The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1940-04-11

Cumberland experienced the first activity
Of a COON squad last week AS a result a
c. ]. o. union official was brutally battered.
one teamster-goon is serving a sixty-day Jail
sentence. one teamster busness.agent was con-
victed and fined. rank and file teamster-goon
met a similar fate. and the search continues
for an unidentified accomplish.
All of the convicted men are officers or
members Of the Transfers and ChauHeurs Of
the American Federation of Labor. or what
Mayor Irvine calls the conservative element
of the labor movement"
The first Cumberland job. though. proved
to be done by rank amateurs and as a result
they have met with their just deserts.
A gang Of FIVE brave" specimens Of hu-
mainly attired in the garb of men waylaid an
officer OF the c. |. Q. building trades local
union on one of the loneliest stretches of the
Cumberland highway after midnight He was
viciously assaulted with club. had his eye
gases smashed. his head dubbed and his
fa-c and body battered.
The goons then attempted to drag him into
a waiting automobile to take him for ride
you won't come back from" Earlier Cum
berand police officer had heard Teamsters
Business Agent Charles E. Stutzman instruct
his accompces to get Nazelrod.'
The gang bungled the job. Although the
victim Nazelrod is getting on in years he put
up terrific struggle. The gang effort to get
him into the ride car failed and luckily, he
lived to tell the story and identify his assaants.
We have recounted the punishment which
they received when brought to justice. 1t is
to be hoped that the example will serve notice
to any other elements in the A. F. of L. who
may have similar tactics in mind
We take this opportunity of publicly ex-
pressing the resentment which the decent forces
of organized labor feels towards Business Agent
c. E. Stutzman. who recently arrived in Cum
berland from Jamestown. Pa. Let US tell this
fellow that we count him as disgrace to the
organized labor movement
He has come here to take charge of Local
Union which is already in pretty bad odor
with the local organized labor movement for
i ; st.ikebreaking activities. His first venture
which brings him into the public eye certainly
is not calculated to have people believe him
to be union leader.
The incident is Cumberland's first exper-
fence of labor COON tactics and it is pretty well
c,skcd. In fact. it is reasonable to expect
thet any repetition of such conduct will meet
with sitter punishment
Most people have sense Of decency and
fair play. 1t has been outraged by the vio-
l,nce of this bunch of A. F. of L. goons. They
will be wise to take very good notice of the
fact
Finally may we urge all c. !. o. men to
take pains 10 observe the list OF precautions
against goons which is printed in this issue.
These have been prepared from country wide
experience and suffering of the victims of these
squads.
In addition to observing the precau-
lions for their own safety, we want to
emphasize tina, il is equally important that
every member of the rank and file of the
Clio serupulously refrain from taking any
reprisals whatsoever for the incident of
last week or for any that may follow. Let
our motto be: eff there are any COON
outrages to be perpetrated, let the A. F.
nf l. do them ~