STRIKERS KILLED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 191, 26 May 1934, Page 5

STRIKERS KILLED

SERIOUS RIOT IN AMERICA. ■. ' 1 OHIO STATE MILITIA CALLED OUT TEAR-GAS BOMBS AT TOLEDO. (United Press Association—Copyright) (NEW YORK, May 24. ' Two men were killed and five wqre wounded late to-day by gunfire in a terrific hand-to-hand battle at Toledo (Ohio) between Ohio National Guardsmen and rioting strike sympathisers armed with sticks and stones. Troops were summoned to stem the disorders, which have been increasing since Tuesday in the strike at the Electric Autolite Plant, and they fired after a tear-gas barrage had' failed to repel a jeering throng of at least 0000 persons, who were crowded into the streets near the plant. The first shots went over the heads of the crowd, after which there was a momentary' retrept, hut then the strikers and their friends pushed closer to, the Guardsmen, behind whose ranks were machine-gun emplacements. , Bricks and rocks flew and the troops let loose a volley of tear-gas bombs, but before they exploded the strikers scooped them up and threw them back into the soldiers lines. Again there came the staccato crack of rifles, while here and there a man fell screaming. Ambulances with shrieking, sirens rushed the dead and wounded to the As" the firing continued' the rioters and spectators steadily fell hack. . Four more companies of Guardsmen were ordered from Columbus, the State capital, to reinforce the 740 troopers that were on hand at the height of the battle. . .. . Colonel W. Marlin (second in command) said his men had received no order to fire. He thought that the excitement had probably caused some ot the soldiers to lose control of themselves. “We are on the defensive here arid intend to preserve order, lie added. , . c „ The possibility of , some of trie strikers and their friends also having fired was seen when a wounded Guardsman was taken to hospital. The shooting provided the climax to a day of spasmodic assaults against the troops. Many persons were hurt in these early clashes and dozens we to the hospitals with streaming eyes for first-aid treatment for tear-gas.

MORE FIGHTING OCCURS.

CURSING, TAUNTING CROWD. NEW YORK, May 25. Two more men were shot and wounded and three others were injured at Toledo to-night when a ei pud ot more than 6000 hurling briefs ana bottles, returned to do AaUk with the soldiers who had previously killed two Cursino-, taunting and throwing missiles the crowd closed in on 2t> militiamen’stationed on the plge oR zone. The Guardsmen hurled „<-ai bombs ami the orovvd fell back, but only to push forward again,. The soldiers then fired a, volevovei the heads of the throng, which ncluded many women. the isspons was more bricks and bottles. Aiming their rifles at the iiotciy, the troops fired a short volley and crowd broke, leaving the wounded on tl The t: crowd surged hack several tltneSjbut at 10 p.m. a heavy gas attack had driven them back two, blocks. The death-roll remained at the tuo shift in the late afternoon battle.