unately, from
some, yes.'"[12]

In the hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary,
United States Senate, August 13, 1912, lengthy testimony was given
concerning a series of two hundred assaults that had been made upon the
union molders of Milwaukee during a strike in 1906. One of the leaders
of the union was killed, while others were brutally attacked by thugs in
the employ of a Chicago detective agency. A serious investigation was
begun by Attorney W. B. Rubin, acting for the Molders' Union, and in
court the evidence clearly proved that the Chicago detective agency
employed ex-convicts and other criminals for the purposes of slugging,
shooting, and even killing union men. When some of these detectives were
arrested they testified that they had acted under strict instructions.
They had been sent out to beat up certain men. Sometimes these men were
pointed out to them, at other times they were given the names of the men
that were to be slugged. They told the amounts that they had been paid,
of the lead pipe, two feet long, which they had used for the assault,
and of the fact that they were all armed. There was also testimony given
that nearly twenty-two thousand dollars had been paid by one firm to
this one detective agency for services of this character. It was also
shown that immediately after the assaults were committed the thugs were,
if possible, shipped out of town for a few days; but, if they were
arrested, they were defended by able attorneys and their fines paid.
Although many assaults were committed where no arrests could be made,
over forty "detectives" were actually arrested, and, when brought into
court, were found guilty of crimes ranging from disturbing the peace and
carrying concealed weapons to aggravated assault and shooting with
intent to kill. Many of these detectives convicted in Milwaukee had been
previously convicted of similar crimes committed in other cities.
Although some of them had long criminal records, they were,
nevertheless, regularly in the employ of the detective agency. It
appeared in one trial that one of the men employed was very much
incensed when he saw three of his associates attack a union molder with
clubs, knocking him down and beating him severely. With indignation he
protested against the outrage. When the head of the agency heard of this
the man was discharged. The court records also show that the head of the
detective agency had gone himself to Chicago t