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Repression of Civil Liberties
1923 and 1934
From the Annual Report, 1923,
American Civil Liberties Union:
"The most serious situation arose in McKeesport, Pa., where
the Workers' Party was forbidden to hold any meetings
whatever. We therefore went in with a test meeting under the
joint auspices of the Workers' Party and ourselves, held on
September 9th [1923]. Robert W. Dunn, associate director
of the Union, Fred Merrick and Jay Lovestone, arranged to speak
in a private hall, which the police closed up. They then went to
a vacant lot which had been rented, and started to hold the
meeting there. The police arrested all the speakers and two
local men on charges of disorderly conduct. They were tried in
the local court and each fined $25.00 and costs. This was
appealed to the Allegheny County Court where the whole issue was
thrashed out. The mayor was brought into court where he
maintained he had a right to stop meetings he did not
like. The fines were sustained. The case was again
appealed to the State Superior Court. The case is
important as involving the right to hold meetings on private
property without interference in the absence of any ordinance
requiring permits. The case presents a clear issue and may
be carried to the Supreme Court of the state."
"Governor Pinchot, who was advised in advance of the situation
in McKeesport, wrote the mayor a strong letter urging him not to
interfere with constitutional rights. The governor's
letter was ignored. After the meeting in McKeesport, the
employing companies there began to dismiss all employees who
were known to have attended the meeting or to have been
identified in any way with it or the Workers' Party."
(Source: Annual Report, American Civil Liberties
Union, 1923, p. 15) |
A Prohibited Protest - September 1,
1934
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April 26, 1935, Unidentified Pittsburgh Newspaper
- 21 Communists Found Guilty in
Tube City Riot -
- Girl Who Chained Self to Pole Tells Story of Radical Meeting -
- Lysle Ban Defied -
- 18 Year Old High School Student and Mother Among Defendants -
Two women and 19 men Communists
accused of rioting in McKeesport last Sept. 1, were found guilty today in
Criminal Court in a verdict reached by a jury late last night.
As the verdict was presented to Judge J. Frank
Graff, more than 50 deputy sheriffs and county detectives were spread in a
cordon about the defendants to halt any possible demonstration.
Judge Graff fixed the prisoner's bonds at $1,000
each, pending their motion for a new trial, but delayed the time when the
bail could be posted for an hour and a half so that the 21 could be
fingerprinted.
Girl Among Group
Four of the defendants were found
guilty of inciting to riot, as well as riot.
They were Carolyn Hart, 22, of 130 De Sota St.,
Oakland; George Alexander, 18, McKeesport High School student; Mrs Mary
Alexander, his mother, and Gus Safis.
The Hart girl and young Alexander chained
themselves to poles at Locust St. and Fifth Ave., in the heart of
McKeesport, to speak at an International Youth Day meeting which had been
banned by Mayor George H. Lysle.
Tear Gas Thrown
When they started their talks the
police laid down a tear gas barrage to disperse 2,000 persons and arrested
the 21 Communists.
Others who were found guilty were:
Pete Gallo, Charles Theis, Samuel Unchodick, Ted
Cole, Jeff Washington, Pete Pejavic, Joe Maravich, Leroy Townsend, Mike
Bartko, Stenko Skrenjaral, Mike Suterick, Gus Safis, Frank Folin__,
Stanley Lendanski, Albert Asbury, Louis Sellers, Louie Torrell and Dick
Avery.
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Read More Articles Regarding
Carolyn Hart
Synopsis of Interview with
Rev. G.M. Fowles - December 3, 1919
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