
man on the train, they were all armed
Sworn Confession Held.
Captain Lloyd Dysart, a prominent
member Of the American Legion here |
said today the former service men in his |
organization had obtained sworn con- |
fession from one of the arrested men. |
proving plot existed to attack the !
armistice day parade. The name of the |
man who made the alleged confession |
was not given. Captain Dysart said that |
within "a or AS hours several Of the
men named in the prisoners statement |
would be in Jail.
G. A. Godfrey, who described him
self as mill worker was shot in the
shoulder. early this morning, as he was
driving through Chehalis in an automo
bile. A former service man, acting as q
guard, fired the shot after Godfrey had /
the command to halt, repeat |
ed several times.
The coroners jury verdict last night Il
was that Lieutenant Warren Grimm II
A. ). McElfresh, Dale Hubbard and Ben
Casagrand. came to their deaths as a re-
suit of gun shot wounds fired with per-
sons unknown.
Physician Casts Doubt.
County Attorney Allen said he had
evidence which would result in the filing
Of information charging murder in the
first degree against nine men held here
and at Chehalis. although much Of the
testimony at the coroner's inquest was
to him. especially that Of
Pr. Bickford. that the door of the I. w.
L 4. 4
ng began. DR.. Bickford testified that,
Turing the halt Of the parade. someone
that the hall be rushed. He
said he offered to lead the attack if
others would follow, but before he could
,ct the marchers broke ranks and fore
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