The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-12-02
GIVES ACCOUNT OF CLUB MELEE WITH DAN|ELSEN
Defendant Claims He Was Struck First Before He
 Hit Association Head


 tContlnued rom Page One,
 trict Attorney George w. Foita on events which it is alleged transpired, Graner said he couldn't remember
 Can't Remember
 Asked why he had gone to the "A. B. Hall that morning, the defendant testified he thought it was meet ing for A. J. employees. Asked if he had seen the public notices in The Empire calling attention to the plans of the men to march to the mine office to register, the appointment of special policemen by the city and the notice of the mine announce ment that registration for employ ment would be accepted, Graner first denied he knew anything about them although he had read the paper all during the strike. When they were called to his attention in copy of The Empire, the defendant replied that he did remember seeing the mo- tices but it had slipped his mind. Those portions of The Empire re- ferring to the strike were admitted in evidence in the case.
 The defendant said he didn't do anything at the A. B. Hall except stand around and then walked down the street to the Union hall where he stood around some more, but see ing nothing in the way of violence, he stated. NA
 Denies Activity
 Government witnesses had testi- fled that Graner caused a disturb ance at the A. B. Hall, was in the line of marchers going down the street, and left the procession and ran on ahead to join others in blockiro the street. This the defendant Stead- fastly denied. He said there were a lot of people in the street when he got there but no union blockade as far as he could see. When tear gas was thrown he continued on down the left side of the street toward the A. J. office, he testified, and then just stood around some more talk ing to several of the men going to register and attempting to talk them out of going in. Near the sawmill the defendant said Lloyd Ritter, a government witness, attempted to at- tack him but he had hit Ritter just once, after he had ducked the lat ter's blow. He denied staging any mock battles in the street.
 Graner said he asked several of the men not to make sscabs, of themselves by registering while the strike was on. Albert Norman, a government witness who testified Graner struck him, attempted to at tack him first, the defendant as- serted. He continued that was the time he had trouble with RalphButts Graner declared Butts grabbed him by the throat after he (Graner) had struck Norman and then he and Butts started fighting. It was while in this tussle that the two were ar- rested, the defendant explained
 Remembers No Violence Order
 Graner said he attended most of the union meetings prior to June 24 but couldn't remember ever having heard the proposed march to the A. J. discussed. He might have, he explained, but he just couldn't re- member. He recalled, however, he replied in answer to query that Al Nygren, President of the union, had warned all the men on the picket line against violence, but he couldn't re- member that that had anything to do with the morning of June 24. Rather, he thought it was just gen. eral orders for pickets.
 The defendant admitted he wore gloves that day but denied he had his knuckles taped. He further as Eerted he saw none of the defendants use any force or violence at any time during the day In various pictures, Graner pick ed out various defendants but said he never saw any of them doing a thing except standing around. He further said he heard no officers or der the street cleared in front of the union hall, but he did hear some body in the non-union ranks shout mold 'em." This, he explained, he be- lieved was from the men in front calling to the men in back not to crowd ahead.
 The Man In The Hat
 Bill Taroff described himself on June A as the man in the light hat, with his hands in his pockets and an overcoat on his arm. The de-, fendant said, on cross examination, that he never had his hands out of his pocketsrat any time during the trouble. He walked up to the A. B.: hall that morning, with his light hat and overcoat, he explained, stood on a bench to try to see what was going on, then he causally strolled down Seward and Front Streets to the. scene near the union hall. He stoodl around there, he explained, with his1 hands in his pockets, reiterating that