1914.05.05: SINCLAIR TO WIDEN ROCKEFELLER WAR



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.


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