The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-12
Acquit Striker
Who Claimed
Innocence
The Third Degree On Regan
Failed; So Did the Trial
BY ESTHER LOWELL,
Federated Press).

HACKENSACK, New jersey -
Tom Regan, young picket marshal Of
the long Passaic textile strike, is free.
After five months in Jail, Regain won
acquittal on police charges that he
was involved in ''bOmbings."
Policeman after policeman testified
before Judge Seufert that Regain was
leader Of Forstmann- HUFFMAN mill
strikers. He was a delegate to the
union. But not policeman nor de-
tective could prove that Regain had
ever had explosives with intent to
injure persons" or "with intent to
damage property"
Five men and seven women consti-
tuting the jury refused to believe that
the young strike leader had had any
thing more dangerous than "giant
salutes." The jurors seemed to know
that these big noisy fire-crackers
couldn't do anything more than scare
a scab, as Regan's third degree state
ment told.
Harmless Bombs"
That statement, beaten out Of the
24-year old striker, was the only d.
rect evidence against him. Assistant
Prosecutor John Breslin didn't pro-
duce any Of the "bombs" for the
jury's view. The police didn't say
that they had found any "bombs" on
Regan.
Burly Garfield and Clifton town
ship police solemnly disclaimed on
oath, but with crooked faces, that they
had beaten and tortured Regain into
signing a statement. They admitted
that they had trotted him from sta
ton to station, trying to pin some
sort Of indictment on him. Detective
William Hindenburg got all bawled
up under cross-examination by defense
attorney Arthur Garfield Hays.
Regain Maltreated.
Attorney John A. McKenna of New
ark and other defense witnesses tes-
titled how badly beaten Regain looked
day or two after his arrest, and
even week later Regain said he had
not been able to eat on one side Of
his mouth for months. But the pale
parchment-skinned prison doctor
couldn't recognize Regain as one of
the prisoners he had treated. Nor
would he admit that the union doc
tor had been barred from the jail.
"Riot law" Nimmo-sheriff of Ber-
gen courtyard devoted defender of
Observation-Disclosures, poked his GIN
let jaw into the court proceedings re-
peatedly. He tried to bar Hollace
Ransdell, secretary, Passaic Joint De-
Tense Committee, from the courtroom,
and eyed her like a hawk when de-
Tense witnesses were on the stand.
Fellow Workers Testify.
Fat under-sheriff Donaldson, spec
tacles perched above bullying cheeks
and pursed mouth, presided when
Nimmo sat back on the benches. And
the courtroom was filled with former
strikers and other friends Of Regain,
many of whom testified to the young
strike leaders excellent character and
reputation, as they knew him during
his seven years mill work, mostly at
Huffman.
Regain is the first of the strike
victims held in the so-called ''bomb"
cases to be acquitted. One other young
striker, Joseph 10th, remains to be
tried. Of the others, the four tried
in Paterson are now in states prison,
(the fifth received suspended sem
tence); and the four others tried at
Hackensack are awaiting sentence.
Regan's acquittal should help shorten
their possible terms, since they had
the same sort of fire-crackers and not
"bombs" as police declared.
The union intends to appeal the
cases of those who have been con-
(Continned ON Pnne Threel