The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-08-22
KILLING OF PICKET
Big CLOTHING ISSUE
Manufacturers to Seek
Grand Jury Inquiry Into
Activities of Union.
SOVIET PLOT CHARGED
Workers Make Martyr OF
David SodOni, Who Was
Shot by Non-Union Man.
GRILL FOR SHIPLACOFF
Socialist Alderman to Be EX-
amined on Recent Utterances
About Government.
GRILL FOR SHIPLACOFF

The death of David Sodoni, a strike
picket belonging TO the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers of America. as the
result of being shot by Giro Vigliano.
a non-union worker who was as
saulted by Sodoni and other pickets on
the morning of August 8 as he was
proceeding to his work in the factory
OF Heidelberg, Wolff & CO.. ga Broad
way, has precipitated a situation
which may lead to a Grand Jury in
auiry into all the circumstances sur
rounding Amalgamated picketing.
Alexander l. Rorke. who as Assist
ant District Attorney under Swami
conducted successfully the trial of the
Communists and other seditious crtmi-
nails indicted by the Extraordinary
Grand Jury. including James Larkin,
has been asked by the clothing manu-
facturers TO undertake the defence OF
Nigliano. The latter has been held for
the Grand Jury on a charge Of homi-
eide, and it is expected that strong
efforts viii be made by lawyers repre-
senting the Amalgamated to bring
about an indictment for murder. Mr..
Rorke's entry into the case will sig
Mfg on the contrary the determination
of the clothing manufacturers to bring
before the attention of the Grand Jury
the alleged un-American and seditious
activities of the Amalgamated.
Sodoni Held UP ms Martyr.
Tie union officials are making a
martyr OF Sodoni. who, according to the
Information gathered by Converse d
Driscoll Of the Marbridge Building. in
vestigators retained by the clothing
manufacturers. was not really a clothing
worker, but a professional picket. The
union on the other hand insists that
vigliano. who shot Sodoni, was gun
man" Vigliano has been employed in
The same factory for eight years and
was chief pocket maker for the firm,
which employs several hundred hands.
lie had obtained permit to carry
pistol after repeated threats had been
made against him by pickets of the
Amalgamated who were constantly sta
toned around the factory. There have
been scores OF the employees OF Heidel-
berg, Wolff g. Co. injured, some OF them
very seriously. during the strike which
began last December.
Alderman A. l. Shiplacoff. who is also
general manager of the joint board Of
the Amalgamated in this city. speaking
of Sodonis death at the Amalgamated
meeting in Manhattan Lyceum. said:
There are people in the world who
are trying to delude the workers to-day
by declaring that there Is no such thing
as a class struggle. Yet the very TACT
that we to-day mourn the loss of our
fellow worker. who died In the cause or
labor is proof that 1t exists.
He died a soldier In the performance
OF his duty in the class struggle, no less
q soldier than the millions who died on
the battlefelds of France in the war
that was supposed to be fought for
democracy He at least died in a war
that was for the establishment of a real
democracy"
1t is planned, provided the proper pro-
ceedings can be brought about to ques-
ton Alderman Shiplacoff concerning the
significance of some OF these phrases.
Soviet Plans to BE Aired.
In the litigation that already sur
rounds the clothing strike situation an
order has been obtained setting down
president of the Amalgamated, now In
Europe, said to be on his way to Russia.
and he will be asked when the exam
nation takes place next October. what
he knows of the picketing situation. But
now II Is planned also to examine Alder
man Shiplacoff. not only at similar
civil examination before trial of the It'll
cation between the union and the cloth
ing manufacturers. but also in whatever
Grand Jury proceedings arise out Of the
death OF Sodoni.
In the meantime a marked repression
in the violent activities of the Amalga-
mated pickets has occurred and instances
Of assaults upon non-union workers have
been considerably fewer since August ?.
If the plans of the clothing manufac-
turers succeed there will be staged. as
the result of the Sodonl matter. a Grand
Jury inquiry which will take in the en-
tire scope of the clothing strike and the
activities of the Amalgamated in urg-
ing all It's members TO fight for the
avowed aim of the union which Is to ere
ate soviet in the clothing business and
other Industries under the name Of the
cooperative Commonwealth" which is
to supersede all existing government.