Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1935-06-28
SPOTLIGHT II I.e;s
ON THE
World Crisis
By DONALD GLEASON
Terror in Omaha
Admit Police Brutality
idaI !5 giH.htY
Capitalist "Justice"


Omaha. The street car men OF
the Omaha and Council Bluffs
Street Railway Comany organized
recently, They presented demands
for higher wages, shorter hours
and union recognition.
The men struck on April 20,
when the company refused to meet
their demands. When the, mayor of
Omaha, Roy N Towl, tried to ar
range arbitration the street car
company refused TO appoint an ar
bitrator. Then the company hired
special guards and tried to break
the strike. -
As a result of the tactics OF the
company, public sentiment inten-
sified in support OF the strikers,
on June -, riotihg broke out
with crowds throwing bricks
through the car windows and de
railing the street cars.
Then the mayor ordered out two
hundred policemen armed with
riot guns and tear gas. First, the
police used the tear gas and when
this did not do the work they began
using riot guns, while cruiser cars
raced through the streets, shooting
at random into the crowds.
As a result two men have been
killed. and more than fifty injured
in one day,
- -
Even the New York Times gives
an excellent picture of the brutal
ity and hySteria of the police 1t
reports: "Many of those injured by
the gunfire last night apparently
were spectators. The man killed,
John Buster, dairy wagon driver,
was standing in packed crowd
when he was shot, according to
witnesses.
william Vernon TietSort, %,
one of the gravely injured, had
driven to South Omaha on hearing
that there was some excitement
He and a companion parked their
automobile and walked to where
Street cars we're being burned A
past. Tietsort was struck by shot
from the car, the companion said.
Dewey Mccoy, IS, tnow dead),
was shot while in his car. W. W.
Dean. brother-in-law, told how it
happened.
MCCOY returned from a Mod
.ern WoOdmen meeting and took
Mr.. and Mrs. Dean, and Mrs. Mccoy
out riding m his car. A police am
bulance, sped south. past them, and
they followed. They Joined a
group of spectators including wo-
men and children, in vacant lot.
".We thought we were safe
distance away from the rioting,
Dean said.
"He said that a cruiser car
stopped in the street, an officer
jumped out, dropped to one knee,
and pumped a half dozen shots into
the group. Mccoy fell, as did
Mrs. Laura Young"
= =
On June 18th martial law was
sdecIaredian aud i 500 National Guards
ainen@ moved into the city. Military
courts were set up and citizens
were ordered out of the trouble
zones
All beer parlors were ordered
to close at six p. m. General Paul
of the National Guards warned the
people of Omaha that the troops
were ready to do. business.
He, said that since tear gas was
snot enough, regular war gases
would be used. The ones named
were "sickening" gas and knock
OUT gas.
When Governor Cochran ordered
arbitration the men agreed and
named their representative but the
company refused. Since the strike
began two have been killed and
more than $50 injured by the po-
lice, many of them spectators.
Although the company has re-
fused all the requests of the union,
the mayor, and the governor police
are guarding the homes of the d-
rectors and important officials.
| y
A more striking example Of cap.
italiStic government could hardly
be found. The company refuses
all requests, even the sell-out ones
of the city and the state. When
trouble starts, fomented by hired
company thugs, the police run
amuck, shooting wildly into any
crowd they see.
Then the National Guard are
called in and put the city under
martial law and threaten to use war
gases. When the Governor asks
the company to arbitrate, they
| refuse.
Why don't the public officials use
the gas and guns on the company
which refuses to. obey even mild
| rso,iaStss