Vol. 4 No. 3 1938 - page 49

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46
PARTISAN REVIEW
to see the gates and to observe with considerable satisfaction that the
back-to-work movement was practically standing still. At about 11:00
P. M. a troop of 35 men, most of whom were later identified as foremen,
passed across the street in military formation, and moved on toward
the gates. They massed themselves so as to face the strikers, and before
anyone knew what was happening bullets began to fly. It was later
learned that the immediately provoking incident had to do with a
motorist's refusal to turn off his automobile lights. The motorist con-
tended that he had started his motor, was ready to pull out, and there-
fore could not turn off the lights. The deputies, however, would stand
for no argument. "Let's bust 'em up," the leader shouted, and the firing
began.
The gathering in front of the strike headquarters was so startled
that for a few seconds everyone stood still, then they began to run like
deer, hopping, jumping, ducking. The bullets followed them. One was
dead when picked up. Another died the next day. A dozen more were
sent to the hospital. A few nursed their wounds at home, preferring
the risk of improper medical care to that of having their names exposed
to the authorities. Two factors account for the reason why there were
not many more casualties: (a) the deputies had to stop briefly to
replenish their ammunition and many of the people got away during
that interval; (b) most of the deputies were particularly poor marksmen.
The shooting and rapid dispersal of the strikers was only the begin-
ning of a night of terror which lasted until early dawn. Reinforced by
city police from Massillon and Canton, as well as by two car loads of
militiamen, the original squad of deputized foremen went on a sadistic
manhunt. Their leader, who also led in the shooting and bragged about
it, was a man named Harry Curley, a former army officer, reported in
the press as assistant to the Massillon Chief of Police, although there
was no public record of his appointment to that post. After invading
the strike headquarters, and leaving it in the condition already described,
they proceeded to the homes and rooming houses in the vicinity. They
forced their 'way into these places without warrant, without permission,
without warning. One rooming house on McKinley Avenue, a few
blocks away from the riot scene, had every door in its 28 rooms broken.
The invaders allowed no time or opportunity for the unlocking of doors,
but broke right into the rooms and houses, dragging all male occupants
off to jail.
Those who were in their night clothes were not given an opportunity
to dress. Two men were arrested in their pajamas, several were dragged
off in their bare feet. They were beaten, thrown down flights of stairs,
herded as many as 20 in a single cell, fed on bread and water, questioned
as to their affiliations and citizenship, whether or not they would go
back to the picket line; photographed,
fingerprinted, made to sign
waivers so as to immunize the community against suits for false arrest;
then after from 24 to 72 hours were released without charge. Out of a
total of 200 arrests, only 11 charges were filed. These included nine
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