The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-08-25
BRIDGMAN REDS
FACECOURTTODAY
THAT MICHIGAN STATUTE
WILL BE INVOKED
WOULD GUST FOSTER
Extradiction For Former Steel
Strike Leader Foster
Sought.
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.I


st Joseph, Mich, August 24-The
Michigan statute against criminal
syndicaiSm, passed Gy the legisla-
ture in 1919, was TO De invoked for
The first time today, with seventeen
alleged communists, arrested near
Bridgman, tuesday, dockeLeu 40.
Coincidelt with the court pro-
Ceedings, Charles W. Gr.e,
scouting attorney for BeT1ien coun
~, announced eXuaditIon
wight for William Z. Foster, for
mar steel strike leader. arrested in
Chicago late yesterday, and with
the other seventeen, charged with
criminal syndicalism in a warrant
lSsued by Justice Ray W. Davis.
Federal Investigators, whose op-
erations led to the raid, planned
also is was indicated, to file formal
charges against more than seventy
other persons, who, they say had
gathered at Bridgman for the
meeting, but either left, on receiv-
ing a tip that the raid was planned
or else were in the crowd that es-
capped yesterday when the raiders
swooped down on the group which
was IN session in the woods near
Bridgman.
The identity of the Bridgman
conferees, it was said, was di- Gloss
ed in papers uncovered after the
raid; A list of the radical leaders
in the United States, as we'll as
pamphlets advocating the over
throw of this government, and the
establishment of a soviet form was
uncovered in the litureatne the Of
ficers seized, much of which was
printed in both English and Rus
sian. 20
After a thirty six hour >examina-
ton of this documentary evidence,
federal authorities said they were
convinced that two noted women
radicals were in the party that
participated in the hasty exodus
from Bridgman Monday night,
when word of the forthcoming raid
was received two representatives
of the Russian soviet were also
said to have been included in the
patty.
How Meeting Planned
Chicago, August "a. - Michigan
states syndicalism law was the first
weapon state and federal authori-
up what they termed one of the
greatest radical and revolutionary
conspiracies of recent years.
AS seventeen men captured in
the woods of Berrien county, Mich
igan, faced syndicalist charges at
St. Joseph today, William q. Fos-
ter, head of the Trade Union Edu-
cational League, leader of the steel
strike in 1919, who was arrested
here, awaited .extradition to Michi-
gan.
Among those for whom the au-
thoritles were seeking was Rose
Pastor Stokes of New York, veal
thy communist leader Foster denied
he had been at the meeting in Ber-
rien county. He said he had not
been away from Chicago during the
last few days. He was arrested at
States Attorney Grove Sunday
night.
Burned Pine Knots
For several days before the gath.
ering in the woods strangers drop
ped off trains at St Joseph and
Benton Harbor singly and in twos
and threes. They turned up later,
according to federal agents. at
forest resort near the village OF
Bridgman.
Burning Pine knots furnished the
light for the assemblage. In the
meantime word that they were
watched apparently reached the
delegates to the radical conven
ton, for many of them disappeared.
When the word came to make ar
rests after communications between
federal and local authorities, Sher-
iff's deputies and government opera
tives drew in their dragnet.
Chief among those who were ar
rested was c.. E. Ruthenberg, once
candidate for mayor of Cleveland.