Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1913 — LONE GIRL STRIKER [ARTICLE]

LONE GIRL STRIKER

Sidelights on Walkout of Garment Workers Are Given. Young Women Are Arrested by New York Policemen for Saying “GoodBye” to Comrades Taken by Officers. New York. —Fannie Socolick’s little story would be worth as much attention if she were not so pretty. But there is no reason why the fact that she is pretty should be forgotten. She is slender and dark-haired, and her eyes are deep and browc; and if she had a S4O hat and a slender skirt she could hold her own on Peacock alley. She is the “lone striker" of a white goods factory uptown. “Are you going to beat it away from there?” asked the shipping clerk, impatiently, the third day she spent on duty as picket in front of the factory. “Because the boss' goat is loose.”

Fannie Socolick is very much in earnest She tried to explain to the shipping clerk that she would stay on picket in front of that factory until 20,000 odd white goodß of the city have won their strike. Her voice is soft and low, and she has an appealing way of putting her hand on one’s coat sleeve and looking up at one. But the shipping clerk was impatient He beckoned to the policeman. “Thiß is the one I was tellin’ you about,” said he. “Pinch her.” So Fannie Socolick, twenty years old, pretty and well behave.d, was arrested. The policeman placed a charge of disorderly conduct against her. When she faced the magistrate that charge seemed rath dr unconvincing. He strengthened it “She was cussin’ out them scabs,” said the policeman. “Five dollars fine,” said the hurried magistrate. “Next case.” Fannie Bocol|ck didn’t so much mind being arrested or being fined. She quite understands that the strike picket must expect such things. But she felt badly at the policeman’s charge that she had been “cussing.” She really Isn’t that sort of a girl. “In Rttfcsia it is the czar.” said she. “Here It is the policeman." That’s sheer prejudice on Fannie’s part. No one has ever cz*r knocks down half-grown girls or stands by and laughs while thugs beat them. These charges have been made against the New York policemen in this strike —and in every other strike in the garment making Industry in this city during the last half dozen years. Miss Rose Schneidermann Is a well-bred. Intelligent young woman, who is a leader In the labor movement here. “She was knocked down by a policeman the other night,” said Miss Maud Younger, the San Francisco girl who Is In command at the Labor Temple. where the dark-eyed little pickets report for orders. Miss Younger herself had an experience with the autocrat of the beat She was arrested for. picketing. “We’ll go telephone for the lawyers." cried a group of excited little kids. Remember, few of these white goods workers are more than twenty

years old. Just for that, four mord were arrested. They were packed into the patrol wagon in which Miss Yonger and the others were singing “The Union Forever,” which is the “Marseillaise” of the strike. / “Good-by, Miss Younger" shrilled half a dozen others, standing on their little toes and waving their handkerchiefs. So they, too, were jammed into the crowded wagon. More would have been taken, but the driver called to the officers on the pavement: “Have a heart about my horses. I got a load now.” Three other girls were following a group of “scabs,” who were being escorted to their. homes by an officer. They like to find where the “scabs” live. Then the strikers talk to their mothers. It’s very likely that the threfe were tittering unpleasantly as they trailed along. “If you don’t go back,” said the policeman, according to Mis Younger, ‘TI shoot you.”’ He drew his revolver and placed it against the breast of the leader of the trio. It was a bluff, of course, and the girls called it It strikes me they were pretty game, considering timt they have seen policemen in action lately.