The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-07-17

HlS buumDS TITO tlaL part Oh MS Delt
which rested over the forward center
of his stomach he snorted: "You won't
get much news In the Gazette" He
glanced knowingly at his teammate
and l moved on. Friend or foe.
Which," thought 1.
But to return to the Elephant. On
the eve of the day during which the
rioting occurred / walked across
Blackfriars Bridge, accompanied by a
friend who knew quite a number of
the active trade unionists in that sec
ton. Our hike was not in vain. The
streets were jammed with people.
Horsesswith mounted police pranced
back and forth between the sidewalks.
Motor lorries of constables rushed
hither and thither Special consta-
bles. uniformed scabs, were stationed
at the danger points. There did not
seem to be much love wasted on them
by the regular police. Surely the
crowds did not like them, as l learned
shortly.
A large truck covered with canvas
was seen speeding towards the city
1t travelled so fast that the pickets
were not able to stop it until it got
within one hundred yards of the
bridgehead. Then, as if by magic,
swarm of humanity surged, out of the
alleys and the truck stopped. 1t was
labelled "foodstuffs," but something
caused the canvas to separate suffi-
GENTLY to reveal the presence of
chairs and bedding on the inside, no
doubt for the strikebreakers or vol
unteers," as they were called. A roar
of anger went up from the crowd and
the automobile slowly turned over on
its side, a dying monster. A roar of
triumph went up from the crowd.
Then the police came from all direc-
tions. The crowd melted away into
the alleys from whence they came.
The police set the truck on its wheels
again and pushed it into a side street.
E1OUR specials" were standing on
l. the corner when this incident took
place and became quite oficious when
police reinforcements arrived. When
the police left they remained. What
looked a disturbance took place down
the side street at the head of which
they were standing. They rushed
bravely to the fray. But when they
got there the "disturbers" belabored
them soundly until the police arrived.
The four heroes were not seen in that
vicinity any more.
This was only one Of many similar
instances in that sections. An ambi-
tious fellow who saw a prospect of
making some money transporting ma
rooned city workers to their homes
was trotting along with about dozen
passengers in his wagon. They were
seated on empty boxes. The pickets
halted the conveyance, asked the
driver who gave him permission to go
into the transportation business, told
the passengers to get little exercise
by using "shank's mare" and turned
the boxes over to a committee on
illumination.
Several men with badges reading
Workers Defense Corps" were busy
recruiting. The right wing labor lead
ers were opposed to this action, but
many local labor bodies saw the ne
cessity for defense force, and the
movement was developing rapidly
when the general strike was called
off. And this was even more unex-
pected than the initiation of the strike,
which was considered inconceivable
with J. II. Thomas and others OF his
type playing the leading role in the
negotiations.
When the die was cast and the