tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70142653900064978432024-03-12T23:54:59.799-07:00boogervilleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7014265390006497843.post-36593776490067973962010-07-23T08:56:00.000-07:002021-09-06T08:09:38.927-07:00strike Violence 1934************************************************<br />Copyright. All rights reserved.<br />http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm<br />http://www.usgwarchives.org/ga/gafiles.htm<br />************************************************<br /><br />File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:<br />Paula Griffin paula@infionline.net Registry # 0001610 March 16, 2004, 12:56 pm<br /><br />The Columbus Enquirer<br />W. R. Sanders Dies Friday at Hospital Disorder at Georgia Webbing and Tape Company Results in Tragedy Three Under Arrest<br />Officers Fail to Determine Who Fired Fatal Shot During Disturbance<br />William Reuben Sanders, 30-year old textile worker, of 1408 Eleventh avenue, died at the city hospital at 5:55 o'clock last night as the result of a bullet <br />wound which he received during an affray between strikers, strike sympathizers <br />and employes at the Georgia Webbing and Tape company yesterday afternoon and <br />three men are being held in the Muscogee county jail without bond pending <br />further investigation of the shooting.<br />Those who are being held in jail are: G. D. Beasley, 42, 1426 Fifteenth <br />avenue, whose pistol was fired twice during the melee; G. E. Clarke, 36, of 711 <br />Tenth avenue, Phenix City, who is alleged to have had a hold on Mr. Beasley's <br />pistol at the time it was fired; and J. H. Tipper, 30, of 1600 Fifteenth <br />street, in whose possession a pistol was found and whom witnesses told police <br />fired one shot.<br />Beasley Driving Auto<br />Mr. Beasley, who has been an emmploye of the webbing and tape company for nine <br />years, was attempting to drive his automobile through the picket line at the <br />mill when the affray started. He had been at work in the mill and was <br />attempting to leave to go home. In the car with Mr. Beasley were his wife, <br />Mrs. Beasley, Mr. Tipper and his wife; Roy Lambert, 25, of 1549 Fifteenth <br />avenue and Mrs. Louisa Upchurch. The man who was killed had been in the picket <br />line.<br />In addition to the fatal pistol wound suffered by Mr. Sanders, Mr. Lambert <br />suffered a severe laceration of the scalp and Newton Taylor, of 1402 Tenth <br />avenue, suffered a laceration of the face.<br />The situation was tense at the scene of the strike following the shooting. <br />City police, county police and Sheriff C. C. Layfield and deputies went to the <br />scene. Some of the officers were equipped with teargas, but it was not <br />necessary to use it to disperse the crowd. Leaders, advised by officers to do <br />so, advised the crowd to break up, warning them that police would use the tear <br />gas if necessary.<br />-Sister-in-Law Struck<br />Mr. Beasley told an Enquirer reporter last night when he attempted to drive his <br />car through the picket line, a man whose identity he did not know, jumped on <br />the side of the auto and struck Mrs. Tipper, who is a sister of Mrs. Beasley. <br />He said that, with the car moving slowly in low gear, he drove into a field <br />near the mill. He stated that he had taken his pistol, a .38 calibre Colt, <br />from the pocket of the car and placed it on the front seat of the car.<br />After he had driven into the field, he picked up the weapon, Mr. Beasley said. <br />It was then that a man whose name Mr. Beasley did not know but who officers <br />said was Mr. Clarke, got into the car on the side opposite the driver and <br />attempted to take the pistol from him. City Officers C. V. Cooksey and L. H. <br />Raines, who had attempted to clear a way throught the picket line in order that <br />the car might pass, were beside the vehicle at the time. Officers H. J. Jambon <br />and F. L. Griffin approached the car and they attempted to take the weapon away <br />from Mr. Beasley before he could fire it.<br />Officer Jambon stated that Mr. Beasley had the pistol in his hand and that Mr. <br />Clarke was grappling with him, apparently trying to take the weapon away from <br />him. The officer said that he begged Mr. Beasley not to fire the revolver.<br />-Pistol Fired<br />The pistol was then fired once, and a moment later was fired a second time. <br />Officer Griffin said that he made a determined effort to prevent Mr. Beasley <br />from firing the weapon and that at the time the second shot was discharged he <br />had his hand on the barrel of the gun. Officer Jambon said that he finally <br />succeeded in taking the pistol way from Mr. Beasley and Mr. Clarke. Officer <br />Raines was also making an effort to prevent the shooting and was standing so <br />close that he suffered a slight powder burn on the arm when the pistol was <br />fired.<br />Mr. Tipper was sitting on the back seat of the automobile which was being <br />driven by Mr. Beasley. Chief Homer W. Cornett, who with other officers arrived <br />on the scene a short while after the shooting, took a .44 Colt revolver from <br />him. The chief said that the weapon was fully loaded with full cartridges. <br />Mr. Tipper was lodged in jail on a charge of carrying a pistol without a <br />license.<br />He was released from jail under bond later in the afternoon, but was rearrested <br />when witnesses told officers that they were positive that he fired one shot at <br />or about the same time Mr. Beasley's pistol was discharged. They did not know <br />whether he fired the same pistol which was taken from him by police and <br />reloaded it or whether he had a second weapon.<br />-Witness is Quoted<br />Mrs. Hattie Anthony, of 1117 Fourteenth street, was one of the witnesses who <br />told officers that Mr. Tipper fired one shot. She said she saw him discharge <br />his pistol and that it was that shot which struck Mr. Sanders. Several others <br />corroborated her statement, including J. R. Helms of 1510 Twelfth avenue, and <br />Mrs. Susie Whatley, of 908 Ninth street.<br />Witnesses told officers taht he fired from the back seat of the auto, out the <br />side and toward the place where Mr. Sanders was standing on the right side of <br />the car about even with the driver's seat. Mr. Tipper denied that he fired.<br />During his discussion of the case yesterday, Mr. Beasley denied that he was <br />touching the trigger of his pistol at the time it was discharged, although he <br />admitted having his hand on the weapon at the time. He said that at least four <br />people were scuffling over the pistol, including his wife, Mrs. Beasley, an <br />officer whose name he did not know, another man whose name he did not know, and <br />himself.<br />-Lacerations Suffered<br />Mr. Lambert having been slashed by an unidentied person in the melee which <br />accompanied the shooting, he was taken to the hospital by Mr. Beasley, who was <br />taken to the county jail a few minutes later. Mr. Taylor, who suffered a cut <br />on the face, was taken to the hospital by John Macon, of Eleventh avenue, and <br />Mr. Clarke and Mr. Sanders were taken to the hospital by police. All of the <br />injured were dismissed from the hospital after emergency treatment, with the <br />exception of Mr. Sanders.<br />It was found that the bullet had entered Mr. Sanders' face under the left eye <br />and had ranged downward into his throat. His condition was considered critical <br />at the time he was taken to the hospital, a few minutes after 2 o'clock <br />yesterday afternoon, and his death followed at 5:55 o'clock last night.<br />The strike which led to the tragedy yesterday occurred several weeks ago when a <br />part fo the employes of the plant walked out, resulting in the closing of the <br />plant and it was stated that it would probably be closed until early fall.<br />-Ordered to Work<br />A small force of non-strikers was ordered to report for work yesterday, the <br />employers planning to operate on a limited scale. Eight people went to work <br />yesterday morning and when the information spread among the strikers a picket <br />line was formed. The affray resulted when Mr. Beasley and the others with him <br />attempted to pass through the picket line about 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon.<br />Mr. Sanders, the victim of the shooting, was a member of Textile Union No. <br />1605. He was an employe (this is all the article I have, it does not say it <br />was continued)<br /><br />This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0