The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-01
C.Ockel Exposes
Bride Offer In
Frame-Up
Sigman's Men Tried To Hire
Him to Implicate Hyman


The despicable methods employed
by the agents of the International
Ladies' Garment Workers Union to
intimidate prisoners and cOerce them
into signing false affidavits, is re-
vealed by a statement made public
yesterday by William Clockel, a
member of Pressers' Local 35 of the
l. L. G. w. u, who was arrested
during last summers cloak strike
and is now on probation.
This statement explains the frame
up tactics being tried in the effort of
reactionary officials to put the lead
ers of the New York Joint Board of
cloak and dressmakers in Jail; and it
indicates how Morris Sigman, presi-
dent of the International obtains
from helpless prisoners such alleged
letters" as the one published early
this week which denounced the De-
tense Fund for imprisoned cloak
makers and furriers. This letter was
supposed to have been written by
four of the striking cloakmakers now
in Jail. The following account of
Clockels experience shows how the
signatures to such a letter were
probably obtained.
Halpern Director.
Clockel, whose home is in Passaic,
N. j., was a member of the out-of-
town picketing committee during the
cloakmakers' general strike, and took
part in the picketing of scab shop,
Sigman and Buchner in Gutenberg,
New Jersey. All out of town picket
ing was under the direction Of Jacob
Halpern, it's chairman, a vice presi-
dnet Of the International and sup
porter of Sigman. Clockel was ar
rested and charged with felonious as
sault on October 81, 1926, and held
in 1000 bail, which was furnished
by the International through the out
of-town committee.
Offered Bride.
Several days before the bail ex-
pired, Clockel was approached by an
agent of the international, who
promised him good job" if he
would make a statement duplicating
Hyman, Zimmerman and Boruchow-
itz in the alleged assault. you'll
have a good job and be no more a
presser" he told Clockel according to
Clockel's statement made today. He
was also told, he declared, that "you
will go free and they'll be in jail"
Clockel refused to make such state
ment telling the agent that sit was
not true so cannot say it."
Betrayed At Trial.
The day before he pied mot gull
ty" to the assault charges in the
Hudson County Court, Clockel was
again approached and told to go to
Jacob Halpern at the offices of the
International. There Mr.. Halpern
told him, "You know you have gotten
into trouble so you will have to go
to jail" Although this was after the
expulsion of the Joint Board and the
locals by the international, Clockel
did not realize that he would be de-
serted by the International, and that
Halperns statement was a threat to
that effect until he appeared in court
on January 20, and found that bail
was not renewed by the Information
al.
II understood that my bail was to
be continued as / heard the bonds
man say that he would be willing to
furnish it," Clockel said, "but after
court was over / was put back in
Jail, and informed by the keeper that
the bondsmen had gone away after
speaking to members of the out of
town committee who had previously
arranged my bail. Bail was finally
furnished for me by the Joint Board"
Clockel is one of the cloak strikers
now on probation.
BUY THE DAILY WORKER
AT THE NEW SSTANDS