Imperial Valley press., 1933-11-06
MUCH
VIOLENCE IN
FARM STRIKE
Picket Killed, Train Halted
And Highways Barricaded By
Disgruntled Farmers.
MILITIA MAY BE CALLED
Federal Government May Also
Interfere If Railroad Trans
portation Hindered.
MILITIA MAY BE CALLED

DES MONIES, Ia, Nov. 6. U.P)-
MidWestern states, seething with
agricultural unrest, moved today to
deal vigorously with thousands of
farm pickets who sought to slam
shut the doors of the granary of
the nation.
One farm picket was killed and
four injured, a livestock train halt
ed and emptied, highways blocked
and thousands of dollars worth of
produce destroyed as striking farm
ers renewed violence in many sec
tons.
Near Dakota City, Neb., a speed
ing automobile crashed into a
group of pickets who had halted a
produce truck, killing Frank
Fletcher, a farm picket, and iniur-
ing William Winget, Jerry Fillip.
Williams CritZ and John PallaS.
The driver of the automobile.
identified only as man named
jackson from Emmerson, Neb., was
slightly injured He and a COM
panion were arrested and lodged in
Jail at Dakota City. The automo-
bile was demolished and the truck
badly damaged
About 25 pickets were in the
group that halted the truck. Fletch-
er and the others had gone to the
rear to open the end gate to ex-
anime the contents. Fletcher
walked few steps down the road
and waved a red lantern to warn
the approaching automobile. The
driver saw him too late to stop. :
Violence was reported from points
in other states as strikers sought
to stop the flow of foodstuffs into
market centers. State >~officials
watched the latest developments
apprehensively. Upward of 10000
deputy sheriffs were armed and
held IN readiness for immediate
action. In reserve were $4,000 or
more national guardsmen.
Appeal to the governor for
guardsmen has been made by Sher-
iff w. A. De Moss of Glendwood,
Iowa, to aid in guarding bridge
over the Missouri river leading to
Omaha, Neb., markets. Farmers
were organizing to disperse pickets
and the situation is extremely
CRITICAL De Moss said.
Estimates by farm organization
leaders placed the number of pic
kets as high as 250,O0O State Of
ficials made estimates as low as
10000 Milo Reno, president of the
Farm Holiday association, who
called the strike two weeks ago,
appealed today to farmers to fight
to the finish.''
Barricade Railroad
Near LaWton, Iowa, 100 pickets
barricaded the Chicago & North
Western Railroad tracks and turn
ed loose eight carloads of cattle
after the train was forced to halt.
Governor Herring said he would
order out the guardsmen in Iowa
only if sheriffs' forces were un-
able to maintain order.
Possibility that federal forces
may be drawn into the battle to
stem the rising resentment over
failure Of federal relief policies to
raise farm produce prices, was seen
as result of halting of the train,
an interstate commerce carrier.
Railroad detectives aboard the
train were helpless. At Sioux City
they joined Sheriff William Tice
and five deputies and returned to
Lawton to find the pickets had
dispersed. The 300 residents Of
Lawton remained indoors while the
live stock swarmed through the
streets and trampled lawns.
The pickets first attempted to
unload the livestock at Person.
One car was opened before train
men got the train underway. The
pickets raced ahead to Moville,
where a barrier of ties and brush
was thrown upon the tracks.
Engineer Claude Chiffon ignored
the blockade and ploughed through
the barrier without stopping. Again
the pickets raced ahead to Lawton.
where a more substantial barrier
was constructed Fearful of wreck
ing the train if he attempted to
crash the larger barrier, Chiffon
halted the train.
Trainmen said the pickets threat
ened to dynamite railroad bridges
if livestock shipments are not
ctnppad