The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-19
UPHOLSTERERS'
TRIAL BEGINS IN
BOYCOTT CASE
Bosses Lawyer Handles
Case for State


Dudley Taylor, lawyer for the II
Illinois Employers Association, will be
the captain and chief mate in the
prosecution of five union workers be-
fore Judge Hosea Wells in county
court, it was revealed yesterday
when four members of the Uphols-
terers' union and one member of the
Painters union came up for trial for
activities In the upholsterers' strike.
The five union men are Thomas
O'Shes, business agent of local Ill
OF the Upholsterers' union; Michael ].
McKenna, business agent for local ITO
Of the Upholsterers' union and secre
tary Of Upholsterers' District Coun-
ell; William Riordon and Gus ]. Dahl,
members of UphoIsterers' union, and
Fred Jurish, member of local 637
OF the Painters union. They are all
charged with Conspiracy to boycott"
on an indictment of six counts. If
found guilty they can be sentenced
to from one to five years in prison
on each count.
Taylor Is Real Prosecutor.
The evidence on which the indict-
ments were based was gathered by
Dudley Taylor. States Attorney
Grove extended the courtesies Of
the Office" and the assistance of spe-
cial police to Taylor to enable him to
gather the evidence.
Michael Romano, assistant states
attorney, is nominally chief prosecu-
tor, assisted by Assistant States At
torney Cherviat, but it is well known
that Dudley Taylor prepared the case
for Romano and is instructing and as
sisting him in presenting it.
The defense attorneys are Oscar
Nelson, one of the vice presidents of
the Chicago Federation of Labor
Joseph Kicker and Robert Daniel.
TAYLOR Chief Witness Also.
Romano announced that Dudley
Taylor would be the chief witness for
the prosecution when the tentative
jury had been sworn. The jury panel
is composed largely of clerical work
ers and small business men who seem
to have an open shop psychology. It
looks as if it will take at least two
days to get jury that will satisfy
both the defense and the prosecution.
Court sessions yesterday were
taken up with the questioning of
jurors. The defense and the prose
cution both have ten peremptory chal-
lenges.
The questioning of the jurors re-
vealed that the prosecution is anxious
to get men who have never had any
connection with labor organizations.
The defense is anxious to get men
Of broad experience who are without
prejudice against organized labor.
The Indictment charges that the
unionists "did wrongfully and malici-
ously conspire TO injure, damage ana
destroy the business" of certain up
hoIstery concerns by hindering them
from execution of their contracts.
They are charged with having done
this by attempting to make the up
holstery bosses employ only members
of the union.
Trial IL StrikebreAking Plot.
Michael McKenna, one Of the de-
PENDANTS. told a reporter for the
DAILY WORKER that the prosecu-
ton of himself and the other defend
ants was the result of the failure of
the boss upholsterer to break the
strike of upholstery workers which
began last May.
"The bosses failed to get any men
who were mechanics to return to
work. The men who did scab were
ANYTHING but upholsterers they were
hod carriers when it came to laying
carpet. With the assistance Of Dud-
ley Taylor Of the Employers Associa-
ton they had us indicted. We are
charged with conspiring together. We
fellows who are upholsterers never
saw or heard Of Fred Jurish before
we were al indicted. Yet we are
charged with conspiring with a man
we didn't know existed" McKenna
Tysad.
Jurish refused to work on the - me
job with scab upholsterers and be-
cause of that he was indicted and is
being tried for attempting TO damage
and destroy the business Of the up
holstery bosses.
At the close of the court yesterday
four Jurors had been tentatively ac-
cepted by both sides. The prosecu-
ton had used II Of their so peremp-
tory challenges, challenging every
juror who is now or ever was mem
Der of labor union.
A contractor who was not doing
work under the Lands award was
challenged by the prosecution The
defense has USED only four Of their
challenges. Two otlcc urors were
passed to the defense as acceptable
to the prosecution when court ,losed.
Congress Killing