The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 25, 1927, Page 3

COPE SETTLE { wha ~ THE DATLY WORK R, NEW YORK, MO VDAY, APRIL 25, 1927 Stoolpigeons Weisenbloom and Basoff HISTORY OF THF MINEOLA CASE On April 19, 1926, during the fur strike, two workers, Maur- ice Malkin and Leo Franklin, were arrested in Roekville Cen- ter on a charge of attacking Michael and Jack Barnett, who ran a scab fur shop there. The workers had been peace- fully picketing the shop, and had taken no part in the alleged assault, which was actually the work of two English boys and their friends who had a long- standing feud with the Barnett brothers. An English Feud. One of the Englishmen, Bernard Basoff, was 2 sted a few days later on information supplied by the Barnetts, who are also English. Basoff, who had worked in a scab shop before the strike, had come out on strike with the union workers, s the union undertook to defend him in this case with Malkin and Franklin when it came to trial in May, 1 n. Repudiates Confessi When first arrested Basoff made a “confess: which he said was wrung from him by police brutality he repudiated when he got In this he stated that he | and Malkin and Franklin had been, sent bythe union officials to make! the assault. Conviction Reversed. The union got the three men out of jail, pending an appeal of the case to the Supreme Court, and Basoff then went to the district attorney and b e an informer. } The union dropped him from the appeal, and in the Supreme Co the decision against Malkin and Franklin was reversed and a new trial ordered. This is the trial just completed last Friday. Upon “information” supplied by Basoff, Ben Gold, Isadore Shapiro, and Samuel Mencher were arrested as principals in this ease, in September, 1926, by detectives of Nassau Coun-| ty In December, 1926, Charles! Weisenbloom, an Englishman and a person unknown to union members! and seen by most of them for the first time when he appeared in court} last week, came to the district at-! torney and confessed he was impli- cated-in the Rockville Center assault. Another “Informer.” It is not known how or why he con- fessed; he claims he does not know who made the complaint against him. | He. was never represented by coun- sel, and he is at present awaiting | sentence asa result of his confession of guilt. He substantially corrobor-} ated Basoff's “confession,” | In March, 1927, upon “identifiea- | tion” of Basoff, Jack Schneider, | Philip Lenhardt, Joseph Katz, Oscar} Mileaf, George Weiss and Martin| Rosenberg were arrested, Assault Charges, All of these 11 defendants were ed with assault in the second degrte. The state claimed that all) of them except Ben Gold had been present at Rockville Center on the| day of the alleged raid, and that Gold was a principal because he had sent them there. At the trial, the two Barnett broth- Jack Schneider ers and two girls who worked in their | shop declared they had seen Malkin | and Franklin in Rockville Center on | the day of the assault. | One Scab Witness. Only one of these girls, Mary Far- kas, claimed to have seen the other | 8 workers whom the “informers” Basoff and Weisenbloom said were with them in the attack on the Bar- netts to which they confess. The| Barnett brothers themselves . could not identify any of these workers. Detectives testified to alleged “con- fessjons” of guilt from Gold, Shapiro, Mencher, Schneider and Lenhardt. | These confessions were denied by all | the defendants. Only one of them| was written down in any form and| that one was unsigned. Arrange for Big Sacco-Vanzetti Meet in Chicago CHICAGO April 24. (FP).—Sink- ing all minor differences in their | common effort to save the lives of Sacco and Vanzetti, representatives | of the Chicago labor and liberal movements are uniting in a mass meeting in Carmen's hall May 13. Chief among the speakers is Presi- dent John Fitzpateick, Chicago Fed- eration of Labor, who has been an untiring champion of the Italian-! American labor men doomed to die as a sacrifice to the alleged infalli- bility of Massachusetts justice, though the world knows them to be innocent. Other speakers include James P. Cannon, secretary International La- bor Defense, Anton Johannsen of the carpenters, attorney W. H. Hol- ley, Rev. Charles Clayton Morrison who is editor of the Chri tury, Rev. David Rhys Wil John A, Lapp of the Catholics. The electrocution of Sacco and Vanzetti is set’ for the week of July Lodge 387, International Associa- tion of Machinists, Chicago, has ad- opted resolutions urging Gov. Ful- ler of Massachusetts to release “our two persecuted fellow workers who have devoted their lives to the cause of labor.” Foreman of Jury Juror No, & Mineola Jury Convicts Nine union”, legitimate labor urtion. objects what all just men must have, ‘Took No Salary. jcases.of Katz, Weiss, Lenhardt, Mal- and honest ones. If, any doubt arises “Here aré not the part of jabor|kin, Franklif and Mileaf, and he in your minds, you have the consti-| leaders who fatten ufion their broth-| brought a smile to faces of several tution of the union in your hands. ers and the movement Here jurors by referring to the two de- “Counsel has said these men are|union men who never took a cent of | tective Fur Unionists, Acquits Two; Gold and Shapiro Rearrested. (Continued from Page One) not ‘union men; said Mr, Walsh. “It is a/shown that n It has for its! members for t testimony of them have b salary during 17 | Dicks A %, Henry Uterhardt reeks of strike.” summed up’ the “those foremost probitionists Detectives Green andsEvans fest and was telling the truth. he has brains, to make that rold knows a < questions for “Ben Gold is no f« He is not foolish enouig t statement detective does because its ever died e imprisoned. Even if th the big mer will not ma Fond of Right Wing. The District Attor $s sum- ming up severa s at city lawyers t big fees for gett- ing their clients off whether they are guilty or innocent.” In his ef- forts to condemn the “left wing” Joint Board, he ¢ long paen to the late mp and per stated he was that President Ga Ww n Green and Hugh Frayne nev attended necting with Isidore Shapiro Gold and the oth s Gompers never would. “There is nothing te t story of a meeting’ except an (Referr- i ing to the conference the Hotel ae CS Cadillac April 18, at wv the A. Sherlock Holmes Greeve and Dr, Wat-' F. of L. effort to settle the strike | son Evans.” was thwarted.) He pointed out that detectives arc “T contend the strike still on, | notoridusly used to testify as “gap That shop chairmen’s meeting of the | fillers”, to supply evidence which the 19th did nothing. It settled district attorney cannot scrape up ing.” elsewhere. It was only the statement ‘Fought Facts | of Detective Greeve that Lenhardt had Yet during the t “confessed” o him that could be found trict Attor ney m to ‘corroborate the scab Karkas’ tes- |timony that Lenhardt was in Rock- | ville Center. | Detectives Made Trial. George Levy summed up the case} of Isadore Shapiro, and again men-| tioned the detectives whom he ac- | cused of giving the testimony desired | in order to win promotion. Without the word of the detectives, | there could not have been any trial of Ben Gold, so Attorney Charles W | Weeks pointed out, for a man cannot having any further corre the importance of shop chairmen’s jected to having the tween Green, Frayne, Gold and Schacht , drawnmup-on April 18th intreduced as evidence of the impor- tance of the April 19th meeting. Judge Rather Technical. The judge confined himself pret- ty closely to an exposition of the law, altho he made a few remarks to which objection was filed by at- meeti |be convicted only on the evidence of jan accomplice—as Basoff and Weis- \enbloom are technically, in the sight jof the law. torney George Levy. When the jury rendered its ver- dict at 1:30 A. M., a formal motion for setting aside, and a motion for a_i CUT OUT THIS CERTIFICATE AND SEND IT OR BRING IT IN WITH.ONE DOLLAR Weeks also pointed out the fact | that the district attorney had repeat edly asked various defendants abou the status of the Joint Board in the| To Appeal Conviction. American Federation of Labor, but} As soon as the nine workers are he had never asked Ben Gold who was | sentenced on May 2nd, steps will be best qualified to speak on this sub-|started to appeal this case and to | ject. |get them out of jail on certificates “I felt sorry for District Attorney} of “reasonable doubt.” Edwards when he had Ben Gold on Mass meetings are being planned jthe stand,” said Mr. Weeks who is|by the Furriers Joint Board, to be |former District Attorney of Nassau.| held some time this ‘week, to pro- | “I have been in his position of having | test the frame-up of these innocent jon the witness stand a man whom I| workers and to organize the move knew instinctively was perfectly hon-!for their quick release. a new trial were made by attornéy yeorge Medalie. This the court de- ied. ‘ Ben Gold JOINT DEFENSE AND RELIEF COMMITTEE CLOAKMAKERS AND FURRIERS 41 Union Square, Room 714, New York, N. Y. STAND BEHIND THE IMPRISONED CLOAKMAKERS AND FURRIERS Cob Prosecutor Edwards Judge Smith ee i you like to see the imprisoned Cloakmakers and Furriers n Jail? Do you like fo see their families suffering and in want? Do you like to see other active union mem- ” bers now under charges sentenced to long prison terms? If not, fili out the Certificate | printed in the advertisement of the Committee and mail it to the office with One Dollar. This reply will encourage the mass of workers to keep up their fight for a clean union. The necessity is so great that even if you have already given, we ask you to give ag: and sign this Roll Call. We call upon all Workers to support the 100,000 Dollar Drive of the Joint Defense and Relief Committee, Cloakmakers and Furriers. (Signed) BEN GOLD, LOUIS. HYMAN. | Joint Defense and Jef Committee, Cloakmekers and Furriers Room 714, 41 Union Square, New York City | 3 hereby contribute Que Balla 6 de col ofpbecing Ue ingpoiened Cloak makers and Ferrier; defending then ander indictment and raising velif far thein * famites, Joint Defense & Relief Committee, Furriers & Cloakmakers, 41 Union Sq., Room 714 Other stations at Local 22, 16 W, 21st St. or the Joint Boards of the Cloakmakers and Furriers. Be, sure your Certificate is stamped with the official seal, accompanied by the special certificate receipt. SE LE ee CUT OUT THIS CERTIFICATE AND SEND IT OR BRING IT IN WITH ONE DOLLAR > oe neeeeeneeeeeenennenenernennatiitiialid a Juror No. 5 Juror No. 8