The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-14
'SEDITION' TRIAL
OF KOvACOvICH
is STEEL FARCE
Employers Out For Five
More Convictions
Especial to The Daily Workerl

Farrell DEFENDANTS, came 10 1LS close
today. After seven days of battling,
considered by many the greatest Ia
Dor trial in the history of Americas
Siberia, the state and defense rested
and made their final speeches to the
jury. Attorney l. z. Ferguson, for the
defense, made the opening speech
procIaiming the right of workers to
organize and their right to be mem
bers of the Workers Party of. America.
The history Of the human race and
the evolution of society was ex-
planned so clearly that few left the
court room without knowing that all
thru the ages men like Tony Kova-
vich have suffered for their ideals.
A rebel in Palestine who was charged
with sedition, and executed, for adj
vocating the Brotherhood of Man.
High school students with their in
structors, members of the legal pro-
fession and crowds of curiosity seek
ers were in the court room as for
three solid hours the case made by
the prosecution was riddled and torn
to pieces. The only argument left
for the prosecutor was to wave the
flag, which he did to the best of his
meager ability.
A 12-Hour Day Steel Slave.
Attorney Barker, for the defense,
told the jury about the life of the de-
PENDANT since coming to America; Of
his many long years in the steel mills
of the Sharon Steel Hoop Co. as a
12-hour wage slave; that no evidence
has been introduced by the prosecu-
ton showing that the defendant was
other than a Woodworking man of
noble character. Six days before his
arrest in February, Tony Kovacovich
married and his honeymoon has been
spent in his masters jails and courts
Attorney Barker charged that the
prosecution has used old world
grudges to stir up hatred amongst the
steel workers and used Serbian ma
tionalists, under the influence of
priests, as stoop-pigeons, against mem
bers Of the Workers Party.
Prosecutor Myers made the final
plea to the jury. Soviet Russia was
pictured as land of bloodshed and
riot. The sedition law of Pennsyl-
vania was defended as a fine law"
and one the Commonwealth was COM
PEELED to enact because L. A. K. Mar
tens was alleged to have spent mil
! lions" of dollars attempting to over
/ throw the U. S. government.
Wants Daily Worker outlawed.
The prosecutor let the cat out of
the bag when he, in a minute of pas
sion, told the jury that if a verdict
of guilty is returned that the DAILY
WORKER and the Workers Party
would be outlawed in the state of
Pennsylvania. Glasses are un-Ameri-
can and do not exist in America. The
Farmer-Labor Party idea is all wrong
shouted out the angered captain of
militia who resigned his commission
just BEFORE the World War broke
out. Men like Tony Kovacovich were
pictured as murderers and thieves,
out to turn loose fountains of blood
and overthrow the glorious state of
Pennsylvania-the most progressive
state in the Union, the backbone of
the nation, the keystone of the arch.
There are NO wage slaves in America
and Henry Ford is an example Of what
America does for its willing sons.
Ford is WORKER, yelled Myers, a
sample of what can be done in Amer
lea by those who are willing to live
within the law and apply themselves.
Wild Flag Waving.
The last shot at the jury by Prose
cutor Myers was the flag waving
stunt. With tears running down his
cheeks the ex-captain painted the boys
in Flanders field, sleeping their last
long sleep, all rising up to point the
finger of scorn at the jury if they did
not return verdict of guilty. Those
who died for alleged democracy were
used as a witness by the Common
wealth against this humble steel
worker. The jury was instructed by
Judge McLaughry and retired to their
jury room. The crowd filed out of
the court house and gathering in
groups discussed the outcome. All
thru the night the light in the jury
room shown thru the trees and light
ed up the X. X. X. sign painted in
large white letters on the pavement.
Guilty Of Rebellion.
Along towards daybreak the jury
reached its verdict. At nine o'clock
Saturday morning they filed into their
places and handed their sealed YER
dict over to Judge McLaughry. It
read GUILTY as charged in the indict-
ment, this jury Of alleged peers,
themselves slaves, found Steel Work
err Tony Kovacovich guilty Of being a
rebel. Bail at $4,000 was Immediately
arranged and the verdict will be ap-