»
LAND, OREGON, MARCH 30, 1912
Vol. I. No. 2 $
EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES
FOR DEFENSE IN HICKS CASE
LOOKS FAVORABLE FOR HICKS
Steel Cars Save M a n y L ves
In T w en tieth Century Crash
Price 5 Cents
A RESUME OF THE STATE S
SIDE OF THE HICKS TRIAL
WHICH HAS CLOSED ITS CASE
Now that the .state so recently llieks guilty o f first degree mur­
The defense came into the lime on H icks’ part, to substantiate its
rested in the ease against Burt der, as charged in the indictment,
light in the Burt Hicks case Mon­ contention o f a first degree mur
Hicks, charged with first degree the penalty with the Oregon sta
day, when Bernard Voigt, A. W der charge. Glase was firm in his
murder, in which W. A. Wortman tute is death. Such is not likely to
Holmquist and W illiam F. llilger? stand that is Hicks had made such
was the victim of the fatal bul­ be inflicted, fo r Governor West is
were placed on the stand. They a threat, alleged, he would have
let last November a resume o f the opposed to the death penalty. But
are all machinists who declined certainly have heard it.
case may be of interest.
to turn a willing ear to the siren
The testimony o f acts o f vio­
a verdict o f first degree murder it*
The empanelling o f the jury, be­ unthinkable. The defendant’s at
song of the strike spirit, in which lence and abusive language by the
gun February 19, was a long torney said to the ju ry that he
so many o f the machinists walked union men was given by C. E
,drawn out affair. March 15, the wanted no compromise verdict!
out. Their testimony was to the Mack, Arthur Ila v ill and Leonard
state commenced the examination but either acquittal or conviction,
point o f acts of violence on the Eick. H avill testified to having
of its witnesses, consuming a week.
part of the union men and the been badly beaten up by union
It is a matter o f record that
It is more than probable that the
vile epithets which they hurled at picketers and having lain in bed
defense w ill take a far longer time Hicks, admitting the fear o f per
the machinists who preferred tc four days at home in consequence
than that. The arguments o f the sonal violence, received tacit per­
stand by their jobs and their em G. W. Bale a draughtsman fo r the
attorneys
w ill
doubtless
be mission o f Captain Baty, o f the
Willamette
Iron
&
Steel
Works
ployers.
Police Department, to carry a re
lengthy,
since
much
testimony
will
As was to have been expected testified as to assaults on the men
be given careful and painstaking volver. Patrolman Burstow testi­
the state strenuously objected to who had declined to join the strik
analysis. One cannot predict how fied that llieks made a theatening
the introduction o f their evidence, era.
long it w ill be before this cele­ remark concerning the union pick
claiming that it was immaterial
Other witnesses put on by the
brated case is finally terminated ets which had nagged at him prior
The state’s attorneys argued, that defense were A. Iledlund, A. II
to the tragedy, a point which the
and the ju ry returns its verdict.
acts taking place in other shops Stone, J. N. Maki and A. W . Kent.
state considers proof o f premedi­
This
is
no
ordinary
case.
It
bore no relation to the case on The substance o f Schmidt’s testi­
means more than proving whether tation. Much has been made by
trial, on the other hand the de­ mony went to show that he felt
the defendant took a human life the state o f alleged “ malignant
fense argued that such testimony himself compelled to go armed.
in a fit o f passion, and premedi­ looks” on the part o f the defend­
would tend to show why Hicks had He had carried revolvers and |
tated,
or whether he acted in self ant, but the defense does not con­
good cause to fear fo r his personal clubs to keep the picketers’ at b a y.,
defense or believed himself in dan­ sider this as sinister to its inter
safety. This question was thrashed Once when he was getting shaved 1
ger o f assassination or great bod­ ests. Witnesses Raser and Votur-
out between the contending at­ in a barber shop a union picketer
ily harm. The issue o f the closed ba, who saw the shooting (both
torneys fo r an hour or two, until whispered in his ear that if he
shop, so strenuously espoused by radical unionists) and II. L. Born
finally the state’s objections were were the barber he w'ould slit his
unionism, or the open shop, which was to the effect that Wortman
partially overruled, and admitted throat. Sam Howard the propri­
employers desire to maintain, is as was on the defensive when shot.
all such testimony touching the etor of a barber shop corroborated
much on trial as is Burt Hicks.
The fact that Witnesses lluber
tactics o f the picketers with which Schmidt’s statement.
Up to the time the state rested, and Raser were sent out o f town
Wortman was connected.
Leonard Eick testified that he
every step was bitterly contested. that they might not appear before
Tuesday, Madison Welch, Coun­ had been compelled to telephone
Acrimonious argument, caustic re­ the grand jury, gives the state’s
ty Superintendent o f Bridges and the police one time to protect him
marks and even physical conflicts side a bad look.
The phrase,
Ferries and the fourth witness for from a gang of picketers who were
occured between the attorneys “ Look at the scab harder,” ap­
the defense was placed on the follow ing him with abusive lan
Judge Gatens admirably main­ plied by Wortman to llieks, prior
stand to testify to the various acts guage. Hedluud declared that the
tained the balance o f power, ami to the shooting is admitted, but
of violence and the disturbances picketers had taken a snapshot
his rulings have been just and im it is contended that never before
which had been created by the with a camera o f him to illustrate
partial.
had any epithet except “ scab’ )
union picketers during the machi­ some union paper as an example
Should the jury decide that the been employed by the union picks
nists’ strike. Welch stated that he o f a “ scab.” His picture with a
crime was premeditated and find eters against 1 licks.
had visited the Hicks shop on tho personal description, he said, were
east side on a number o f occa­ also tacked up in public places ad­
sions and had found it guarded by vertising him to the world as a
pickets. During last December he “ scab.”
He had never been as­
was leaving the shop on the occa­ saulted, but it is probable that his
Photos by American Prese Association.
sion o f one o f his visits when three
IX serious accidents have occurred In the last few weeks to the fast
pickets, one o f whom carries a
trains running between New York and Chicago. The latest was the de­
SOCIALISTS DENOUNCE I. W.
piece of gas pipe accosted him.
railing o f the Twentieth Century limited o f the New York Central near
W. AS ANARCHISTS.
“ They asked me if I were look­
Poughkeepsie while it was running at a high rate of speed. Five
ABERD EEN, Wash.— In an at­
ing for a job in the shop. I told
coaches were thrown into the Hudson river, at that point covered with Ice. and ABER D EEN, Wash.— The first
tack
by strikers on the Anderson
them I was not, and paid no fu r­
o f serious rioting dur­
twenty-eight passengers, many of them still in their berths—it was about evidence
9
BOISE, Idaho.— Open war was
ther attention to them,” said declared between the Socialist and a. in.—were injured. Railroad men say that It was almost a miracle that no ing the present Industrial W ork­ & Middleton mill March 25, sev­
Welch.
Industrial Workers o f the W orld one was killed, but attribute the passengers’ escape from death to the fact ers o f the World strike among eral young men were injured, one
Welch said he knew O. S. Raser, o f this state March 22nd, and a that the steel coaches, in spite of the terrifle crash, were scarcely damaged
the harbor millhands was seen being taken to the hospital. They
an important witness fo r the state, reeent meeting held here at state With the old fashioned wooden care the lose of life would undoubtedly have
been appalling. The arrow in the upper llluatratlon Indicates the position of 'M arch 25, when three men, two were all high school boys, who
who was one o f the picket cap­ headquarters there was a near
the broken rail which caused the accident.
o f whom were badly battered by were spending their vacation fill­
tains. lie said Raser told him on riot over the bitter denunciation
one occasion that he believed the by Socialist leaders o f the I. W.
non-strikers, were placed under ing the places o f strikers at the
strikers were justified in using vio­ W. members. The conflict wasi
arrest. The arrest followed a mob mills and those o f longshoremen
lence, also declaring that Raser started by R. C. Massey, one of
assembly at. the Anderson Middle- on the waterfront. None is badly
had made accusations against the pillars o f the Socialist party
ton mill when an effort was made hurt. The strikers threaten the
Hicks. Attorney Malarkey fo r the in this state, who filed charges
by the strikers to attack a num­ closing o f this mill so as to cut off
defense stated that he wished to against 30 members alleging an­
ber o f men leaving the mill.
the electric lights for the city.
show that Raser had a particular­ archistic sympathies. The attempt
A number o f small boys began
When the employes started out
ly vicious and malicious feeling made to oust the Socialist mem­
throwing rocks at the men. Just with their teams they were as­
against Hicks.
bers attacked failed by a vote of
as two high school students who saulted by the strikers, and a gen­
Emil Schmidt, chief witness for 29 to 24. Massey and his follow ­
had been taking the place o f the
the defense Wednesday morning, ers left the part yto form a new
strikers, turned on I I Street, a fo r­ eral mixup occurred. Matters are
testified that he had been hounded one and declared that they would
eigner stepped from the ranks of confident, while the men anxious
and threatened by union pickets not return to the Socialist party
the strikers and struck one o f to work and the general public
day and night fo r a year and a unless I. W. W. members w\?re
them. In a moment the crowd are exasperated and indignant.
half and that he himself had ousted.
surrounded
the
man.
Officer .Strikers are attempting to buy re­
threatened to shoot W . A. Wort-
Massey, who is a wealthy man
Kempter
was
forced
to
draw
bis volvers and otherwise preparing
man, stating that he had to keep has contributed large sums to the
revolver to keep back tin* crowd. for violence.
him at bay with a loaded revolver. Socialist party o f Idaho to keep
A demonstration at the West­
Angered by the capture o f one
Schmidt told of more than a half the organization on its feet. Grad­
ern Uooperage almost resulted in
of
their
comrades,
the
crowd
fol­
dozen instances in wThieh he had ually the I. W. W . members joined
lowed tin- officer to the City .fail, trouble. Several high school boys,
been threatened with bodily in-i the Socialist
party
and. it is
where it demanded the man’s re­ lotigshoring, were assaulted, one
ju ry at the hands o f union pickets claimed, raised the red flag. This
lease. A squad o f policemen drove named McKenna was hurt ami
and relating in broken English a caused the conservatives to pro­
the crowd back ami it was not trouble was averted only by the
straightforward story o f persecu­ test. Massey, who had been active
prescence o f special police.
necessary to resort to violence.
tion by the striking machinists be­ in the recent election to institute
At
(lie
Aberdeen
Lumber
Com­
cause he would not join the union. a commission form of government!
pany three o f tin’ officers were
He told o f having been twice ar­ was severely criticized by the So­
forced to draw their revolvers to
rested at the instance o f the pick­ cialists and forfeiture o f his mem
keep back the mob, when Joe
ets fo r carrying a revolver for self bership demanded. Massey refused
Smith, a non-striker, was pulled
protection, but was both times ex­ to resign, but in turn filed charges
from his bicycle. No blows were
onerated by the grand ju ry when against the I. W. W. members of
struck ami the mills resumed work
the facts o f the case were present­ the party.
with a full crew.
ed.
When the Massey charges were
IIO(¿l JA M , Wash. An Ameri
The previous morning, when an j
Patrolman Glase testified that made there was a riotous scene
effort was made to block the street l can flag floats over the entrance to
he had never heard Hicks make The language at times became vio- I
i leading to tin- Western Cooperage every mill on Grays Harbor March
any threatening remarks toward'* lent. The speakers defied the j
Company, two men were arrested, 2t> signifying that hereafter none
union picketers. which contradict­ chair.
¡and taken to the City Jail. Dur-1 but American citizens will be
ed the testimony of Patrolman
Finally cries fo r a vote raised
: ing the melee the National flag hired in the plants. The decision
Burtsow who had previously testi­
from all quarters o f the hall|
¡was raised above the mill, three | was reached at a meeting o f the
fied for the state that Hicks had
calmed the meeting temporarily
sections o f hose were trained on I mill men, who had foreseen all
said in his prescence and that of
but the vote, taken on the motion
1 the strikers and in less than ninc- kinds o f trouble since the employ­
Patrolman Glase: “ I f any o f these
that the 30 “ accused be east out
I teen minutes the mill began opera ment of Greeks and Slavic labor,
fellows start anything, there was lost. Bedlam broke loose
and since the strike started a week
] t ions with a full crew.
P h o to s oy A m e ric a n P re ss A sso cia tio n
w on’t be so many o f them le ft.” again and the meeting broke up
ago. No violence has resulted in
Glase stated that Burstow on see­
HE rainfall in the southern AtianUc states has been abnormally heavy
in disorder.
this city.
ing a bunch o f pieketers re
this season, and many rivers have overflowed their banks in conse­
Strike at Raymond.
A. If Kuhn, for years manager
Carrying out his threat the day
marked: “ Boys if there is any­
quence of I t Considerable damage to property resulted, and in the
o f the Iloquiam Lumber & Shingle
thing going to be doing it seems after the heated session. Massey |
wake o f the storm that swept the coast on March 15 there was some
While mak Uompany’s mill, resigned his posi­
and 90 other Socialists organized
lose of life. Damage to cropo amounting to millions was done in 'ieorgla Raymond, Wash.
to me it might be tonight.”
mg no demands the l. W. W. tion, and will leave soon for I’ana
alone A t Augusta the Savannah river rose so high that the cellars of stores
This came out in connection what is known now as the “ Real
with the alleged remark on Hicks Socialist P a rty.” leaving the I. were flooded and business was suspended while merchants removed their ' '-ailed a strike March 2ti. There nía. II*' says the tight lias proved
a
half-hearted
response too strenuous for bis advanced
in threat, upon which the state re W . W. Socialists in control o f the go*ids to pieces of safety The ecconipenying illustrations »how a bank tem­ ! was
porarily Isolated and a vista of one of the principal flooded streets of the city. | among the workers at the mills.
age.
lied as evidence o f premeditation old party.
S
I. W. W. HELD
STRIKERS MAKE
BACK BY GUNS
ATTACK ON HIGH
IN COPS’ HAND SCHOOL WORKERS
A u g u sta , Ga., Visited
B y Devastating Torrents
AMERICAN FLAGS
REPEL I. W. W.
INVADING HOST
T