Montana labor news., 1939-06-29

o@NAA AAAA AAbtAC willie RCAOlE JUL
didn't know where he was now. He
stopped a minute to listen. The
speaker was reading a paper about
peaceful picketing. Something the
Mayor had said. Then he announced
that a parade would form to march
to the Republic plant and make a
picket line in front Of it.
The meeting broke up slowly in
the sultry afternoon. The parade
formed h~aphazardly, women and
children and all. Two men with
flags walked at the head of the line.
There were a few placards raised
on sticks. John didn't join the
parade at first. He walked up and
down the sidewalk of Green Bay
Avenue, which ran alongside the
prairie, looking for Jim in the crowd
there must be two thousand peo-
pie. As he stood on the sidewalk
craning his neck, a friend shouted
to him. Perhaps it would be easier
to find Jim if he mingled with the
crowd. His friend introduced him
to his mother and father as they
walked along. A little farther on he
fell out once more and walked along
the crowds edges looking for Jim.
When he rejoined the parade he was
nearer the front. He could see a
line of police now, waiting in a sort
of semicircle, far out in front of the
plant. As the struggling parade
moved closer, he could even see
some figures moving around inside
the plant fence. Perhaps one of
them was Michael. He might get
close enough to identify him and
wave at him. He hurried along. He
reached the head of the line and
passed the flag-bearers. He stopped
at the police line and spoke to an
officer.
I'D like to get a message into the
plant" he said. MY brothers in
there. My mothers sick, and I want
to let him know. His name is Michael
Mccartney"
The officer shook his head, but
John went on earnestly:
Listen" he said. Couldn't you
send me in with a couple of Off
GERS? I've got to get hold of my
brother"
Then John noticed that the officer
wasn't paying any attention to him,
that he was just shaking his head
steadily and looking past him. In
the same instant he heard another
officer say to a marcher just behind
him, Stand back, you son-of-a-bitch
or I'll fill you full of lead!" John
looked quickly at the officers to his
right and left. He noticed for the
first time that they had their guns
out. He said afterward that they
looked like football players waiting
for the last signal to charge the line.
He fell back Involuntary.
Then he heard the blast of a
whistle and hell broke loose. Some
thing struck him on the left side of
his head and he went down with
the blood gushing from his face.
The terror. of his own blood flow
ing made him weak. It was run
ming into his mouth, and he tried
to stay in a %crouching position to
keep it from strangling him. As he
tried to run back, crouching, he
realized that his left eye could not
see. Through his daze he heard
shots and he saw people in front of
him, running, going down. He
wondered what was doing all that,
what was moving them down like
that, like a scythe. He looked back
and saw the officers firing into the
crowd.
Somewhere along the way he
threw himself into a ditch. The
shooting was still going on. Maybe
the bullets would miss him if he
stayed in the ditch. AS he lay there
he heard a voice on his left, his blind
side. Help me, buddy" it said,
I'm shot"
He couldn't help. He tried to ex-
plain to the voice that he couldn't
help. Just then a green ball of fire
fell to his right, a few inches from
his face. It was splitting blue smoke
that hurt his right eye and choked
him. With a desperate effort he
raised himself, stood up. A feeling
of nausea a over him. He could
see nothing, but he stumbled on, sick
at his stomach, cropping, crying. At
last someone grabbed him under the
arms and his legs crumpled. He felt
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