The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-07-17
IS POOR JUDGE
OF COMPETENCY
Grand Jury Would Make CON-
missioner Murnian Goat Of
!: LynChing Party.
Continued From Page One
to the police headquarters" says the
grand jury.
Who Is the t'Party."


Neither Mr.. Murnian nor the police
have had an opportunity to meet this
mysterious party" whose name the
newspapers and the grand jury have
kept secret. He may or may not
have telephoned Who can prove
that he did or did not? Did he give
his name when he telephoned, and
if he did not, why? The county at
tor ney himself, would not pay any
attention to- such an anonym Gus re-
FORT. much less the police who get
fairy reports a hundred times a day
ever the telephone. And yet the
grand jury would use such informa-:
ton in part as a basis for charging
that Mr---Murnian is incompetent. He
probably never heard Of that tele-
phone report until after the lynch
ing, and it is barely possible that the
complainant himself did not think
ct II: y l22*a} that timex- 49,:
49, MlA1mizes Fire Fighters.
The report minimizes the heroic
attempt of the french to drive back
rbe mob. On that other occasion,
mentioned in the report, when the
police were given guns and told to
shoot, the guns did very little good,
Tut streams Of water poured into the
mob by the fire department scat
tered 1t to the four Winds The editor
OF this paper was on the spot and
saw the job done. Under ordinary
circumstances and with ordinary
MODS the fire department alone could
have driven back the mob on this
occasion, but this was not an ordinary
mob. 1t was we'll organized and
disciplined.
The chief indictment in the report
against Mr.. Murnian is that he
should have armed the police and
started the slaughter. If this were
Gone. the jury believes. the negroes
would not have been lynched. We
wonder just what public sentiment
would be now had Mr.. Murnian is
sued such an order? If we mistake
not, the censure OF the grand jury
would pale into nothingness com
Jared with the condemnation Of the
People had one drop Of blood been
shed On that unfortunate evening.
And the enemies of Mr.. Murnian. as
now, would have found a much
easier way to get him.
Conclusions Are Guesses.
The grand jury's conclusions are
based largely on guess. What might
nave happened" is given the most
prominence in its findings. If Muir
MAN had issued orders to shoot the
lynchlng would not have happened.
II he had "organ1zed the police"
tEey could have save. the negroes.
IT the chief and the captain had been
there it would have been different.
and a number of other guesses are
made in the report. bur they all fall
short Of the best guess and that in
VOWED the temperament of the mob.
one would have to be there to know
1t. "A company of soldiers could
not have stopped it when it got fully
started" said an old Duluth militia
officer who had seen service in two
wars, to The Labor World Such
judgment should count for more
than that of conjecturing jurymen.
Governor Will Not Act.
IT news reports are true Governor
6urnquist will take no action in the
case. He admits that he has no
power, but suggests that the attorney
general might have the right to
bring custer proceedings, referring to