Evening star., 1938-08-07
STRIKERS FOUND
TROOPS NO HELP
Steel Worker Testifies to
Series of Arrests and
HaraSSmentS.
Bv the Associated Press.

Bv the Associated Press.
James Pagan, round.faced and smil-
ing little Scotchman. told the Senate
Civil Liberties Committee yesterday
that. although the 1887 little steel
the arrival of the National Guard AS
intervention in their behalf. they
quickly found the reverse was true.
With John Steuben. c. I. o. or
ganizer, Fagan testified that there
after organizers and picket captains
we're arrested and rearrested, meeting
places we're taken away, union head
quarters were padlocked, the homes
of strikers were raided repeatedly,
military trucks "roamed the streets. a"
and militiamen and city police alike
urged and ordered strikers to get back
to work Pagan is an official of the
c. I. O.'s Republic Steele Lodge at
Youngstown
The militia arrived two days after
a bloody all-night battle between
strikers and police. In which two
strikers were killed. Police contended
then. and vigorously reiterated yes
terday. that the only lead" involved
in the battle was used by strikers
themselves in a prolonged lombard
ment of the police forces. None Of
the police was wounded.
Saw Flashes Of Shots.
To its previously developed evidence
concerning this battle, the committee
added yesterday testimony by four
strikers that they saw the flashes Of
shots from the nearby plant Of the
Republic Steel mill. heard bullets
click on buildings and steel oil tanks
nearby, and that examination next
day showed bullet holes and dents
which, from their location must have
come from the mill.
George E. Brubach. Pittsburgh city
detective and firearms expert. testified
also that his investigations showed
one "hish-velocity rifle bullet" was
fred from the vicinity of the Republic
mill.
The bullet in question penetrated the
front wall Of a filling station facing
the mill and then went through a
door at the rear. Brubach stretched
a "taut" line between the holes. he
testified. fixed "spotting scope" along
that line. and. sighting through the
hole by which the bullet entered the
building, found window of the Re-
public mill directly in his line Of vision.
In my opinion" he said, that bull
let came from the vicinity Of the seth
- y, y, a
tracks directly in front of the mill"
Police on Emba nkment.
There had already been testimony
by strikers that company police Of the
Republic mill were seen taking up po-
s;tions along the railroad embank-
ment.
Earl Butler, in charge Of the COM
pany police, denied that his men had
been so placed. and denied that they
had been given rifles. Only shotguns
we're issued to them, he said
Chairman La Toilette of the investi-
what had been represented as a box
# dynamite. allegedly found in the
home of Russell Gibboney. Youngs-
town striker. The picture was pre-
ssrted to the Senate Post ONCE Com
mittee last year by Tom Girdler,
chairman Of Republic, and was pub
lished widely
Gibboney testified that the box ac-
tually contained wood ashes, to be
ased. in combination with certain
chemicals, to remove the hair from
deer hide" Not until yesterday, he
added, was any ofiicial retraction made
as to the contents OF the box. and
meanwhile he had suffered acute en-
.barrassment among his friends and
.neighbors.