Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-13
THOUSANDS OF VIOLENCE ACTS CITED
BY GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS IN FIGHT
TO ENTOIN STRIKING RAIL SHOPlNEN
More Than 20, 900 Affidavits of Assaults Admit
ted to Court Over Objection of Lawyers for
Union Shop Organization; Defender of Men in
Walkout Challenges Reading of Bulletins.

tion for modification of the temporary
restraining order now in force He
ruled that the governments contention
that the dominant purpose of the al
legged conspiracy is the destruction of
interstate traffic would be vital factor
in determining whether the unions were
entitled to any modification, and direct
ed the government to proceed with the
evidence on which it expects to prove
that claim
Union Attorneys Object
The value as evidence of the affida-
Wits of persons assaulted by the strik-
ers and strike sympathizers. or affi-
davits of public or railroad officials
claiming knowledge of snch assaults,
was vigorously opposed by Donald r.
Richberg of Chicago and Frank Null
holland of Toledo, Ohio. attorneys for
Mr.. Jewell and Mr. Scott. They fought
their introduction and entered gen.
eral objection to all of them, that the
government. may produce.
Mr.. Richberg challenged the reading
of bulletins from various local strike
headquarters over the country. pre-
sented to the court by J. A. Fowler,
special assistant attorney general, and
pointed out that the bulletins them
selves in many cases showed the peace
full intent of the strikers and their
desire TO avoid violence and cooperate
with the peace officers.
Blackburn Esterline. assistant to ths
solicitor general, read nearly 200 of
the affidavits telling of assaults.
Cites Santa Fe Cases
Starting in with attacks on Santa Fe
workers in Chicago and Illinois points,
Mr.. Esterline worked west over that
line, state by state, showing its en-
ployes everywhere had been subjected
to violence. From the Santa Fe he
shifted to the Southern Pacific and
other roads operating in the southwest,
then worked north along the Pacific
slope. and Wednesday will take up cases
in the west northwest
Tuesdays exhibits ranged from the
tar and feathering of railroad EN-
ploye-with photographs attached
through bombing, shooting, attempts to
run down workers with automobiles,
beatings, threats, verbal abuse, rock
throwing and even intimidation of
wives and children.
Refined" Torture
The monotonous reading was enliv-
ened occasionally by the refinements
VI toItuIe ueNeiopeu aSdlHSL some or
the strike victims. One affidavit of
non union man captured by men said
TO be strikers, told how his csptors
discussed a half dozen various forms
of punishment, including placing pebbles
in his shoes and forcing him to walk
before their automobile, or tying a rope
around his neck and dragging him be-
hind the car, and how they finally COM
promised by beating him
The hearing was interrupted at the
morning session when Mr. Richberg
called the courts attention to an article
in the Chicago Tribune. purporting to
come from Attorney General Daugh-
erty's office and setting forth some
of the things which the government
charges against the strikers. Charac-
terizing the article as 'criminally libel
ous," Richberg demanded to know
whether it was authorized by the at
| torney general.
Mr.. Daugherty, who was not feeling
well Tuesday, was confined to his hotel.
| and in his absence his associates said
| they had not read the statement and
knew nothing about it.