The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-17
EX-SOLDIER DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR
SACCO AND vANzETTI IN BOSTON

of running away. They only replied,
"What business you got coming to
Boston all the way from Schenectady
Wen take care of our own laws, and
ven take care Of you, too"
= The patrol wagon was called and
brought achievements. The combined
police seized Gurhin, jerking him off
his feet and dumping him into the
wagon, using in the meanwhile all the
profane language their united brain
could coniure up. They took him to
the Grande Street Station where he
was asked, Did YOU ever have your
! finger prints taken?"
"No," replied Gurkin.
"You sure as hell will have them
ttaken here" he was told.
/ "Then they declared I was an an
archist," said Gurkin. "They charged
that had stolen the uniform. In
spite of the fact that | showed them
my army Identification tag, No. l.
041,622, with my name on it, they be-
gan tearing off my medals, altho I
told them l would take them off,
urging them not to tear my clothes"
/ Promises Him Poison.
Throw him down in the cellar"
said one of the policemen finally. in
dicating that Gurkin was to be put
in an underground cell.
But Gurkin was not to be subdued
He suggested to the police that thew
get him few aspirin tablets to re-
lieve a headache.
Wen give you poison" replied one
Of the police officers, the others join
ing in with, Give him something that
will finish him up.
"The cell was a suffocating hole"
said Gurkin, 81 felt like soldier
who had been captured before go
ing into battle. l regretted that
couldn't be at the front"
Hear News of Respite.
The next morning at four o'clock
about 40 prisoners, according to
Gurkin's count, were crowded into
huge autobus police patrol and taken
to the municipal court building where
they were offered cup of coffee
apiece. Gurkin said he had declared
hunger strike against his arrest
and refused to take anything that
was offered him.
1t was here that the prisoners
heard of the respite to August %,
granted to Sacco and Vanzetti.
81 started singing The Interna-
tional,'" said Gurkin, "and several
of the prisoners tried to follow, and
succeeded to some extent. 1 told the
prisoners that the International Lab
or Defense was taking care of my
case. They were very anxious to
learn what the l. L. D. was"
! Seized By the Government.
Gurkin was taken into court The
charge Of carrying a sign without a
permit was dropped and deputy
United States marshals seized him on
behalf Of the federal government on
the charge of illegally wearing the
uniform.
Gurkin was thoroly lectured on
patriotism. He was told by govern
ment officials that Sacco and Van
zetti should burn. The deputy mar
shals told him that they had spoken
to the judge and to the United States
commissioner and fixed it up" If
he would only tell the judge he was
sorry, that he doesn't believe Sacco
and Vanzetti are innocent, and that
he was misinformed as to the nature
of the Sacco-Vanzetti protest, then
they would be glad to let him go.
But Gurkin refused to say any
thing of the kind to the judge and
he was sent back to Jail in the after
noon, Gurkin and other prisoners
spent most of that night singing "The
International" and "The Red Flag"
The next morning, Friday, Gurkin
was told to quit his foolishness," to
"eat something" and to "say you're
sorry"
Gurkin continued obdurate, how
ever.
81 guess they were afraid that I
was SOlllS W SJdENG 70 uedLI Oh LnelT
hands," said Gurkin later, as we dis
cussed his case in a restaurant, where
he was getting square meal once
more. "They are really afraid of the
hunger strike and they finally let me
out on bail, furnished by the Inter-
national Labor Defense"
This is just one view of Boston dur
ing the days when the ruling class
murderers were halted in their efforts
to murder Sacco and Vanzetti. Last
week this attempted assassination
was stopped by the world protest of
labor. International labor must score
the same victory again before Mon
day midnight, the new date Of the ex-
ecution in the electric chair.
According to the words carried on
Gurkin's banner, "they must not die!"
SaccO-VanZetti Protests