Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-09-12
UNIONISTS PROTEST
AGAINST CHARGES

A. freight train Wednesday night, at
which time Engineer J. T. Morris lost
his life, will be appointed by Governor
Hardwick and charged with the re-
sponsibility of fixing the bame for
the catastrophe as soon as application
is formally made to him to take such
action. This was the assurance that
the governor gave the committee from
the international Association of Ma
chinist yesterday.
The members of the committee told
the governor they would promptly put
their request in writing. The govern
or will then name his commission and
the investigation proceed.
The committee, waiting on the gov
ernor Friday was composed of R. L.
Galley of Chicago. International vice
president. and Glen Dewberry, and
Councilman Frank Galway and G..
c. Whipple, members of the Atlanta
local. Attorney Carl Hutchinson was
their spokesman.
Request Interrogation
Request for the investigation was
made on the ground that union labor
in general and the machinists in par
ticuar are suffering in popuar esteem
because of the general belief by the
pubic that the catastrophe was caused
by dynamic being paced under the
Cascade trestle by A. B. & A. strikers
or union symathizers, this belief hav-
ing been promulgated by officials of
the road.
They insisted that an investigation
will show that the wreck was caused
by faulty track and that there was
no dynamite used, but they did not
ask the governor to consider their TN
supported assurance. They then ask
ed for the investigating commission
Governor Harwick replied that he
believed that such an investigation was
desirable by al parties concerned and
assured the delegation that he would
act as soon as their petition was pre-
scented in writing.
Will Notify Receiver =
GAS soon as it ISL said the governor
"I will communicate with Col Bugg,
receiver of the road, acjuaint him with
the proposed work of the commission
and receive any suggestions that Col.
Bugg may have as the nature of
the investigation.
Letter To Governor
The letter to the governor was pre-
pared Friday night by the committee.
1t will be forwarded to the executive
offices Saturday. 1t reads:
Honorable Thomas w. Harwick, Gov
ernor of Georgia, Atlanta, Ga
Dear Strive the undersigned
committee of machinists, realizing the
seriousness of the charge against or
ganized labor in which it has been
alleged that the wreck occurring on the
night of September on the A. B. &
A. railroad, in which the death of an
engineer took place, was the work of
dynamiters and at the instance of Or
ganized labor, we take this occasion
to denounce the allegation as false,
and as an effort to compromise organ
lied abor in the eyes of the world, and
we commend your excellency for Of
fering reward for the apprehension
of the guilty party or parties, if there
be such, which we do not believe We
further assert In behalf of organized
labor, that if any union man was so
depraved as to commit murder in the
heinous manner as alleged. we pledge
you, sir, as the great governor of a
great state, and the good people of the
State, to use every effort to run down
1.-The criminal and to aid in whatever
manner possible to convict him in
whatever manner possible to convict
him.
Organized labor, as an organization
does not countenance crime of any
sort. The personnel of organized la
Dor is high, and we intend to continue
its exaltation upon the highest plane
bf citizenship and civilization
To begin with the physical facts in
the case of the wreck at Cascade
crossing, in this county furnishes no
evidence of the engine being dynamited
and any person or persons having any
knowledge Of dynamite and its effects
will vouchsafe the assertion made by
us. We charge that the wreck was
caused directly by defective machin-
cry of the engine, and defect easily
perceptible to the naked eye
1t has become customary with rail-
road officials to flagrantly charge the
wrecks to dynamiting, and we call
specia attention to the enmity of Col.
B. L. Bugg, receiver of the A. B. &
A., to organized labor. Col. Bugg's
pronunciamentoes to the public reia-
tive to this wreck are such that would
cause the general public to conclude
that the strikers of the A. B. & A.
and organized labor in general, COM
rise band of cutthroatS and murder
ers. We resent. this imputation in
view of the facts and set forth that