The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-06-08
Officers Of Law
lis To Blame For
Strike Violence

Washington (LPA)-There was
no justification for calling the Ma.
tional Guard to the scene of the
Enka strike near Morristown
Tenn; the strike had been peace
full, and the real violence was by
the officers Of the law, not the
strikers, according to the Textile
Workers. The union also disclosed
the brutality of the officers against
the strikers.
After investigating the Morris
town situation, which was reported
in the daily papers as though there
had been violence on the picket
line, TWUA Washington represen-
tative John w. Edelman wrote to
Attorney General J. Howard Nc
Grath urging an immediate investi-
cation by the Civil Rights unit in
the Justice Department.
Edelman charged Sheriff Robert
Medhn with being "the willing tool
of the Enka Corporation" Medlin
called on the Governor of Tennes-
see to send 800 heavily armed Ma
tional Guardsmen into Morristown.
The union described what ensued
as "flagrant case of outright
strikebreaking by state, county and
local officials"
"The strike had been peaceful" !"
said Edelman. Zone incident had
occurred on the picket line which
certainly could have been handled
by the so state highway patrolmen
on duty at the time" He declared
there is no evidence that the strik-
ers were in any way involved in
two alleged dynamite blasts" in
the hills.
Early on Memorial Day strik-
er was slugged by a National
Guardsman for calling to a group
of workers in a car who were driv-
ing into the plant" the union
spokesman related. About midday,
Sheriff Medlin called a posse of 28
Guardsmen and four highway pat
rolmen, raided the union commiss-
airy and the local union office, and
took 15 strikers to the jailhouse for
alleged violation of court order
the line to six pickets.
while in the Jail, one of the
strikers, Lonnie Warwick, was de-
liberately and cruelty attacked by
a whole crowd of deputies and
of the National Guard,"I
Edelman said. "TWUA attorney
Robert Cahoon and the unions
local representative Silas Switzer
went to the Jail and urged that al
ioctor see Warwick at once. They
,ook him to a nearby Doctors office
where an examination showed he
vas suffering a concussion, a rup-
,ured spleen and broken ribs, in
addition to cuts and bruises. The
National Guard officer refused tol
AXE Warwick to the hospital as the
loctor urged but ordered him tol
patch up the man. Warwick
screamed in pain when he tried tol
lie down. Guardsmen and deputies
started pummeling him in the pre-
'ence of the doctor. Cahoon and
switzer, who were in the waiting
'oom, called Don't hit him. The
Guard officer knocked Cahoon un-
with the butt of his re-
oliver and kicked him while he layl
N the floor. Switzer was badlyI
'eaten. The two of them were then
lauled off to jail. At midnight, a !
'0ndsman was located and the
released"
Pointing out that over 200 MAJ
ional Guard troops were remain
ng in Morristown despite news
'aper reports that they were with
Edelman urged Federal
government Intervention "to check
his outbreak of official lawless-
ess." The Enka workers have been
n strike since March %. They are
eeking pay raises that would not
ven bring them up to the level
hrOuphOut the industry