The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-09-11
MILL BOSS GANG
RAIDS UNIONISTSt
TRIES TO LYNCH
Prosecution Lawyers
Lead Murder Attack

section of the Workers International
Relief, with Caroline Drew in
charge. Many organizers live there.
The leaders of the gang seized
Wells, dragged him out Of the
house, placed a small American
flag in his hand and ordered him
to make a speech denouncing the
n. T. W. U. Defying the lynching
crew, Wells told of the determina-
ton of the N. T. W. U. to organ
ze the pellagra ridden mill workers
Of the South, and amidst the jeers
and threats of the ManvilleJencks
thugs, declared that this work will
continue despite fascist drive of the
mill owners against the increasingly
growing N. T. W. U. Probably no
greater courage has ever been dis
played in the face of imminent
death.
Yelling, enough! we'll take care
of you," the raiders seized Wells,
Saylors and Lell and threw them
into separate automobiles, announc-
ing to Mrs. Lodge that they were
being taken "for a ride to the river
and you will never see them again"
The organizers were all gagged
and beaten, Wells into state of
;nsensibility. A few minutes after
the mill thugs started on their
lynching excursion, he was black
lacked and remained in an uncon-
scious condition for over one hour.
Especially venomous against the
young organizer because of his
union activity among the mill work
ers of CASTOR County, his captors
told him that they were going to
lynch him and Haunted a rope III
his face.
Throughout the entire ride Of 20
miles, the mill bosses gang was vlo-
lent against the National Textile
Workers Union announcing that they
will "fill with lead anyone who joins
the union" They announced that
'we will go to that Jail and get that
red-headed bastard Beal."
After leaving Charlotte, the raid
ers stopped about eight miles from
Concord where they beat the or
ganizers once more. Only the fact
that a numbc- of cars were seen
coming and the knowledge that Say
lors, one of the union organizes
and a native of Gastonia had recog-
nized a large number of the posse,
prevented the planned lynching
from actually taking place.
The black hundred gang tried, by
a flimsy ruse, to lure Oehler to
point in Charlotte where they could
seize him and lynch him, thus fol-
lowing out threats they have made
since he first arrived to take charge
of the Southern work of the N. l.
w. U.
They forced Wells, at the point
of drawn revolvers, to call the Of
flee of the union on the telephone
and speak to Oehler asking him to
come to "the corner of College and
Trade Streets in 20 minutes" This
is in the neighborhood of Walton
Hotel. With remarkable presence
of mind, Wells gave the address as
corner of College and Tryon SITS"
Wells Courageous.
Wells deliberate, unnatural repe-
tition of the single statement, and
his continued refusal to amplify 1t,
easily conveyed to the experienced
oehler the lynching plot being pre-
pared against him.
The Manville-Jenckes gang, in lO5
automobiles, invaded Charlotte
about II o'clock. Warned by Wells
telephone call, the staff of the n.
T. w. U. and the l. l.. D. had left
the office. Part of the posse made
its way to the Walton Hotel where
a feverish but unsuccessful hunt for
Dunno and Oehler was made, and
then it rode to the office Of the
l. L. D. in Charlotte where they
forced an entry and ransacked the
place.
The Manville-Je gang then
gathered near the home of Attorney
Tom Unison of the defense where
they shouted, "Come on, let's get
Unison! Get him and lynch him"
Unison had earned the deadly en-
nifty of the mill owners in this vi
cinity because he stepped into the
strike situation Immediately after
the Loray struggle began, defending
members of the N. 7. w. U. from
the legal offensive of the bosses.
Papers in League.
John Voorhees,, correspondent of
the Charlotte Observer, who was
evidently acquainted in advance
with the prearranged plans of the
gang, wrote in this mornings issue
of his paper that "Gastonia police
professed to have no knowledge of
the actions of the crowd"
Although Charles Ferguson, Gas
tonia policeman who was with Alder
holt on the night of the June 7
raid was one of the leaders of the
posse last night and other policemen
were also recognized. Ferguson was
to have been one of the star wit
nesses in the trial of the Gastonia
defendants.
1t was just learned that Houston,
staff photographer Of the Asso-
ciated Press, went to Gastonia just
before the raid on the union head