The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-05
BY AN EYE WITNESS

DB AN Elk Il " 11RESS
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.-Like every
other morning in the past eight weeks
CT tire strike, hosiery workers are
nasssd in front of the Cambria Silk
Hosiery Mill TODAY they have turned
out in great numbers 1t looked as
il eve-y hosiery worker of this great
est knitting center had come to give
their fighting brothers hand. Car
rying their lunch packages, in their
working clothes, they came before
going to work Keyed up by the pend
ing general strike, decided almost I'M
aniinously the night before at the
largest mass meeting in the militant
history OF the hosiery workers, they
lock determined to win this fight
against a stubborn boss, an ally of the
leedi-g open shop manufacturer and
the Ware politician, Fred C. Gartner
Scabs Arrive
1t is getting close to the time when.
under police protection, the scabs
usually arrive in cars and trucks The
police force is getting ready to do its
particular work - protect the scabs
Many Of these scabs are professional
strike breakers and gangsters. because
despite the length of the strike, there
are hardly any assertions In the
ranks Of the strikers. The strikers are
gettiny restless. The Blue Eagle
taunts the workers. Suddenly a stone
flies and breaks window near the
Blue Eagle. The police, scared by
the large number OF workers around,
make a feeble attempt at arrest and
ere ct once repulsed by the strong
fists OF the workers.
Stones Fly
An open Cadillac bringing strike
breakers takes the mill gate at clip.
but not fast enough to escape the
well-ailned stones. The pickets rush
the car and a group is able to fight
its way to the driveway to follow the
scabs into the factory. But finding
themselves surrounded by club
swinging police, they fight their way
back to the rest Of the pickets.
The cops take this opportunity to
lock the iron gate leading into the
driveway. A hail Of stones greets this
action by the police. Almost every
window in the mill is smashed. At
this time anothsr car driven by AL
Weber, owner of the mill, arrives. 1t
is loaded with number OF scabs.
The strikers. further angered by this
brazen challenge of the boss. rush
forward and before the police can
open the iron gate. completely wreck
the car. The boss and his scabs
escape.
Down Comes the Eagle
While all this is going on. the
Blue Eagle of the New DEAL still
decorates the mill, shielding under
his wings the skunks that entered
the factory. A well-directed brick
smashes the window completely. A
young girl striker breaks through the
police line and tears down this blue
vulture, symbol of the MIRA The
workers applaud and shout enthu-
sie-t.caIy.
Just then shot is heard on Roose-
welt Boulevard, adjoining the mill.
With full speed, the truck that daily
brought scabs, herded like cattle,
comes down Pheletorp Street, with g
cop sitting next to the driver, flashing
a gun in his hand As the truck
turns into London Street, this cop
aims point blank at the pickets. I'm
mindful Of the danger, the unarmed
workers begin to lombard the truck
with stones. A big piece Of wood
smashes the windshield and rock
hits the cop in the face. Holding
his hand before his face, he empties
his gun blindly into the crowd. In
the face of the bullets the workers
rush the truck, stop it right in front
of the iron gate and turn the truck
oye-.
Before anybody realizes what hap
pened. two workers, one the father
Of three children, lie In the street in
pools Of blood, brutality murdered.
Many others are severely injured,
shot by strike breakers and cops I'M
der the New Deal in the City o.
Brotherly Love. 80