Letter from Frank R. McNamee to A. S. Halsted, July 2, 1922

FORM 14-21. UNION PACIFIC SYSTEM. Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad Company, LAW DEPARTMENT. A.S. HALSTED, General Solicitor. F.R. McNAMEE, General Attorney, Nevada. LEO A. McNAMEE, Assistant General Attorney, Nevada. July 25, 1922. Mr. A.S. Halsted, Los Angeles, Cal. Dear Sir: While our night foreman, Mr.Hale, was on his way from his dwelling to the shop to go on night shift last evening about 6 p.m., he was met in the alley way in the rear of the Smith Hotel by a gang of strikers, one of which assaulted him and struck him several blows in the face. The party who struck the blows was recognized by people living in Company Row as William Langford, an uncle of Sheriff Culverwell, and the father of the girl employed up until Saturday as our telegraph delivery girl here. She evidently had a premonition of what was coming on, for she quit without notice Saturday morning. Hale recognized John Davin's boy and Denton's nephew, Floyd Bover, in the crowd, and from the description he gave of the clothing, size, etc., of some of the others, they undoubtedly were the bunch from Las Vegas that came into Caliente night before last. The assailants were evidently timid on account of it being clear daylight, and the locality quite public. The greater part of the town people, including the sheriff, Culverwell, were at Panaca celebrating the 24th. Hale was not injured to any extent, and fought with Langford, making a fairly good stand-off, but from what he says some one grabbed him from the rear and tried to hold him. He went on to work at 12 o'clock last night, and I saw him when he came off shift this morning and he appeared none the worse for wear. He contemplated sending his wife to Los Angeles and moving within the stockade. While this is a violation of the federal injunction as Hale was, in my opinion, actually engaged in actual work in the movement of mails and interstate commerce, while going from his dwelling to his regular duties, still the matter is not, in my judgment, of sufficient consequence to bring before the federal court on affidavits for contempt. It is, however, the duty of the local officers, and especially the district attorney to prosecute these breaches of the peace, and I have written Mr. Wadsworth, our district attorney, and enclose you copy of letter, and while I doubt if we get any results, I deem it our duty to do everything we can to vindicate the law. This occurrence last night confirms my views and recommendations to Mr.Comstock that we should have arms here available to arm our guards and officers promptly and efficiently to protect employees should occasion require. F.R. McNamee. Copy to W.H. Comstock. Copy to Leo A. McNamee.