The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-09-21
WELLS TELLS OF
CASTOR TERROR
At BIG MEET
Workers Defy It; Will
Build Their Union


standing in the aisles, was large
rayon portrait by Fred Ellis of
Ella May Virgins, slain by gun
men of the mill bosses.
The first two to appear on the
platform, before the meeting start
ID but after the hall was filled,
we're Wells and Sophie Melvin. The
rowd leaped to its feet, sang the
International and the Solidarity.
A telegram was read from the 10
IN the county Jail in Charlotte,
Waiting trial before the bosses
oourts of North Carolina, with the
electric chair being prepared for
hem. The message greeted the
New York workers, and ended: eve
ere in the fight until complete VIC
tory and the emancipation of the
whole working class"
A resolution roundly denouncing
he mill bosses terror in the South.
rom the militia bayonetings. tent
colony raids, lynch mobs to the le-
yalistic process in the Charlotte
rourts, was read and adopted unani-
nously. The audience pledged
themselves to work eeaselessly and
= carry the message to their fell
'ow workers, to build a gigantic
drive for relief and defense funds,
and to defend the right of self de-
tense for the southern mill strikers.
A wire stating what action was
taken was sent to the worker pris-
oners in the South.
Among the speakers were, in adj
dition to William F. Dunno, Wells
and Melvin, Communist candidates
n the New York Municipal cleo
ions: William w. Weinstone, run
ming for Mayor; Otto Hall, Negro
worker, for controller, and Juliet
Stuart Poyntz, for president Of BX.
Alfred Wagenknecht, director of the
Joint Workers International Relief
and International Labor Defense
drive was speaker.
Because the mill owners and
heir agents." William F. Dunno,
Southern representative of the
Central Committee of the Conmu-
mist Party stated, "were exposed at
he trial in Charlotte as those who
are attempting to murder the 10
defendants in the Gastonia trial,
the mill owners have started cam
paign of terror against the National
Textile Workers Union and the
Communist Party.
"The union and the Communist
Party are playing dominant role
N leading the textile workers
against the black hundreds, who are
attempting to intimidate the work
ers. The mill owners press is pub
fishing column after column of lies
in which they state that the mill
workers are not supporting the un-
ion campaign.
Negro and White join
"This is not true, as the work
ars, Negro and white, are rallying
to the banner of the union. The
Negro workers have never before
seen anything like it and are sup
porting wholeheardedly the cam
paign of the union and Communist
Party.
'No workers are to be found in
the gangs that have been attacking
the union organizers. These black
hundreds consist of high salaries
mill officials, doctors, lawyers and
foremen.
Weinstone said: "The new attack
upon the headquarters of the Ma
tional Textile Workers Union, and
the marked violence of the mill
owners and their thugs and paid
agents against the workers in Gas
tonia, indicates that the textile
workers are confronted with fascist
violence such as has been unheard
Of before in the history of labor
struggles. The capitalist class is
resorting to fascist violence as the
only means with which to break
down the growing resistance of the
working class to the enslaving
plans of the boss class of the South.
"The arrest of more than hun
bred workers in the last few days
in New York City, the forceful
breaking up of Communist meetings