Textile Workers Union of America -- AFL-CIO

99 University Place

New York 3, N.Y.

Office of the Exec. Vice-President

March 14, 1956

The Honorable Herbert Brownwell, Jr.

Attorney General

Department of Justice Washington 25, D.C.

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

Within the past hour I have been informed by Mr. Boyd Payton, Southern Director of the Textile Workers Union of America, telephoning from Gaffney, South Carolina, giving the bare facts of a flagrant violation of civil rights involving brutal assaults with possible serious injuries upon four representatives of this union. we especially invite your attention to the fact that the sheriff of Cherokee County was apparently a party to the unprovoked attack and is now threatening to illegally arrest the victims of the beating.

The four representatives of our union were quietly on a public thoroughfare across from the Limestone Mill of the Lowenstein Manufacturing Company when nine men rushed from inside the plant gates and knocked our men to the ground and kicked them while they lay prostrate in the street. Harry Robertson and Hamilton Martin are badly bruised and cut up; martin's nose appears to be broken.

About three months ago the workers at Limestone first asked our assistance in forming a union. Harry Robertson of our union visited Gaffney to talk with these people who had written us. At this time Robertson was accosted on the street by a group of men who said they were from the plant and threatened to run Robertson out of town. Because of this previous incident, Payton called the sheriff of Cherokee, a Mr. Julian Wright, informing him that a literature distribution was planned for today and asking for protection. The sheriff flatly refused to function as a police officer and threatened our organizers with charges of inciting to riot even before they had come near Gaffney. This afternoon, after the beating occurred, Mr. Payton called the sheriff and requested that those guilty of the attack be apprehended. Instead, the sheriff ordered the union representatives to leave Cherokee County or face arrest and prosecution.

The men from the mill who committed the assault must have known of the time of arrival of our representatives because they were waiting inside the plant gates when the four organizers parked across the street. Obviously, someone must have informed the company in advance. The sheriff was the only person who knew when the union men would be in Gaffney.

We urge and insist you take action to halt such flagrant brutality and the employment of tax supported local officials as storm troopers.

Sincerely yours,

William Pollock

Executive Vice-President

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March 16, 1956

The Honorable Herbert Brownell, Jr.

Attorney General

Department of Justice

Washington 25, D.C.

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

Late on Wednesday afternoon (March 14) Mr. William Pollock, Executive Vice-President of the Textile Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, sent you a telegram requesting immediate investigation of a palpable violation of civil rights at Gaffney, South Carolina, involving attacks on organizers representing this union.

I am now informed that the Department of Justice does not acknowledge telegrams in such areas but insists upon a formal letter before considering the matter. We have, there fore, recast our information of the 14th. Please find herewith letter from Mr. Pollock

In this communication we are including supplementary information bearing on this case which was obtained within the past few hours.

The Textile Workers Union of America can furnish the names of all nine roughnecks who did the slugging in front of the Limestone Mill in Gaffney on Wednesday afternoon. At least one of those nine was hired on Tuesday afternoon, evidently as part of this "goon" squad. This character has a police record in town fo assaults, non-support and other such miscellaneous offenses, and appears on the company payroll from time to time when union organizers are expected in the community.

The beating of the organizers was instigated and planned in the mill on Tuesday evening. At least one of the nine rowdies went from department to department attempting to recruit additional volunteers to take part in Wednesday's violence.

It is perfectly clear that the sheriff must have informed the company that the textile Workers Union of America would distribute organizing leaflets at the plant on Wednesday; the union had officially notified Sheriff Wright; no one else in Gaffney knew just when the distribution was scheduled.

One interesting additional fact we were not aware of when we sent you our original account of the Gaffney affair was that the Organizer Harry Robertson was actually beaten up not once, but twice. After Robertson had picked himself up out of the gutter, following the initial attack, he went to a nearby garage to 'phone the sheriff. As Robertson walked across the garage parking lot after telephoning, he was knocked down and kicked by the ring leader of the mob. Mrs. Ray Norris, wife of one of the organizers was sitting in her car right where this slugging took place. She screamed for help. The assailant, Albert Moore, desisted from his beating of Robertson and reviled Mrs. Norris. Meanwhile, Robertson got to his feet and walked away.

We have additional information demonstrating that the sheriff of Cherokee (Julian Wright) was a party to this thuggery. An investigation on the spot would, we insists fully substantiate these allegations.

We invite your immediate attention to this matter.

Very truly yours

John W. Edelman

Washington Representative

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update 25 July 2008