Evening star., 1946-02-08
u. ). Probe in SIayinq
Of Pickets Asked by
Rail Brotherhood
By the Associated Press.

BLOOMINGTON, ILL.,, Feb. g.
A leader of the railroad brother
hood on strike against the Toledo
Peoria & Western Railroad has
asked the Federal Government te
aid in the investigation of events
preceding the Staying of two pickets
and wounding of three others in a
shooting Wednesday.
w. c. Keiser, vice president of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Firemen and Enginemen, said a
protest was made by strikers to
Gov. Dwight H. Green last week
against importing of guns and
ammunition into the plant" OF the
railroad at East Peoria.
No reply was received, Mr.. Keiser
said, and I'VE are now calling on
the Federal Government to inYesti-
gate this transaction and see
whether there is federal statute
that governs the purchase and
transportation of firearms in whole
sale lots"
Will Demand Conviction.
In a statement in Peoria, after a
strikers meeting yesterday and as
four guards on the T. w. g. P. were
charged with numbering the two
pickets, Mr.. Keiser said the strikers
committee will make every effort
to secure the conviction Of the ire
Sponsible armed guards employed
by George P. McNear president of
the T. P. & W)."
The statement said that "on
January % we learned that he (Mr.
McNear) was securing a large num-
ber of firearms and ammunition
from Koren Jobbing Co. in Peoria
and were advised that McNear was
personally handling this matter.
I'VE Immediately informed Mr..
Ritter, assistant chief of the State
highway police, of the matter, and
State police stopped the car loaded
with guns and ammunition as it was
leaving the State highway to enter
the T. P. & w. property and took
the car occupants and contents to
the police station at East Peoria.
where the guns were confiscated
subject to instructions from Spring.
field.
"On the following day, guns and
ammunition were released to Nc
Near's representative, obviously upon
instructions from Springfield"
Weapons Confiscated.
Mr.. Ritter, told of the statement.
said he had seized the car, guns
and occupants and conhscated the
weapons, that "Springfield was no
tified," and that the men were re-
leased and the guns returned to the
company ION instructions from
Springfield" He did not elaborate
on his last remark.
Spokesmen for Gov. Green and for
the State Department of Public
Safety at Springfield, of which Mr.
Ritter is an employe, said there was
no comment Immediately on the
statements by Mr. Keiser and Mr.
Ritter. Mr.. McNear could not be
reached for comment.
The fiareup in the four month
old strike against the road by /;
brotherhoods occurred at nearby
Gridley after guards had stopped q
train making an inspection trip to
switch onto a siding. The line
under Federal control in wartime
was returned to McNear last Octo-
ber /.
Held in Jail without Bail.
The four guards charged with
murder in separate complaints sign
ed by Garland F. Brown of Peoria
chairman of the strikers committee
were identified as Lewis A. Smith
27; his brother, Raleigh Smith, %
both Of Blandinsville, ILL.,; Everett
j. Parks, %, Canton, ILL.,, and Roy
Daily, 35, of Peoria. Mr.. Ritter
identified them as former service
men.
Arraigned before Justice of the
Peace A. M. Campbell, the -four
waived preliminary hearing and
were ordered held in Jail without
bail to await grand jury action.
The slain pickets were Arthur
Brown, ~, of Spring Bay, ILL.,, ano
Irwin Paschon, 27, of Peoria. The
other three who were shot were not
uo,1nded seriolls1v