Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-11-12
LEADER lYNCHED AND OTHER
|, Y, v. JAILED after Firing.
|ON ARMISTICE DAY PARADE
Four Veterans of World
War Killed at Centra-
liza, Washington.

Centralia, Wash, Nov. 12.-Stato]
troops today patrolled this city.|
where during an Armistice dayI
celebration yesterday, four mem-I
bers of the American Legion weret
shot and killed, and five wounded
by men said to be members Of thei
Industrial Workers OF the WorlIs
and where Britt Smith, secretary Gf|
the local branch of the INDUSTRIAL
Workers was hanged by a mob.
The reason for the attack, whicA|
came as the head of the parad6|
swung past /. w. w. headquartef13l
had not been developed fully tsas|
day, but Herman Allen, an attorney|
and member of a COMMITTEES OG|
former service men and others co-|
operating with the authorities In an
investigation said evidence -haA|
been obtained that it was premedl-I
tated. E
Drive All Radicals Ont.
Citizens today planned to drivp|
all radicals from Centralia, wher1
they have been increasing for somS|
time. Centralia was headquarters
for Lewis county, Industrial Work
ers operating from here into TIM
logging camps and other industrtAl|
pursuits of this section.
| American Legion members exa
pressed determination that every
l. W. W. must leave the city.
All of the 20 men arrested yo1S
terday and last night in the sweo
Ing search for /. W., ". r f0llOp1nG
the attack, said to have. confesss
that plans were made niontha -
Ito f'get" Warren Grimm and sAz
tthuf McElfresh, two of those kill41l
and William Schales and Captatn
David Livingston. The four h1
been active in suppressing radical
activities in this community.
Fire Without Warning.
Without warning bursts Of rife
fire swept the ranks Of marching
overseas veterans as they parsded|
past I. W. W. headquarters.
Persons in the crowd that lined
the street to honor the returned
| heroes also pulled weapons and be-
gan firing.
Grimm, leading company "a
| men, dropped mortally wounds11
McElfresh, marching in the ranks
was killed instantly. Ben Casa
granda died later from his woundal
John Earl Watt, George Stevens
Jacob Philtzler, Christ Coleman
and E. Eubanks also fell woundeal
! the first named probably fatally
| Stevens was shot when he attempss
| ed to disarm an !. w. W. standinl
on the street.
In Hand to Hand Fight.
The fourth death of parade
was added when Dale Hubbard, ~
Gently returned overseas man.
gathered small band and started
after the l. W. w. secretary. Huh-
bard and the fugitive grappled ekfz
Z er a chase in which Smith fired rss
peatedly at his pursuers. AS they
clirched Hubbard received fost1
wounds in the body.
| Another pursuer overpowered
Smith and he was taken to 1atl
later to be removed and hanged
after citizens learned that four Of
the former soldiers bad died. An
attempt to lynch Smith was madc
before he was lodged in the Jail
You fellows capt hang me- ~
said Il was sent to do my duty and
l did it."
Hanged From Bridge.
Smith was tossed from brfdk6
over the Chehalis river after &
rope was tied about his neck and !
volley of bullets sent into biz
body. The lynching party worged
silently and in the dark while taxi
ing Smith sSom the JAIL At 1850
o'clock all the little city's elecr1t
lights were cut eff and eight men
easily overpowered the one guard
inside the Jail. Smith was placed
in one of about six darkened auto
mobiles which stood about the ta.l
and rushed to the. river.
Little was known of Smith. He
came here a short time ago.
Clashes between the l. w. W, an9
Centralia citizens have occurred q
intervals during the past two years
Governor Hart today was en-
n n