The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-13

y
> old Dorothy Ray and Stanley Ham
cock upon their release within the
next few days from an Imperial
Valley Jail, where they have been
held and tortured for the past six
months for their activities in the
lettuce strike Of last January.
The hangman's moose and steel
studded knout were mailed to Ham
cock together with note threat
ening him with death for his ac-
! tivities as an organizer of the Cam
merry and Agricultural Workers In
dustrial Union Another threaten
ing note was left in the open grave
at the foot of which vigilantes had
set up crude sign bearing Han
cocks name.
Communist Candidate Protests
Terror
A few nights ago, Hancock was
called into the sheriff's Office to be
interviewed" by two strangers. Ex-
actly the same procedure had pre-
coded the release Of Antonio Sclor-
zano, who on the night OF his re-
lease was subjected to fearful
beating by band OF eight armed
vigilantes and left for dead. Solor-
zano is also an organizer of the
union. Numerous other acts Of bes-
tial violence have been carried out
| against the unions organizers and
members, as PetJls Perry, Negro
/ Communist candidate for Lieuten-
ant Governor Of California, points
out in a letter to Sheriff George L.
I Campbell at FL Centre, Calf, de-
nounclng the sheriff's refusal to
take measures for the protection Of
Ray and Hancock:
"It has been demonstrated during
/ the past ten months, by long un-
broken series OF outrages, that there
is no act too degraded, none too
cowardly, for these police protected
vigilantes to commit in the service
of the rulers Of Imperial Valley. At
4 the time Of their release, Dorothy
Ray and Stanley Hancock will each
! be in danger of the usual many
against-one vigilante attacks. Your
failure to answer letters requesting
that you set q definite date for
their release, adds to their danger"
Hancock's Mother in Desperate
/ Appeal
It is thus not surprising that the
threats against the lives of Ray
and Hancock have aroused the deep
est concern and indignation among
/ California workers, or that Han
cocks mother. living in daily dread
of hearing of the murder of her
SON, has been impelled to address
several desperate appeals, all UNI
answered and acknowledged, to
/ Governor Frank Merriam and other
California and federal officials.
! "I have a normal mothers deep
! Affection for her son and regard
1 for his welfare and safety" Mrs.
/ Mary Hancock points ont in let
ter. copies of which have been
sent TO Gov. Merriam, U. S. At
! torney General Homer Cum
mings, U. S. Webb, State Attor-
ney General; George L. Camp
/ bell, sheriff Of Imperial County;
Ed. F. Cooper, sheriff of San Di-
ego County. and Ray Cato. CHIEF
of State Highway Patrol. I'm
iustifiable desperation I am now
addressing you in the interests
of your official duties and from
| tho common standpoint OF M
manitsrian citizens. At the Same
time. as you would probably do II
/ our situations were reversed,
am appealing for such support as
l can get from lay bodies ana
newspaper readers over the coun-
try"
Mrs. Hancock informs these ON
cials of the developments already
reported in this article, and de-
clares: 81 am writing both to de-
mand and to plead for safe conduct
! for nv son and Miss Ray.
want to know exactly when my son
and Miss Ray are to be released
and I want them safely escorted 10
their homes in San Diego.
Between the 18th and the 18th Oh
this month. they will have satis1led
the Justice of an Imperial court.
and should be rendered immune
from further molestation.
Demands Protection for Two
Organizers
eff YOU are intent upon giving
| Communism another martyr or
two. and if the coming of Commu-
nism will guarantee classics so.
ciety in which all other mothers
sons will be safe, I suppose tnat l
should not complain, but want
the issue to be plain to you WIN
Won be parties to the further az
struct:on of public respect for capl.
talist!c justice, or will you anoru
released and therefore free clVzsns
the protection which is their que
and your duty to provide?"
The threat against these wv
working class fighters, the open slo
being given by the authorities 10
the fascist gangs plotting tneir
murder, should arouse the mag
naticn of every decent citizen, Pro
tests should be wired at once 10 Ine
California authorities and the leo
eral government, demanding pro-
lection and the safe delivery OF Cile
two organizers to their families ana
the working class of San Diego VINO
are ready to take steps for their
protection.