May 5, 1914
SINCLAIR TO WIDEN ROCKEFELLER WAR
Wants “Mourners” Throughout Country to Aid Colorado Strikers.
“SWEET MARIE” IN COURT
Hitch Delays Trial of Woman for Threats to Kill Until Today
Upton Sinclair suggested yesterday that the plan of picketing Standard
Oil Company offices throughout the country with mourners be tried as a means of
impressing upon the officials of the company "the intense abhorrence with
which the American people regards their crimes."
It was at his suggestion that the offices at 26 Broadway have been
ticketed for nearly a week by men and women parading back and forth with crape
on their arms. He believes this has been effective so far as the local
officials are concerned and declares he will continue on duty until the
Colorado strike is settled. He sent this telegram yesterday to the national
secretary of the Socialist party:
"Cannot the Socialist party initiate a nationwide movement in
eight of the Colorado strikers, to bring home the masters of standard oil the
intense abhorrence with which the American people regard their crimes? Scores
of the telegrams have reached me suggesting this. There are branch offices of
the standard oil Company in every town."
Wants Crape Before Doors.
"Cannot you or the national executive committee recommend that
morning tickets appear before these offices? Cannot also solicit locals put
crate before the doors?"
Mr. Sinclair issued a statement last night describing interference with
the mourning pickets which, he intimated, were perpetrated by someone employed
by the Standard Oil company. He also took a shot at some of the persons who
have annexed themselves to his campaign in behalf of the Colorado miners. He
said he wanted to deny all connection with these disturbers.
He said that which he was walking quietly with a friend yesterday a
heavily built man walking in the opposite direction shouldered him with force
almost sufficient to knock him down. He said the same thing was done half an
hour later, and that Mrs. Sinclair recognized the man as one whom they had met
in the elevator when they went to visit Mr. Rockefeller and who has been seen
coming frequently from the standard Oil offices and whispering to policemen on
duty. Sinclair also complains that some of the women of his party have been
similarly treated.
“For several days,” he said, “we have been honored by the attentions of
a personage whom the newspapers have dubbed the “Tacoma Terror.” This young man
has distributed circulars, conversed noisily and otherwise made himself
conspicuous and today I learned from one of our followers that he is an
ex-labor spy.
“To our friends I wish to say that I have never known anything like the
testimonials of public sympathy that have come to us. “The invisible Government
of the United States has lost its nerve. For the first time since it began its
career the truth has been forced upon its hardened chiefs that there is a power
in the world greater than that of money. I have today been talking with three
men who stand close to the very inside of the ‘system’ and I know that if they
cannot break us they will have to arbitrate this strike.”
Marie Ganz Arraigned.
Sweet Marie Ganz was arraigned before Magistrate Murphy in the Tombs
court yesterday on a charge of disorderly conduct. Her friends and sympathizers
were not allowed in the court room About 200 of them followed her from a
meeting near the new Municipal Building, but when they reached the Criminal
Courts Building they were turned back by a squad of policemen. The court room
was cleared of all who had no business there.
It was the intention to try Miss Ganz on a simple charge of disorderly
conduct, such as is defined in the city Charter, but whoever drew the complaint
charged her with a violation of section 720 of the Penal Code, which also
defines disorderly conduct, but makes it a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor case goes
to Special Sessions and Harold Spielberg, counsel for Miss Ganz, was quick to
take advantage of the error. He declared that he was prepared to defend the
violation of the Penal Code, but not that of the city Charter. Magistrate
Murphy tried to remedy matters by crossing out the charge on the back of the
complaint, but Spielberg pointed out that his client should not therefore be
compelled to submit to the summary action of the Magistrate.
Case Adjourned Until Today
The case was adjourned until 2 o’clock this afternoon, when a
substitute complaint will be offered. Irving E. Ettinger, a police
stenographer, was in court with a record of the speech made by Miss Ganz at
Mulberry Bend Park on May 1 in which she said she intended to shoot John D.
Rockefeller, Jr., if he didn’t remedy conditions in Colorado.
Another protest organization was added yesterday to those which have
seized upon Mr. Sinclair’s mourning idea as a means of airing their particular
grievances. This was the Live and Let Live League. Frank how announced in
Bowling Green at the noon hour that he was the organizer and that he desired to
be known as “The Man of the Street.” He said he would address a big meeting on
Saturday in Battery place.
William Karlin, a Socialist lawyer, and Samuel Hartman, an I.W.W.
agitator, were other speakers. Another figure at the meeting was a fat boy
known as Dumpy Cohn. He tried to make a speech but his appearance so roused the
risibilities of the audience that he was forced to quit.
Secretary Frank Shay of the Free Silence League posted a notice at
headquarters in Trinity place yesterday in which he appealed to those who
volunteered to picket 26 Broadway to refrain from taking part in other meetings
in the vicinity.
POCANTICO
GUARDS DOUBLED
All Gates at Rockefeller Estate
Are Carefully Watched.
Tarrytown, N.Y., May 4—Although the I.W.W. agitators appeared at
Pocantico Hills today, the guards about the estate were doubled. At each gate
tow were on duty. Teams and workmen were allowed to enter, but after they had
passed in the gates were quickly locked.
It was said that John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was feeling better today and
visited a few stables.
John D. Rockefeller, his father did not play golf. He stayed indoors
all day. His secretary came from New York, and Mr. Rockefeller devoted his time
to business.
No comments:
Post a Comment