The Cotton Factory Times. — 1904-12-02 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

EMPLOYERS SENTENCED.  WORKMEN ACQUITTED. REMARKABLE FRENCH TRIAL  The concluding stage was reached on Friday at Annecy of a trial which has lasted many days and has aroused great interest in France. It arose out of a strike at the little town of Climes. M. Crettiez, who with his four sons carried on a factory there, dismissed last May seven of his men for being concerned in a local political demonstration. The remainder of the workpeople struck. As the weeks passed by feeling grew in bitterness, and the masters received many threatening letters. They procured rifles and ammunition and prepared to resist any attack on the factory. On July 18 the strikers organised a demonstration and proceeded towards the factory armed with sticks and bars of iron. The strikers are stated to have thrown stones, and then the Crettioz brothers fired upon them with their rifles, killing three and wounding nearly a hundred. Troops were called up, and they entered the factory and stopped the firing. The strikers later broke through tho soldiers and forced their way into the works. Fortunately the Crettiez family had been smuggled away, or they would have been lynched. Foiled in their attempt to execute personal vengeance on the masters, the crowd sacked the works and burned them to the ground. The four sons of M. Crettiez were arrested and charged with manslaughter, whilst six of the strikers' leaders were charged with being concerned in the destruction of the factory. _ _ _  The assize trial commenced on Tuesday fortnight, and the witnesses numbered over 200. At the conchssion of the long evidence the Public Prosecutor delivered his address to the Court. He maintained that the plea of legitimate defence set up for the brothers Crettiez could nct be entertained, and declared that in firing on the workmen and killing them they had rendered themselves guilty of nothing less than murder. He admitted, however, the existence of exteuating circumstances, and he further asked the Court to punish the workmen who had taken part in the pillage of the Crettiez works. The jury returned a verdict of guilty against the Crettiez brothers and acquitted the workmen rimmed of rioting and pillaging the work,.  The Court pa.ssed-sen-tences of one year's imprisonment on three of the Crettiez brothers, whilst the fourth was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment. The brothers will also have to pay 12.000 francs damages to the families of the workmen who were killed and to the men who were acquitted of the charge of looting the factory.  A GUARANTEED CURE FOR PILES, Itching, Blind, Bleeding. or Protruding. All chemists are authorised to refund money if Pazo Ointment fails to cure Piles. Cures ordinary CMWs in six days. One application gives ease and rest. Paw Ointment is a new discovery, and the only Pile remedy sold on a positive guarantee. Price 2s. 3d., of all chemists, or from Paris Medicine Co., 163, Temple Chambers, London, B.C.  There will be no alteration in wages in the North of England as far as the iron and steel trades are concerned for the months of December arid January.  Operative Spinners' Amalgamation.