The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-05
PICKED Jury"
PROBES Street
CAR DISASTER
States Attorney Holds
Brahe IncOmmunicadO

was trying to make John Brahe,
the crippled towerman en-
pIoyed at the crossing of North
avenue and the Milwaukee & ST.
Paul railroad, where ten were
killed last Sunday morning, the
goat for responsibility rightfully
belonging to the railroad COM
pany, Brahe himself is being
held incommunicado by States
Attorney Grove.
DAILY WORKER Reporter Barred.
This was learned when reporter
from the DAILY WORKER tried to-
get an interview with Towerman
Brahe, upon whom the railroad and
street car corporations and the coro-
ner are trying to lay all the blame.
First the police department told the
reporter that Brahe was "at the in
quest" When the coroner's Office
was reached the reporter was told
that Brahe was being held by county
authorities. Finally, when Groves
ONCE was questioned, the reporter
was met with gruf refusal and the
statement that nobody chm see
Brahe"
Wolff's "Hlgh Glass Jury"
At the inquest, Coroner Wolff had
managed to put over his handpicked
Jury" of capitalist politicians and
big property owners to investigate"
the disaster. He wanted high class
jury" he said. He got one. On the
jury are County Clerk Sweitzer, Chief
Justice Harry Olson, former Governor
Edward F. Dunno, Henry Barrett
Chamberlain, superintendent of the
Chicago Crime Commission, John Ter
borgh, vice-president of the Foreman
National Bank and Robert Eitel, pro-
prietor of the Randolph Hotel
Bottle SmeIler For Morals Sake.
This jury is of a complexion openly
interested in the attempt, practically
announced before the inquest started,
by Wolff to absolve the Milwaukee
railroad from blame by laying it ak
upon the crippled towerman.
Chamberlain is chosen because he
is guaranteed to follow the smell of
moonshine to the exclusion of all other
scents, altho the evidence shows that
Brahe was not drunk, but had only
followed the age-old custom. which is
made a1ascsssity for those who are
90 poor to deal with banks, of cash.
ng his pay check by buying a drink
It some saloon several hours before.
"Fair and Impartial Jury.
Terborgh Of the Foreman National
Sank is financially interested in clear
ng both the Milwaukee railroad and
he street car company, as this bank
S connected by bond holdings and in
.erlocking directors to these trhnspor-
-ation corporations. Eitel's hotel bust
ness is also dependent upon the good
graces of railroad companies. The
three capitalist politicians are, as
usual, expected to protect property
interests without further orders.
However, the workers in the North
avenue district are putting some pres.
sure behind their alderman to find out
why their lives are played with by
Undertaking corporations which go
unrestrained by authority, while all
the whitewashers are busy smelling
bottles.
Alderman Arthur Albert, who has
brot out the fact that the Milwau-
kee railroad had ignored the law or
dering it to elevate its tracks, has re-
vealed a new angle of the affair.
Murdered Ten to Save $50.
Albert states that he possesses a
letter showing that five years ago, byl
agreement between the Milwaukee
railroad and the Chicago Surface
Lines, perfect de-railing safety de-
vice was discontinued at the fatal
crossing, because it cost 1924
month to operate, while at that time
towerman would cost only s65 a
month" Since then the towerman's
wage was cut to $50, which Brahe
was trying to live on at the time of
the disaster.