The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-08-26
BOSSES BEGIN
trial. TO KILL
MILL Leaders
Mill Workers Prepare
For Charlotte Confab

L OE OIldElOCI0 OOllldU
Continued from Page OHe)
before the raid and at the shooting,
will be among the witnesses for the
defense.
Witnesses will tell about the
movement for a second strike in the
Loray mill of the textile workers
who had gone into the mill some
time after the strike began, and
which, they will charge was .respon-
sible for the determined and merci-
less action which followed They
will testify that before the raid, the
so-called committee of 100" were
armed in the mill, tanked up with
booze and sent to follow the police
in an attack on the tents.
At p. m. of the day of the raid,
mass meeting was held at the tent
colony, preparatory to picketing the
mill in violation of the city ordi-
nance against "parades." Workers
inside the mill were planning to
join the line outside. On the same
evening. the major part of these
living in the tent colony had gone
to Bessemer City to see the moving
picture of the Passaic strike.
Defense affidavits prove that
stool-pigeons, members of the COM
mittee of 100, were present to Gre
ate disturbance. A gunshot was
fired at the meeting, and eggs and
rocks were thrown by the mill lack
eys at the speaker. When Clarence
Miller, one of those charged with
murder, approached Officer Hanna,
who was at the meeting, the police
man struck him with blackjack and
broke his glasses.
Then the meeting proceeded to
the mill to picket. When they came
within one block of the Loray mill,
police swooped down upon them.
Gilbert and Roach had returned from
their shooting fray on the other side
of the Catawba River by this time,
and were among the attackers.
Vera Bush and Sophie Melvin
were viciously choked by the police,
who also threw Callie McGinnis, To-
year-old woman, to the ground and
struck her on the right breast with
the butt of a gin, while Bill Whit
law threatened to shoot. Chief
Aderholt stood nearby, witnesses will
testify, and said, GO on, shoot her"
Earl Tompkinson was blackjacked,
thrown to the railroad track and
jumped upon.
Then Officer Gilbert, who was
drunk and was shooting at Pete
Melton, refreshment stand keeper,
few hours earlier, said; Lets go
down and kill that bunch of white
trash in the tent colony" witnesses
will testify. Other police said sim
liar things.
The union guards were scattered
all over the grounds when the po-
lice drew up in an automobile and
jumped out with drawn revolvers,
proving the falsity of the charge
that the strikers had "conspired" to
ambush the police. When Carter,
one of the guards nearest the police,
approached them, Gilbert grabbed
his shotgun, while another police
man blackjacked him, knocking him
to the ground.
One policeman said, "Lets take
him for ride and then send him
to the hospital" strikers who stood
closely will testify. When Joseph
Harrison, union organizer from Pas
sale came up and asked for a war
rant, he was greeted with eve don't
need any God damned warrant from
policeman. Harrison was one of
the three shot.
Then Roach, advancing from the
car towards the headquarters, fired
the first shot, and fired directly at
q striker, eye witnesses declare. Then
other police opened fire, and the
guards defended the colony. During
the general shooting which followed,
Joe Harrison, Aderholt, Roach and
Gilbert were shot.
In the meantime, the committee of
100, most of whom were connected
with the mill, left the Loray mill
II advanced upon the colony, to
AN it out" witnesses will say,
7-laring that this was the plan of
Inc Loray management. 1t is known
that they were organized, armed at
the mill, in readiness for the attack.
To bolster up courage, much liquor
was imbibed, and then they marched
upon the colony, following the car
of the police, at least some of whom
the strikers say, were also drunk.
They were delayed, however, by a
freight train, drilling on the tracks,
and were a block from the colony
when the shooting occurred.
Following the shooting, series of
raids and mass arrests followed
Lists of union members were hunted
for especially. In iail. the men were