The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-05-12
$50 LABOR LEADERS
ARRESTED IN RAIDS
Following Murder of Two Policemen
Chicago Chief Begins Real
Cleanup

Chicago, May l1-Fred ('Frenchy')
Nader, president Of the Chicago
Building Trades council, and more
than $50 other labor leaders, were
being held last night after having been
caught in dozen raids on various
union headquarters today
The roundup resulted from the
murder Of two patrolmen and the
wounding OF another in a running
pistol fight, in which the killers elud-
ed the police early yesterday. The
two Sayings followed the bombing OF
two buildings, the elimination Of a
series OF disorders, believed by the
police to have been due to labor war
fare in the building trades.
In ordering the raids, Charles c..
Fitzmorris, chief of police, declared
some labor leaders were Just as
guilty Of the murders of the two po-
licemen as were the anarchists of the
Haymarket riots" He characterized
the killings as slaughter and termed
the labor leaders "hoodlums and ex-
conyicts"
81 have the officers and representa-.
ives Of every union in the Building
Trades council, and some other unions
too. represented among those arrest.
ed" he said, after the raid. Those
arrested will be treated like ordinary
prisoners and held until they can be
questioned"
The lists of those taken into Gus
tody included the names OF some Of
the men who have been known for
years as leaders Of labor in Chicago.
Among them were big Tim" Muir
ply, president Of the Gas Workers
union, and Cornelius ("Con") Shea,
leader Of the teamsters strike in
1904 Murphy, known as Chicago's
| labor car" has been out on bail
after having been sentenced recently
to seven years in prison, in connec-
ton with the 100000 Union station
mail robbery.
The first raid was made on the
headquarters OF the Building Trades
council, where men from the detec.
tive bureau appeared suddenly at the
entrance. The raiders slammed the
doors and then kept them shut with
threats OF shooting. A score Of la.
Dor leaders were found in conference
They were taken into custody and
all books and documents seize1 A
safe was opened by drilling of the
combination, and three pistols and
about 100 rounds Of ammunition were
found.
Raids were made on other union
headquarters and saloons known TO
have been used as hangouts by no
torious sluggers and gunner who have
been connected by the police with
many recent bombings and shootings.
Scores Of men were arrested in these
minor raids and large supply Of PTS
tolls, sawedoff guns and ammunition
seized
I'm out to get all OF these hood
lums who pose around as labor lead
ers, said Chief Fitzmorris. They
no more represent honest labor than
the Haymarket anarchists did. Labor
does not need such men as these
They want war with the police de-
partment. Well, they are going to
get It. It's going TO be a war TO the
finish, too Wen meet their gunplay
with guns,
Il want to get to the bottom Of this
business. want to know by what
sort OF license organized killers go
about and shoot down policemen on
duty and destroy property. II we can
get the support Of the people of this
city. believe we can crush this men
ace. have therefore ordered the
detention of everyone who may have
any information OF the workings Of
labor attacks
Later in the day efforts were made
to obtain the freedom Of several of
those held on writs OF habeas corpus.
Among those whose release was
sought were Nader, Murphy. Shea,
Thomas Maloy, Al Johnson, Thomas
Reynolds and Frank Clifford. After
consulting with the police, Judge
Seaman denied the requests and made
| the wrlts returnable today, Among
those held were Is or 20 women
The nights reign of terror and
bloodshed which resulted in the raids
started soon after midnight when a
bomb was exploded in a garage, oaus.
ing damage estimated at $4,000. 1t
was said that the company has been
employing GLACIERS under the Lands
wage award. Soon afterward a po-
liceman guarding the plant of the
Sharp & Partridge company, where
there have been labor troubles, saw
an automobile stopped near the curb.
( Three or four men were in the car
and one OF them shot and killed the
patrolman rs he approached to in
spect the machine, which was then
driven rapidly away.
Flying squads from the detective
bureau Immediately began search
for the car. II was one of these auto
mobile squads which overlook the
fleeing car on the southern outskirts
of the city In the pistol battle that
followed another patrolman was shot