The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-12
By BARBARA RAND.

'fEG DlBS6SG uluIQGE Lldl III ldDOE history opens
in Harlan, Kentucky exactly one week be-
fore the fourth anniversary of the legal muir
der of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo vanzett
when workers the world over will protest under
the leadership of the International Labor De-
Tense, the bosses terror. Instead of two men,
thirty-eight are charged with murder, and the
lords of the coal fields are preparing to burn
them to death.
Over thousand miners women and even
their little children, have been arrested in the
strike fields of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio,
and West Virginia. Here 10000 coal miners are
striking against starvation.
The hysteria created during the days of the
Sacco and Vanzetti trials, the wartime atmos-
phere of Boston, the grim threat of the machine
guns mounted on the entertainments of Charles
ton prison before the shoe maker and fish
peddler were Observation-Disclosures are multiplied
many times over in the strike fields today.
The policy prevailing in the coal fields is one
of deliberate assassination. In Ohio, William
Simon, 16-year-old striking miner, member of
the National Miners Union, was murdered by
mine boss. Simon was sitting by the roadside,
not participating in the picketing at the time
the gunman took aim and murdered him.
Everybody knows this, but the district attorney
refuses to prosecute. Seven other miners were
shot in Bradley and one in Yorkville, Ohio.
Every organizer is arrested on sight and charged
with criminal syndicaliSm. There was not
single picket line in Ohio that the Flaw" did
not attack-bonlb, club, tramples down with
their horses hooves, or fire into.
In Wildwood, Pennsylvania, Peter zigaric was
murdered by deputies from ambush Eleven
other strikers were seriously wounded The
miners, together with their womenfolk and chill
dren we're gathering about 500 yards away from
company property, preparing to picket the mine
when the deputies opened fire from ambush AS
the unarned workers flew in all directions,
storm of bullets followed. "Al's fair in war!" is
the position of the coal operators and their gun
men, And war 1t is, with no possible weapon
overlooked.
And who is charged with Zigaric's murder?
The yellow dog who fired the fatal bullets? That
would not be compatible with capitalist justice.
Tom Myerscough, an organizer of the National
Miners Union is charged with manslaughter
and held on high bail. 1t is established beyond
any doubt that Myerscough had no weapon in
his possession. But this is merely a detail
Leaders of the miners are shot down, Jailed on
any and every charge the law" hits upon from
murder, sedition banding and confederating,"
and arson, to disorderly conduct and speaking
against the police"
The day after the deputies held meeting to
OeJeIlIllIle pOuCy, Illcy oWOOpcO QOWH upOu q
large number of miners gathering in Arnold
City, Pa, to march to the Pricedale mine some
miles away. The deputies attacked suddenly,
first confusing the workers with gas bombs
thrown in quick succession. Then, as they ran
from the stinging, sickening, binding gas, four
leaders were deliberately picked out and shot in
the back. One was the president Of the local
National Miners Union another was the secre-
tary of the Rank and File Strike Committee.
But the miners aren't the only targets of the
yellow dogs Mike Filpovich 4o-year-old store
keeper at Arnold City who had given the use
OF his basement to the strikers to use as their
relief headquarters, was reused by the shoot
ing and came out on his porch half-dressed
The chief deputy walked close to him, and shot
four bullets into his body. Don't shoot in here
you'll kill my wifel" were the last words Fill
poHch ever spoke. This was nothing short of
assassination.