Evening star., 1938-08-09
SL|NGSH0T'S USE
IN STRIKE IS TOLD
Union Pickets at Republic
Plant Were Peppered,
Witnesses Say.

A Canton (Ohio) city policeman
testified today that men inside the
strikebound Republic Steel Corp. plant
there last summer rugged up super
slingshot" and with it peppered union
pickets outside the plant.
The policeman, Walter Koellner, de-
scribed the weapon to the Senate Civil
Liberties Committee as something akin
to a medieval catapult, consisting OF
an automobile inner tube stretched
between two vertical posts.
Rocks we're the ammunition. he said,
but the machines operators were not
identified.
Policeman Koellner said that when
he and another officer protested at the
plant gate, they we're ordered of COM
pany property by a uniformed Republic
policeman.
Struck by Pellets.
Oliver Ferren of Cambridge, Ohio.
who served as picket commander Tor
the Steel Workers Organizing Com
mittee, said he was struck by steel
pellets fired at the pickets from Wltnln
the plant. Both witnesses agreed
there had been no previous disturb
ance by the pickets.
Darrell Smith and Guy l.. Sweeney.
members of the Strike Strategy Com
mttee, told Of numerous incidents IN
which they said pickets were stoned
by men from within the plant At
one time, said the former. a group OF
colored workers rushed into the plant
firing guns in the air.
approximately 1900 of the 1890
Republic employees in the Canton ana
Massillon district remained in the
plants during the strike. Carl w.
Meyers, district manager for Repuo-
lie testified.
Previously, Joseph F. Gilroy. Re-
public police captain. said he had
been tipped off to the time OF the strike
by Frank Kerchoy. plant patrolman,
Who obtained undercover information
from union members. Patrolman
Kerchov died last March, he said.
National Guard Sent.
The committee already had been told
that the National Guard was sent to
Canton and Msssillon despite contrary
advice from one Of the Guards lead
erS.
Col. E. P. Lawlor. white-haired Ma
who CYnV
Martin L. Davey's observer in Canton
and Masslllon. told the committee yes
terdav his final report recommended
against calling out the Guard. He
said he had not found any conditions
to warrant the Use of troops.
The report was made. Col. Lawlor
testified. on the day Gov. Davey issued
q proclamation sending the Guard into
the area. The proclamation said
"official information indicated that the
local peace officers will be wholly un-
able to cope with the situation that
would otherwise arise
Law League Blamed.
Col. Lawlor said he believed the
formation OF Law and Order League
In Canton June 9 provided the first
real threat to the peace OF the COM
munity. The leagues aim was to spon-
sor "back-to-work' movement, he
said, adding that he believed 1t was
responsible for clash between strikers
and non-strikers June l8.
Aaron A. Cohen. Canton attorney.
who represented striking members OF
the Steel Workers Organizing Com
mittee &C. I. o., said he had several
conferences with police and members
of the sheriff's force early in the
va]kout and that there had been full
co.operation between the strikers and
the officers.
Chairman La Toilette, Progressive,
Wisconsin. finished his examination
of witnesses from Warren, Ohio, by
questioning Millard Hannah. captain
Of Republic Steel Corp. police. Sen
ator La Toilette produced vouchers
showing that Mr.. Hannah had drawn
sl2.0o5 on blind" expense accounts
from May 81 to December 81, 1887.
The witness insisted that the vouch-
ers. marked for entertaining out-of-
town visitors" and for supplies"
represented expenses of dozen Re-
public police checking up outside the
plant on reports of strike violence and
intimidation of workers.
Assassination Predicted.
The committee heard testimony that
an unidentified speaker Al meeting
in Warren. in 1886. predicted the
assassination of President Roosevelt.
Howard H. Luse of Warren testified
that a meeting of the John @. Public
League, an organization concerned
with the maintenance of law and
order" during the strike. was attended
at his invitation by Sidney j. War
wick. an officer of the Silver Legion"
Ralph c. McIlvain thereupon testi-
ned that at previous meeting of an
other group in Luses home four or
five months before the 1886 election,
speaker said that President Roosevelt
would be assassinated He could not
identify tho cpeoker