Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-11
Union Agent
Subjected to
Close Scrutiny
Some More ReveIationi
Of Organized Violence
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
GONE days l shoot the sun in
~ essays of the "whither-are-
we-drifting?" type, and other
days l give them the old who,
what, when, where, why and
how-come?
This is one of those other
days. and the subject Of our
study is a union business agent.
Some months ago Mrs. Rose
welt appeared at a strike meet
ing and said, among other things,
that she thought all workers
ought 10 join unions.
1T is possible that the lady was
just speaking off the end of her
tongue or the top of her head
and didn't know the background
Of the union. but If she didn't
she should have. and If she did
her advice was presumptuous
from one in her position. =
y,
TIiE agent in question was At
L that very time under indlct-
ment on charge of riotlng IN
connection with strike, and he
has since been convicted and
sentenced 10 serve from one 10
two years.
This IS not his first conviction
but his second. and, although
his conviction in the previous
case was reversed and the COM
plant finally was dismissed. the
history of that Job will give you
an idea.
Early in 1888 two members or
the local were shot in a factionail
fracas at the headquarters of the
local. One was hit twice, in The
shoulder and stomach, and the
other once. in The head.
Within an hour alter The
shooting the former, in a state
ment, said:
THE agent pulled n gun. He
fired nj me. and the first bullet
hit me i'm the stomach. He fired
another shot at me-"
At the hospital, the other
victim said the agent had no
gun, but he later said some one
had threatened him If he did not
keep his mouth shut.
a union member. who had
entered the hail with the
wounded men and their faction,
was not available TO testify IN
the subsequent trial,
He was waylaid and killed
near his home by a party Of gun
men four months after the gum
play N the headquarters NO
arrests
nURlNG the trial one Of the
~ wounded men said the mem
Der helped him TO his feet when
he fell
is he dead or alive 80 the
prosecutor asked
He II dead" vas the reply,
she was murdered right after
ward"
This question and the answer
were protested and stricken out.
a preliminary hearing was
held al which another member
of the opposition, gave teSti-
mOny
a few hours later. a. he was
walking along the street. he was
attacked from behind by a man
who threw acid in his face
He later testified AZ TO this.
and this testimony, too. war
+ stricken out. Indeed. the re-
| vcrSal of tho conviction was
based. IN part. on the fact that
4 tho prosecutor. nevertheless. re-
ferred IN this testimony IN sum-
ming up.
THE agents sentence was from
10 l. years, but the case
was sent back for retrial.
II was dismissed on the recnm-
mcndation Of an assistant disc
trict attorney, who wrote for the
record that rho injured men
have stated that they arc no
longer DESTROYS Of appearing
against the defendants
"The undersigned has also
learned" the court was IN
formed. that because Of the in
juries which they suffered. the
union. on account Of an action
brought by them against IL,
settled their claims for the In
juries suffered by them in the
amount Of $4,000"
"They stated 10 the under
signed" the prosecutor informed
the court
THAT they are not indicating
their desire 10 withdraw this
complaint because of this con-
sidcratiOn, hut because the best
interests OF the union warrant
that attitude"
Copy righ,ed by United Features synd Inc.