The Washington herald., 1922-08-29
Strikers Held i'm Chicago
Tell How They Pried
Spikes From Rails.
FORMER NEW YORK
CENTRAL SHOPMEN
Wanted to Kill Fireman
And Engineer, Says
Disciple of Lenin.

CHICAGO. Aug. 2s.-"what did we
care how many we killed? What's
the difference? Passenger or freight
IL was all the same to as. We
wanted TO kill the fireman and en-
gineer. The others wouldn't run
trains IL we killed a few engineers
and a few hremen."
Charles Husolis. a disciple Of
Lenin and Trotzky. now a striking
shopmsn, is said 10 have made a
complete and defiant confession Of
his part in the wreck of a Michigan
Central express train near Gary.
Ind. a week ago. Three other mem
bers OF the striking shopmen. now
under arrest. also confessed to-
night, telling practically the same
story given by Husolis.
Made Derailment sure.
They told how early Sunday
morning they pried the spikes from
the rails. The plates connecting the
rails had already been loosened by
other conspirators. Then the four
men twisted the rails TO the out,
side and spiked them down making
a derailment certain.
we loosened the plates and
pulled the rails out, so everybody
would think il was rotten equip
ment that caused the wreck" said
Husolis.
Just before We got startnd some
wanted to quit. They had done a
lot of slugging around Burnside and
South Chicago. But they did not
like the wreck idea. so I brought
them around with a talk. telling
them we had to fight these capital
lists by every means at hand"
Former shop Employees.
All four who have confessed were
formerly employed in the New York
Central shops. Husolls said an
agreement was made with striking
shopmen from the Michigan CeD-ral
10 trade wrecks" The Mich gan
Central strikers. in return for the
wreck of the special. or any train
that came along, were TO wreck
New York Central train. or destroy
the great shops at Elkhart. but the
place was too closely guarded. ann
after the Michigan Central wreck
such a hue-and-cry was raised that
the other conspirators feared 70
wreck a New York Central train.
The confessions were Nerlhea
when officers took the four men 70
the scene Of the wreck and they
Immediately pointed out just where
and how they had removed the
mates and twisted the rails. They
said that in conferences in the union
meetings IL had been agreed that
a series of such wrecks or 'acri-
dents" would promote public SYM
pathy for the hig four brotherhood
men who wanted to join the strike.
hut lacked a valid excuse to violate
their contracts
Told TO Wreck Train.
Husolis. celebrating on his con-
fession tonight. said:
Il attended a meeting OF the union
on Saturday morning (August lsl at
10 O'Clock. The head man (whose
name is withheld, until he can be
arrested) named several pickets and
he told us there was some other
work to be done. He picked out
four of us and we were instructed
to wreck the train. We went on a
street car to Gary and that night
walked out 10 the point where the
wreck was to be made.
Some other men already had
loosened the plates. One Of our
men was drunk and man named
Alesso grabbed the crowbar away
from him as he was afraid he would
disconnect the wires on the rats
and give an alarm. Alesso pulled
most of the spikes and we eased the
rails over and respiked. them. Then
we took a street car back TO Chi
cago.
Held on Murder Charge.
All the men are being held under
a murder charge and active search
is being made for the union Official
who ordered the work done. il is
expected many more arrests VIII he
made in a few hours. aS the con-
fessions tell OF several strikers who
anew ine plaa TO wreck the train.