Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-08-24
DISPLAY OF FIERY CROSS
REVEALS TERROR
PREPARATIONS

CHEHALIS, Wash, Aug. 23-S
highway patrolmen, between 40
and so deputies. vigilantes and
legionaires, and all the petty pol
iticians of the county were pres
ent at the time set for the hear
ing of III. Huff, l.. LeBarOn, M.
Neidfelt and w. Setoski, four
workers arrested and charged
with riot, in Chehalis, last Thurs
day.
The prosecution arose out OF
all the petty politicians trying
to make names for themselves
as red baiters." With the drive
up and down the coast every lit
tie prosecutor has to try to make
name for himself and so Prose
cutor Grim brought out these
riot charges against these fOur
militant workers, although the
demonstration upon which these
charges were based happened ten
days before the men were arrest
ed, and was very peaceful.
Grim Angles ....
But even with a name to make
Grim, realizing that workers have
votes, couldn't come out too OPP.
emily as a red batter" so he plan.
ned to hold a preliminary hear,
ing before Justice Mort Wynn
hoping to put Wynn on the spot
Clue: Mort Wynn, who is Just
ice, is running for Sheriff. The
Sheriff, Blankenship, is running
for reelection. Grim, Prosecut-
or, is running for Justice.
1t was the Sheriff and his depu
ties, along with the Prosecutor
who placed the charges.
The workers i'm the vicinity
put out 5000 leaflets advertising
the trial and calling for demon
stration in front of the court
house Thursday, August Is, at
1870, the time set for the prelim-
mary hearing. But the day before
the trial the Prosecutor, Judge
and Justice announced that the
time for the hearing would be
Thursday at 10 o'clock.
The workers leaflets and pro-
tests evidently annoyed them
into moving the time of hearing
forward in the hope of avoiding
the issue before the workers.
Receives Protesting Telegram
Prosecutor Grim was particu-
larry aroused by the fact that
he received, the day before the
trial, a telegram of protest from
some workers organization
whose name he did not tell, de.
handing that charges be drop
ped.
The defense had made prepare
tion for the hearing and had sub
pOenaed almost 40 defense wit,
nesses. And in spite of the fact
that the time had been moved
forward there were between two
and three hundred workers and
farmers in the court room and
halls. Delegations came from OIL.
ympia, Rochester, Toledo, Win,
| lock and TeninO.
When Grim marched into the
court room as the hearing was
about to commence, the first
thing that struck his eye was
the fiery cross which had been
planted in front of LeBaron's
home. Crim's face fell a foot
when he saw it. It became clear
that the defense would show
that the Sheriff's force and the
xxx were all one.
Seeing the crowd. the crude fire
works, and realizing that if the
hearing was held all the pOliti
clans would be put on the spot
Grim hurried out to consult the
Judge and Sheriff The workers
waited for half an hour before the
Judge marched in and announced
there would be no preliminary
hearing. LeBaron and Huff, two
of the defendants, are workers
candidates for Sheriff and Com
missioner on the Communist Par.
ty ticket.
The corrupt politicians realized
that the expose of their racket
eering methods was bound to be
brought out by the defense and
'just couldn't face it" in front of