The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-03-01
SAVE THE union
COMMITTEE URGES
DECISIVE ACTION
Must Defend Framed
Up Coal Diggers
Especial to The DaiIy Wo1ker.)

Especial to The Daily WoTker.)
WILKES-BARRE, Pa, Feb. 29. -
The Tri-District Save-the- Union Com
mittee of the United Mine Workers,
over the signatures of Stanley Dzien-
gelewsky, chairman and George Pap
Gun, secretary, in a statement issued
to the press, characterized the MUIR
der of Alex Campbell and Peter
Riley as the brutal act of the agents
of the operators and contractors in
the union supported by the Lewis
Cappelini machine.
Prepare for Struggle.
The statement calls for the organi-
zation of rank and file committees
throughout the anthracite field to
"smash the murder machine" and to
build powerful defense organization
to free Sam Bonita, Steve MENDOZA
and Adam Moleski, who, the Save-the-
Union Committee charges, are being
framed up and railroaded to the cleo
trio chair because Bonita shot Frank
Agati, known as one Of the chief gun
men in the Cappelini machine, in self
defense.
Accuse Authorities.
The Save-the- Union Committee
charges that the murder of Camp
bell and Riley in broad daylight on
one of the principal streets of Pitts
ton by machine gun and shotgun fire.
leads to the conclusion that the au-
thorities must have had knowledge
Of the murder conspiracy, which .hass
taken the lis1s azsa three rfisieiI
leaders of the opposition to coal COM
pany and contractor control of the
union, put another in the hospital at
the point of death and is trying to
send three more rank and file miners
to their deaths.
Organize Mass Meetings.
The purpose of what the Save-the-
Union Committees statement charac-
terizes as fascist terror is to exter-
inmate all union men who fight the
open corruption of union officialdom.
The statement calls upon all min
ers to come to the series of mass
meetings arranged by the committee
and to organize to rescue the union
from the agents Of the coal operators
and contractors.
The statement in full is as follows:
Honest Leaders Killed.
"The murder of Alex Campbell and
Peter Riley, honest and militant lead
ers of the rank and file opposition to
the Pennsylvania Coal Co., contrac-
tors, Cappelini machine, shows the
utter ruthlessness of the reactionary
forces whose grip on the Pennsyl-
vania colliery local unions of the
United Mine Workers was broken by
rank and file miners led by Camp
bell, Riley, Lillis, Greco, Bonita and
other courageous union men, "the state
ment of the Save-the- Union Commit
tee of the tri-district, SO West Union
St., Wilkes-Barre, said.
Courage Respected.
"The brutal murder of Campbell
and Riley in broad daylight by ma
chine guns posted to cover populous
Pittston street is great shock to
the hundreds of miners who knew
and respected their courage and abil-
ity.
Conspiracy Charged.
mo one now viii deny that there
exists a conspiracy to murder all
leaders of the opposition to the con-
tractor Cappelini machine, to exter-
inmate all miners who dare to chal-
lenge the bloody rule of the operators
and contractors, supported by the
Cappelini machine.
"The murder of Brothers Campbell
and Riley is challenge to every
miner who is opposed to company and
contractor control of the United Mine
Workers.
"The murder of. Campbell and Riley,
following the murder of Thomas
Lillis, the shooting of Samuel Greco
and the attempt to frame-up Sam
Bonita for defending himself from the
attack of Cappelini's chief gunman,
are all part of the conspiracy to
break down working conditions, cut
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