The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-08-27
FIGHT BLANKET
ACCUSATIONS IN
.CASTONIA CASE
defense Wins Order
for More Specifications

Continued from Page One)
facts upon which the indictment is
based.
Under this indictment the defen-
dants may be charged with murder
conspiracy, or of being accessory
before the fact. No details were
given, no dates, time or places or
names, or any of the other specific
information which the defense is en-
titled to in order to prepare it's an
swer.
Dragnet of Vague Charges.
1t was pointed out by the defense
that Article 6 of the North Caro-
lima constitution provides that de-
PENDANTS are entitled to know the
nature and causes of the indict-
ment specially and in detail and
that the indictment and bill of par
ticulars brought by the prosecution
is in violation of this part of the
state constitution.
Hayes characterized the indict-
ment as "a dragnet of vague char
ges."
The defense motion for dismissal
was overruled, but the judge ruled
that the bill of particulars must be
rewritten and made more specific,
particularizine the acts of individ-
ualJ, and details of time and place.
The first part of the bill Of par
ticulars will be struck out altogether
and the rest changed.
The courtroom was crowded with
workers, manifesting keen interest
in the case. Hundreds of Negro
workers in the balcony waited for
hours for the openin gof court, and
were elected five minutes before the
trial to make room for a few white
citizens who rarived late.
They attempted to bring the SIX
teen organizers and members Of the
National Textile Workers Union to
trial for murder and conspiracy
without stating when, where, and
how the alleged crime had been COM
mitted and without stating who
committed the two alleged crimes of
murder and conspiracy to commit |
murder.
SANDER /. L. D.
The prosecution propagandists, an
xious to hamper the International
Labor Defense has been busy |
spreading rumors to the effect that
the Communists wanted convictions
and sentences to the electric chair to
further their campaigns. These mill
owners publicists seem to have sue
ceeded in fooling only the prosecu-
ton. 1t was obvious that the pros
ecution staff, led by Canshr and
Hoey, both cotton mill attorneys,
and the latter the brother-in-law of
Governor Gardner, were taken aback
by the really brilliant offensive
launched by the defense.
When Amy Schechter, Vera Bush
and Sophie Melvin walked into the
courtroom and took seats the court
attendant rushed up and said: "You
cannot sit here! These seats are re-
served for the prisoners.
He could not imagine that these
three women organizers were
charged with murder.
Hayes Denies Friction Story.
Arthur Garfield Hayes stated to-
day;
II know of no question in this
case that raises any issues between
the international Labor Defense and
the Civil Liberties Union, or that
could lead to any conflict or COM
promise. l came here at the re-
quest of the l. L. D. and responded
to that request because l feel that
the issues of civil liberty, the right
of free speech, the right to organ
ize and strike are directly involved.
| am interested in saving the de-
PENDANTS from the danger of cleo
trocution that threatens them, and
represent these individual defen-
dants, not any organization.
At the meeting was distributed
the official call for the great South
crn textile conference to be held in
Charlotte on Oct. IL and 10, the
Gastonia Labor Defender and a
large quantity of union literature.
Before Melvin had left she had
made arrangements for another
meeting to be held soon.
Where is Hoffman?
"When we heard Hoffman was
around this part of the country"
some of the mill workers in Hender-
son said, "we were hoping he'd come
up around here so we could give
him a thrashing" The Big Papa
of the U. 7. w. presumably led a
strike there about three years ago,
when the workers in two mills
walked out. 1t resulted in the GUS
tomary U. 7. w. surrender and one
fine morning Hoffman completely
disappeared.
Thus, over 800 mill hands in Hen