The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-27

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, Cal, Oct
26.-War declared! The working class
against the boss classl Twenty thou
sand miSerably exploited cotton pick
ers on strikel The battle cry rang
out 81 a hundred" viva la 81 a
hundred!" "a dollar a hundredl"
For six days 25 strikers headquar-
tiers, relief kitchens and union locals
buzzed with activity, anticipation, and
new strength came into the faces
of the American, Negro and Mexican
workers.
Then came October 10th--BIoody
Tuesday! Armed thugs and ranchers
marched boldly into the main street
of Pixley-up to the headquarters of
the strikers and let loose a volley Of
shots that bathed sunny San Joa-
quin Valley in the blood of these mill
tant workers.
Some IS miles away Arvin
at the same time :. another planned
massacre 100 strikers on the picket
line at o. E. NIitchell's Ranch F.. .
sheriffs arrive, throw tear gas bombs
with, Let 'em have it, boys" =. The
signal for the farmers and the armed
scabs to start the blood bath.
After the smoke had cleared up
three workers lay murdered .
two at PiXley riddled with bullets
the Union Hail, with bullet holes,
including the tiny American flag
which hung at the door d. and one
worker at Arvin with bullet in his
back, which caught him as he fled
from the onslaught Of the murderers
scores were injured .. shedding
blood in the bitter fight for the right
to live.
But the blood had hardly dried on
the ground of this black valley when
two workers funerals took place
one in Kern County ;. one in Tulare
County, where thousands of workers
marched for hours through the towns
to the cemetery =. in honor of their
slain comrades &. to commemorate
their memory, to Solemnly, militantly
carry on the struggle where their
comrades had left it. to build a
living monument to their memory,
to strike until they got the 81 a
hundred! To build more powerful
union.
Eye witnesses, participants and by
ISLANDERS declared that this murder
GUS massacre was planned with the
knowledge Of the county officials
newspapermen, cameramen and police
officers were present before and at
the time it occurred, yet these das-
tardly murderers, Sheriffs and police
officials dared to arrest eight workers
from Aryin and charge them with
the murder of their fellow strikers
81. f. held incommunicado on charges
of murder, conspiracy to murder, in
citing to riot, unlawful assembly and
riot-without bail.
Pat Chambers, militant leader OF
the cotton strikers-indicted on two
counts under the vicious Criminal
Syndicalism Law-facing from two to
% years in the penitentiary-for sup
porting the slogan, raised by the
workers after the shooting-'Disarm
the ranchers and give the workers
the right to arm themeslyes!"
Altogether, 40 workers are held as
result of the cotton strike so far,
charged with disturbing the peace
all the way to murderi
Suddenly the newspaper headlines
screamed, al Farmers Held on Muir
der Chargesl" A few days later three
of them were released, then two more.
Coroners' inquests and Grand Jury
investigations could not place their
fingers on the true murderers.
This whitewashing of these thugs
is justice indeed At Corcoran,
Is miles southwest of Tulare i.
1000 workers in camp used during
the strike as heaquarters, guarded
their camp. Six babies died of mall
nutrition inside of one week. A
22-year-old woman, who was refused
disqualification, because she was a
strikers wife, died of pneumonia i. :.
murdered by the county officials. The
spirit of the workers was more mill
tant than ever before in the strike.
Suddenly, the camp was condemned
because of incorrect water supply"
. notice was served to the owner,
who is sympathetic to the strikers, to
evtct this failed warrants
were issued to get some Of the lead
ers -. but the camp was still guard
ed nv the committees NJ strikprs