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Friday October 15, 1915
From The Day Book: Sworn Statements Tell of Police Brutality Toward Strikers
The young girls doing their duty on the picket lines during the Great Chicago Garment Workers Strike, now on-going in that city, face the brutality of the Chicago Police Department and the manufacturers' hired sluggers with undaunted courage. The Chicago
of October 13th presents affidavits sworn to by these girl-strikers, some as young as seventeen, such as this statement by Miss Ida Miller who gave the following testimony:
How newspapers and police double-cross the people of Chicago is dis cussed by Mrs. Medill McCormick in a statement given The Day Book today. She was appointed by the women's committee of fifteen as press chairman. She said:
For some reason or other we have not been able to get our view of the cause of the garment workers printed in the newspapers.
Miss Sophonisba Breckenridge, at our meeting Monday, read sworn statements of 50 women and girls who have been brutally or insolently handled by the police. We have had from 30 or 40 women each day on the picket line with the girls on strike. Our women have witnessed with their own eyes or carefully checked up on serious charges of police violence and police use of obscene and profane language.
We have asked newspapers to print facts and evidence which we believe convincing proof that the police department is in some manner under control or influence of clothing manufacturers who wish to defeat the strike.
We know that women and girls have been arrested who have not violated any law, and we are certain no evidence can be produced that these girls are lawbreakers.
While these numerous arrests have been made of working girls, clothing manufacturers have deliberately violated the law every day without interference by the police.
Our committee will push action to a definite end in one specific case in which Ellen Gates Starr and strikers saw a man slugged while three policeman looked on, did not interfere and made no arrests. A John Doe warrant for the slugger has been sworn out. We shall test the rights of police to act as powerless bystanders while strikers are beaten by sluggers in the employ of manufacturers.
We have no apologies for our course in going on the picket line with the strikers. They have asked arbitration. The manufacturers have not replied to the offer of Pres. Hillman for arbitration in a letter ten days before strike was called.
Sixty per cent of the strikers are women and girls. At Springfield we asked for a minimum wage commission, an eight-hour day and a better child labor law to protect these women and girls. This legislation was refused.
These are summaries of sworn statements suppressed by the big newspapers which yearly get hundreds of dollars in ad money from clothing manufacturers and stores:
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Hit on Stomach.
Rose Goodman, 21, of 1256 Turner av., worked for Sachs & Co. On Oct. 4 about 5 p. m., near Harrison and Sherman streets she saw an officer strike an old woman he was about to arrest. She asked why he was so rough with an old woman and the officer, No. 4470, told her to move on, adding: "Get to hell out of here." When deponent started to speak again Officer 4470 said: "If you don't go I'll kill you." Deponent further states that Officer No. 4470 struck her on her stomach and then gave a swift shove upon her shoulders so that she lost her balance, falling close to the feet of a mounted police horse in motion. Thrown into wagon with 15 other girl strikers.
On the way to the station she fainted. On recovery from fainting the other girls in the wagon pointed to a window they had broken to gain air to revive her. At the station she lost consciousness, was taken home in a cab, and the following day again lost consciousness, suffered pains in chest and abdomen where blows were struck upon her body by Police Officer No. 4470 and others who threw her into the wagon. She is now under the care of a physician.
Hit By Motorcycle
Lena Rosen, 20, of 1823 W. North av., worked for Ederheimer, Stein & Co.; average $5 a week. On Sept 29 about 10 a. m., walked with her sister on Robey st near Wabansia, followed by two police officers who called them 'damn fools' and taunted them, saying they would not win the strike. One block from shop Motorcycle Officer No. 3596 rode cycle up on sidewalk between them, ran over deponent's right foot and her foot is bruised and swoolen." (Hilda Rosen joins in this sworn statement.)
Cop 3598 Bruised Her Arm.
Fannie Ginsburg, 17, of 1903 Milwauke av. worked for Ederheimer, Stein & Co. Charged by Motorcycle Policeman No. 3598. He "seized her arm, hurled her to the sidewalk and caused a bruise on her left arm and side."
Cop 2018 Insults Girl.
Ida Chieftis, 16, of 1846 W. Adams st worked for Royal Tailors at $5 a week. Oct. 4 about 5 p. m. on Harrison st, near Sherman "found herself hemmed in by a crowd, was arrested and roughly thrown into a patrol wagon." When she "begged the policeman not to be so rough he told her to 'shut up' and said they were 'a bunch of dogs,' and pushed her into the wagon so that she fell, breaking her glasses and bruising her face. Oct 7 on 5th av. Patrolman 2018 said to her and another girl: "Girls, don't walk around here; I will give you a man for tonight that's a better job."
Hit With Club.
Ida Miller, 17, of 1457 Spruce St., worked for Edward Rose & Co.; average $4 a week. Oct 4 about 5 p. m. walked with Molly Steinberg on Harrison st. "Mounted policeman blocked our way and another came up and began to push us." Deponent states she told officer: 'Keep your hands off. We are not doing anything and we have a right to the sidewalk.' " The officer struck her with his club across the face, blood began to flow from her nose and she fainted. When she, recovered she was in a nearby store, where she had been carried by bystanders."
Cop Drags Her
Lillian Schaps, 22, of 1330 S. Springfield av.. worked as baster for Marx & Brown at $5 a week. Oct. 4 about 5 o'clock was with other girl; strikers going east on Harrison st Mounted Policeman No. 3932 charged at them when they tried to cross street Officer 4770 swore at them and said they were "crazy fools" and "wild Indians" and "You've got no business on Harrison st; where you belong is S. State st" Officer 4770 seized her by the arm, dragged her from the edge of the sidewalk and threw her against a building. Bruised. Thrown into wagon with 15 other girls.
Cop 4422 Uses Force
Rose Deninberg, 21, of 1434 N. Rockwell st was finisher for Kling Bros, at $6 a week. On Oct 4 about 5 p. m., on Harrison st, near Sherman walked with another striker. Near Royal Tailors shop Officer 4422 stopped them. She asked: "Can't we walk on the public sidewalk?" Officer 4422 did not reply, but pushed her and "she fell on the pavement and narrowly escaped being trampled on by the horse of a mounted police man." She was thrown into a wagon where one girl fainted and it was necessary to break a window to get air and revive her.
Sluggers Got Him
Joe Sherman, 715 Paulina st, Oct 11, about 8 a. m., walking with Miss Julia Chieftis south on Sherman st., near Polk st., was surrounded by five sluggers. One of the sluggers held his left arm and another his right hand and he was struck five blows on the mouth causing profuse bleeding and a swelling of the upper lip. With a bystander and Miss Chieftis all three accosted a mounted policeman, pointed out the sluggers to him and asked him to arrest sluggers. Officer at first did not answer, but finally replied: "Go and get warrants for them." They then met Officer No. 132 (tall, dark, wearing a mustache). They pointed out the sluggers to him and asked him to make the arrest and he also said; "Go get a warrant."
Generally Mauled
Mrs. Josie Mart, 1428 Elk Grove av., worked as finisher Kuh, Nathan & Fischer, earning average of $4 a week. Sept 29, about 4 p. m. "saw a fellow employe whom she knew very well looking out of shop window; she waved her handkerchief at the girl on the inside; an officer regularly stationed there came up to her and took hold of her arms, gripping them so tightly as to cause great pain and black and blue marks, pulled her hair, struck her in the head and kicked her."
Schoenbrun Threatens
Lillian Jescke, 22, of 1743 Keenon st., sleeve operator for Schoenbrun Co., 844 Adams st, at $6 to $7 a week. Oct 4 about 5:30 p. m. Schoenbrun said to deponent: "How would you like to stay downtown in a hotel and go to the theater two or three times a week? I will give you anything you ask for in wages if you stay and work until the strike is over." Later when she was picketing Schoenbrun came and said: "I want you to understand that if I catch you walking on this sidewalk once more I will have you kicked out, damn you! Do you understand? I'll have you locked up. I'll make it so hot for you that you will get no job in the city of Chicago." Deponent told Schoenbrun Chicago isn't the only city she might earn $6 a week in. Schoenbrun then pointed her out to policemen and told them the next time they saw her walking past the shop they should arrest her.
Hit in the Jaw
Harry Waxman, 1302 Hastings st, worked for Lamm & Co. On Jackson blvd., near Halsted, Oct 8, at 12:20 p. m. he was attacked and beaten up by two plain clothes men who had threatened him the previous day when he walked past Lamm shop. "Deponent states assailants attacked him from the rear, that one man struck his head with some instrument, causing a deep wound and that the other assailant struck his jaw." The policeman on the beat "witnessed the attack and refused to arrest the assailants, although asked to do so by deponent and others who saw what happened."
Nine Cops Did It
Edward Landau, merchant tailor, 57 W. Ohio st, in merchant tailor business at 459 W, Chicago av, on Market st, near Van Buren, about 4:20 p. m., Oct 4, saw nine police officers attack 30 girl strikers to prevent their passage over Van Buren st bridge. Girls were handled roughly, clothing torn, hair pulled and hats broken. Among officers were Nos. 2725, 4107, 921, 2885.
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