The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-06-08
MAYOR ASHLEY is
PAID BY TEXTILE
FACTORY OWNERS
Voice Raised Against
Scabs Means Jail

NEW BEDFORD, Mass, June 7
(FP)-Strikers must not sing on
New Bedford's picket lines. Bluecoats
have been given orders to run in"
singing and shouting pickets. From
Police Chief Sam Mcleod, newly APP
pointed, also came orders to arrest
the milkman who was serving the re-
lief stations of the Textile Mills Com
mittee. Patrolmen carry out orders
from higher-ups to Jail cousins,
friends and former schoolmates. Who
inspires these orders?
A. M. Donahue, former labor spy,
throws light on the ruling forces in
New Bedford in a recorded interview
in 1924 with Fred Moore, then chief
counsel for Sacco and Vanzetti
Donahue from 1919 to 1922 was in
charge Of a Sherman Service crew of
rs with orders to break the unions,
deport radicals, corrupt union leaders
and demoralize resistance of $4,000
workers to wage cuts in the textile
mills.
Butler Controlled Fund.
William B. Butler, chairman of the
republican national committee, was
Donahue's boss. Butler supervised
expenditure of $250,Q0O year, detail
ing each move. Butler even wanted
Donahue, expert strikebreaker, to be
chief of police in New Bedford.
Il believe you mention that you
we're offered the position of chief of
police by Butler, Kerwin and Exter
(otber mill owners)," asked Moore
Was there any conversation with
atler about it,"
1T was stated by Kerwin," Spy
lonahue answered, "that any OBJ
sracies to. my taking the position
could be overcome because Butler
would lave a special law passed in
the Massachusetts legislature author
izing the city to have safety com
missioner"
Ashley Still MayY.
@. You had con-el it WI Ill
Dexter and Kerwin about a-llle this
job?
A. Yes. They said Mayor
Ashley (still New Bedford's mayor)
would give me the position if he were
told so. That they wanted man hold
ing that position that they could de-
pend on. What they meant by ode
pend on" was that he would do what
he was told to do. During the several
strikes-three in all-there was pick
citing, and the police were very active
in suppressing picketing. They
wouldn't allow any picketing at all
and in several instances they beat up
strikers.
Had So Many Men.
Q. Did you at any time come in
contact with police officials?
A. I was Investigated when | came
there because l had SO many men
scattered around town and they all
said they We're employed by me. Two
inspectors came to my office and ask
ed me what my game was, and what
the men were supposed to be doing,
and as soon as they went away l got
in touch with Dexter and I was never
bothered any more.
Q. How much salary did Dexter Of
fer you as chief of police?
A. $500 a year, and l refused to
accept it at that figure because | was
getting more where I was. He said
that they would see to it that l would
lose nothing by it. By "they" was
meant the Manufacturers Assn.
The Mayor Knew.
@. Did you come in contact with
Mayor Ashley? A. Yes.
Q. He knew what you were doing
A. Yes. He is president of the Tex
tile Bank now.
@. You stated something about a
conversation with Dexter of the
Beacon Mills in which he made a
statement to you relative to a gift
made to Mayor Ashley by TIE mill
men. What was said?
A. 1t was said that the salary as
mayor wasn't sufficient to allow Ash
ley to continue as mayor because his
private interests were suffering and
he was losing money BY continuing
as mayor.
Ashley Gets $4,000 Check.
DeXUef told me tnat the mil men
the previous year had induced Ash
ley again to become a candidate,
promising that they would make up
to him any monetary loss and at a
banquet that the mill men had tend
cred him at the Wamsutta Club, they
had presented Ashley with $4,000
check.
O. Do you understand that that
was done publicly or privately?
A. Privately. 1t was very exclu-
sive club where it was held. Nobody
but mill men belonged to it.