The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-02-16
PICKETERS BRAVE
STATE COP Guns
NEAR ACME Mine
Union Organizer Fails
to Aid Struggle

BENTLEYVILLE, Pa, (By Mall.
II am sending this letter so you may
know what is going on at Bentleyville
and also publish the news in The
DAILY WORKER.
The miners at Bentleyville in a
joint meeting decided to mass-picket
the mines that are now working OF
an open shop basis, The first mine
to be picketed was the Acme Mine,
owned by the Bethlehem Steel Cor
poration On the 10th of January,
siXty-four men and about five women
appeared at the Weaver Station. AT
4 p. m. they lined up two by two and
marched toward the Acme Mine. The
superintendent of the mine was the
first to see the marchers and he or
dered the only one of the Coal and
Iron police present to meet the strik-
ers. But he only stood by the mule
stable so that no striker should take
a mule as they passed the mine.
So the strikers marched past tn
mine without any trouble, showing
the scabs that they were still on
strike When the strikers saw that
their picketing was good work, they
turned back and marched past the
mine again.
Rush Coal and Iron Police.
But when the mine officials saw
the strikers coming back a second
time they called for help which was
sent them by one of the other mines
close by. They sent more Coal and
Iron police to watch the mule stable.
But the strikers marched past the
mine without a word
Again nothing happened. Only
the scabs sat around afraid to go
home. Again the strikers turned and
marched past the mine.
This third time was more than the
mine officials could stand. They
they called on the state troopers who
responded to the call at once. But
the marchers marched on and were
nearly mile away from the mine
when the state troopers approached
them and broke up their line, arrest
ting one man by the name of Martin
Valentie, who, they claimed, was one
of the leaders of the marchers.
Quiz Arrested Picket.
Falentiv was taken to the coal
company's office where he was asked
who was responsible for the march
of the strikers. He answered that
he thought the scabs were responsible
for it, because if there were no scabs
it would be useless to march. This
did not satisfy them so they took him
to the justice of the peace at Bentley
vile. There they told him to notify
all the rest of the strikers that there
would be no more marching at that
mine and that only eight men were
to picket the mine and no women, as
that was no place for women.
Valentie promised them that he
would tell the strikers about the order
Of the state police. He was dis
charged on that promise.
But the next day the strikers again
gathered at the Weaver Station to
make another march This time the
state troopers did not wait for orders
but broke up the line before the
march could be started, again arrest
ing two men.
These two men they took to the
company jail where they were locked
up. Some of the more active strik-
ers went to look for the organizer
to see what could be done for the two
men in Jail.
Organizing Poolroom
The organizer was easy to find be-
cause he always stays in one pool
room and tries to organize somebody
in there. The organizer went with
the two men TO the company office
and the state troopers Off e.
IN the state troopers office, the
organizer made a plea for the two
miners in the jail and he came to an
understanding with the state troop
ers, promising that if they would let
the two men out Of jail, he would see
that the strikers stopped marching.
So the state troopers let the two
men out and fned them one dollar
each and one dollar fifty for the
costs, that made five dollars for the
two men.
Then the strikers began to wonder
what would happen next and on the
18th of January nobody went on the
picket line because the men said
that if only eight men came out the
scabs and the yellow dogs would
make fun of them. So nobody went
out
The organizers and the union Off
calls always blame the men for the
Shortcomings in the union. This
little news ] have reported tells the
difference. 1t shows that the strik-
ers are willing to go the limit if they
only have the right leadership Our
strikers here are all dissatisfied with
the present leadership and its poll
cies. But they don't know what to
do.
A MINER.