Imperial Valley press., 1935-02-18
LARGE FORCE
Of OFFICERS
KEEP PEACE
Continued from Page u

double tragedy Heald said that the
situation would be investigated COM
pietely. Anybody who has any in
formation, of whatever nature,
which might be of value to the
grand jury in its investigation, will
be given fullest opportunity to state
the facts as known.
-Four women strikers were arrest
ed by Sheriff's deputies following
the disturbance yesterday after
noon and are being held at the
county jail for investigation. No
charges have been brought against
them as yet awaiting the outcome
OF further Investigations.
David Polk and Ed Mills who
had been arrested in connection
with the present strike on Thurs
day, were brought before Judge
Thompson on writs of habeas cor
pus this morning. AT that time the
district attorneys office filed d
charges of disturbing the peace
against the two men and they were
then arraigned before Judge Simp-
son and held for trial under 5000
bonds.
j. NJ. Casey, state representative
OF the American Federation OF
Labor, and E. H. Fitzgerald, feder-
al conciliator, sent here by Miss
Francis Perkins, secretary of labor,
had no statement to make this
morning. Both these labor officials
were present at the meeting be-
tween the shippers and strike COM
mittee yesterday, the former as an
observer while Fitzgerald had called
the two groups together in hopes OF
reaching some basis of settlement.
Attack Shed
During meeting between ship
pers and the strike committee called
Yesterday afternoon in an effort to
reach some basis of agreement to
clear up the present situation. a
group composed, according to po-
lice reports of about 800 strikers
stormed the Martin C. Wahl shed.
The attack took place about 2:3O o.
clock and when finally disperced by
tear gas bombs and clubs in the
hands of police and special Off
GERS it was found that two strikers
had been fatally shot; one nom
union worker severely beaten and
a number of minor casualties on
each side.
Paul Knight, "a, of Oroville, was the
first victim OF the shooting. He was
shot in the neck, the bullet Severing
his spinal cord, according to DR..
Peterson who attended him, and he
died almost instantly. Kenneth E.
Hamaker, "a, of Westmorland and
Ell Centro was shot in the chest and
died at La Solana hospital at 5 o.
clock last night, where he had been
taken for medical treatment.
Shreve Nelson, an employee OF
the Wahl shed was badly beaten. No
other serious injuries were reported
10 police.
An unfounded report on the po-
lice log states that an employee OF
the Wahl company named Rudy
(the last name not obtaineO had
actually fired the shot but early
this morning police officer Charles
Schlanze reported that he had au-
thentic information that Hamaker,
who had been shot during the raid,
had been conscious until about a
half hour before his death and had
made a statement to the effect that
Rudy" had not shot him.
Chief Sterling Oswalt narrowly
escaped being hit by stray bullet
and received a badly gashed right
hand when struck by a chunk OF
concrete thrown during the disturb
ance. No other peace officer is re-
ported to have been hit either by
bullets or other ammunition and it
is further reported that not a single
officer drew his gun during the fra
cas-, peace being finally restored by
the use of tear gas and clubs WELD
ed by the officers who charged the
group.
Police reported further that the
strikers were armed with stones,
rocks, clubs and other similar wea-
pons. 1t was reported that there
were a few guns among the strik-
ers but this was not verified. The
attack came when police had been
informed that an assault was in
tended on another shed, but at the
first report of gunfire the combined
forces of state, county and city Of
ficers charged the threatened Wahl
shed
Following the disturbance yester-
day afternoon peace officers have
taken all means in their power TO
prevent its recurrence by throwing
Gordon all about the affected area.
The entire section of the city occu-
pied by the packing sheds is closed
to everybody who has not legitimate
business to enter this district and
entry will be allowed only to those
who carry spasses either from shed
operators or police officials.
The AAA Wine-grape pact is stlli
in the argument stage and probably