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SABOTAGE AND A SENA
TOR.
THE CHARGE AGAINST SAWTELL.
Perth, October 25.
The sabotage charge against Michael
Sawtell, a member of the l.W.W., who
sent a threatening letter to Senator Lynch,
was investigated in the City Court to-day.
The accused, who was undefended, pleaded
not guilty. Headed by the words, "An
injury to me is an injury to all," and bear-
ing no date, the letter read:-"Dear Sena-
tor-Tom Barker, of the I.W.W., Sydney,
has nine months' gaol hanging over his
head. If Barker goes up then we will sabo-
tage the master class all over Australia.
All the Labor politicians are capitalists.
Consequently we will not hesitate to sabot-
age the Labor politicians. If you wish to
save your farm at Three Springs, see that
Tom Barker is released at once. Be sure
and show this note to all the other mem-
bers of the Labor Party. Remember, your
dass, the capitalist class, has everything
to lose. We workers have only our chains.
Don't forget, release Tom Barker, or sabot-
age."
Senator Lynch said he received the let-
ter through the post on the approach of
harvest time last year. He knew the ac-
cused, and at times had had business deal-
ings with him. In reply to the accused
the witness said he might have said on
one occasion that he would do his utmost
to suppress the I.W.W.
The evidence of detectives showed that
the accused first came under the notice of
the police three years ago, when he was
holding I.W.W. meetings in company with
a man named King. Towards the end of
his speech. King said, the secretary, Saw-
tell, had a quantity of literature for sale.
Several papers and pamphlets produced
were purchased bv one of the detectives.
An extract from one paper read hy the
prosecuting counsel said , "I.W.W. going to
play hell with dividends," and another
from the newspaper, "Direct Action," said:
-"After God made the rattlesnake, the
toad, and the bug, he had some stuff left
out of which he created a scab, and after
he had finished the scab he used the last
rubbish in the place and created a poli-
tician."
The accused was committed for trial.
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