NUMBER DIE FOR LABOR IN A YEAR: Supreme Sacrifice Paid By Thirty-three

NUMBER DIE FOR LABOR IN A YEAR: Supreme Sacrifice Paid By Thirty-three

Thirty-Three workers fought and died in 1935, fought because they asked for bread and life for their wives and children; died because they who mismanage industry, prefered to murder and kill to prevent justice.

Have these thirty-three given their lives in vain? Their sacrifice can only be repaid by a powerful Labor movement that will take power in America for better conditions for the workers.

Those killed were:

“Pink” Walker, unemployed United Textile Workers’ sympathizer, shot by scab at Richmond Hosiery Mills, Rossville, Ga., February 3.

Frank Petrovsky, 28-year-old miner, member of the United Anthracite Miners’ Union, killed by a  scab at Glen Alden Coal Co., Woodward colliery, Pa., February 14.

Kenneth Eldridge, Paul Knight, killed by vigilantes in fruit and vegetable workers’ strike at William Wahl shed, El Centro, Cal., February 17.

Iknacio Velarde, 37-year-old jobless worker, killed by deputy sheriff in demonstration against eviction at Gallup, N. M, April 4.

Solomon Esquibel, 33-year-old, communist leader, died in Gallup hospital April 12, from shot in spine received at April demonstration.

Andy Latiska, 30-year-old father of two children, killed by shots fired by strike guards at Kaul Clay Co., Toronto, Ohio, April 17.

Roy Morency, 31-year-old vice-president of warehouseman’s Union, killed by son of owner of struck company, Stockton, Cal., April 27.

Fontie Stephens, Textile striker, died of wounds received when National Guardsman attacked strikers, Galloway Mills, LaGrange, Ga., May 11.

George Melhelm , 56-year-old bystander, died of wounds received when company guards attack strikers at Berger Mfg. Co., Canton, Ohio, June 13.

John W. Duster, bystander, killed when police attacked street car strikers, Omaha, Neb., June 14.

Dewey McCoy, bystander, killed when police attacked Omaha strikers, June 14.

William Kaarte, lumber striker, killed by police near Holmes, Eureka, mill, Eureka, Cal., June 21.

Fred Friedl, 48-year-old former business agent of International Seaman’s Union, killed by detective and four others at San Pedro, Cal., June 22.

Harold Edlund, 35-year-old lumber striker, died June 25 of wounds received in police attack at Eureka, Cal., June 21.

Ed Barcy, Joe Johnson, Jim Meriwater, strikers of Alabama Sharecroppers’ Union found dead in the swamps of Montgomery and Lowndes counties, Ala., in August.

Mrs. Bertha Kelley, 21-year-old textile picket, mother of two children shot in strike clash at Pelzer Mfg. Co., Pelter, N.C., September 2.

Melvin Bjorklund, Eugene Casper, bystanders, shot by police in strike at Flour City Ornamental Iron Works, Minneapolis, Minn., September 12.

Smith Watkins, active member of Alabama Sharecroppers’ Union, found dead in swamp, Butlier County, Ala., in September.

William L. Polley, business agent of truck drivers’ Union, shot by gangsters just prior to strike call, Kansas City, Kansas, October 13.

Sam Dowdell, striker, shot by scab at Tennessee Coal and Iron Co. mine near Birmingham, Ala., October 16.

Etienne Christ, 34-year-old longshore striker, found dead near Texas Co. terminal, Port Arthur, Tex., October 21.

Virgil Thomas, United Mine Workers striker, ambushed by machine guns while en route to picket at Acmar mine of Alabama Fuel and Iron Co., near Birmingham, Ala., October 28.

Ernest Dukes, picket member of International longshoremen’s Assn., shot by cop protecting scabs at Mobile, Ala., October 13.

Ralph Ratleff, 26-year-old United Mine Workers member shot by strike-breaker near Pikesville, Ky., Nov. 3.

Estill Dameon, 20-year-old min striker, shot by deputy sheriff, near Pikesville, Ky., Nov. 3.

Sam Brandt, 21-year-old International Longshoremen’s Assn. striker, shot by strike guards at Houston, Tex., Nov. 26.

Joseph Shoemaker, socialist and unemployed leader, beaten by mob and police at Tampa, Fla., Nov. 30.

Carl Swanson, socialist auto striker shot in back by scab foreman during strike in Detroit, Mich. Died, December 15.

Statistics supplied by Labor Research Association.

(1936, January 3). NUMBER DIE FOR LABOR IN A YEAR: Supreme Sacrifice Paid By Thirty-three. The Muscle Shoals Labor Advocate, pp. 3.