Montana labor news., 1937-04-15
VIOLENCE FLARES In
TRI-STATE ZONE
Company Union Mob Repulsed.
Ten of Mob Shot in Attack on
e. I. o. Hall.
Area Infested With Company
Unions.
Company Incites Lawlessness

Wnefe Jne JnIee COIIl6IS VI hdIl-
sas, Oklahoma and Missouri come
together is a lead-zinc mining area
known as the tri-state district. Long
known as a stronghold of scabs and
company unions, the district also
contains a goodly number of true
blue union men who have tried to
organize in the face of bitter oppo-
sition. They have met not only
every form of persecution and thug
gerry from the mine operators, but
also the backward, non-union spirit
of a majority Of the miners. The
1885 strike was broken in that way
with the help of state militia. The
state and county authorities have
generally been hostile.
Recently, the c. 1. o. decided on
a campaign to organize the district
and a mass meeting was called by
Reid Robinson, president of the In
ternational Union of Mine, Mill and
Shelter Workers Union, on April
IL. The following letter from Board
Member Tony McTeer tells what
happened. The C. o. organizers
are adopting the logical purse of
meeting fire with fire.
PICHER, Oklahoma.-(Special)-
I am answering your wire for de-
tails of the Galena fight in letter
form and we will appreciate your
offer of giving us the widest pub
licity. The company dominated Off
Gals of the blue card union with
the conspicuous absence of the coun-
ty officials and with the assistance
of the chief of police of Pitcher per-
formed in true fascist fashion, and
not only property rights, but the
constitutional right of free speech
and a%ssemblage was abridged.
Miners Asked for Protection
We had announced a mass meet
ing in Picher for Sunday by means
of hand bills throughout the district.
Knowing from past experience the
tactics of the leaders of the com
pany union, and their lack of any
principle whatever, we contacted the
county authorities and asked for pro
lection for the meeting. They as
sured us we were entitled to pro-
lection and that they would be out
to see that no one started any
trouble. President Robinson and
myself contacted them again late
Saturday evening and were informed
that he was going to have to go to
Jefferson City to get a prisoner from
the Missouri authorities. He in
formed us that he didn't think there
would be any trouble. We then
called on the county attorney at his
home and he said the sheriff was
mistaken as he was going with him
and they were not leaving until
Monday morning and that they
would be out to Picher.
Company Union Instigating BrawIs
We informed him of conditions in
Picher at that time, telling him that
the city parking lot where we had
permission to hold our meeting was
filled with cars on orders from the
heads of the blue card union and
that their hall was open, dishing out
free drinks. We told him that there
was a group of forty or fifty men
there who were drunk and fighting.
The constable of Hockerville had
called for the sheriff in the mean
time to come out and help him stop
a gang fight on south Main street
but was unable to get him out. The
county attorney informed President
Robinson and myself that the sheriff
was in the south part Of the county
on a raid but that as soon as he got
back they would be out and would
see us at the hotel. When they
didn't show up, we called the coun-
ty attorney and he said the sheriff
had been out to Picher and had not
stopped by for him. He said the
sheriff informed him that the only
trouble that had occurred in Pitcher
had been a fist fight between a
couple of men. I asked him if the
sheriff had not seen the men drunk
in the city park and he said, "Yes"-
but he thought it was some of our
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