(Summary of descriptions of 1936 McCleary attacks from book "Agitprop : the life of an American working-class radical : the autobiography of Eugene V. Dennett".)
November 1936, violent attacks were made on striking members of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union at McCleary, Washington.
McCleary Lumber Company refused to deal with union since the 1935 general strike of timber workers.
One hundred and fifty two union men were locked out of the mill in an effort to destroy the union,
Company recruited scabs, mostly from drought-stricken areas.
Peaceful pickets were brutally clubbed and tear gassed on November 24 by Washington State Patrol officers. The attack came at 8:45 am. Chief Cole, head of WSP, signaled the attack.
A group of twelve women were gassed, one of whom had a leg injury from flying gravel.
Police fired tear gas directly in face of a pregnant woman, she was then clubbed down. Her husband, Geer, trying to help her, was then himself beaten down.
Mrs. Geer received a shoulder injury. Homer Evans ended up with a severe concussion. Paul Hasbrook, Paul Carr, and Mrs. Goodpaster were also all injured. Everyone injured were residents of McCleary.
McCleary came under de facto martial law. Many state patrol were stationed there for several weeks.
Local businessmen complained that they could not conduct usual business under this martial law shutdown of the city.
From the periodical Man! December 1936-January 1937: Vol 5 Issue 1 . Report by Guy B. Askew
Each drew a picture of how people had been gassed in Tacoma, Longview, Aberdeen, and more recently in McCleary. They stated that persons, mostly women and children had been gassed while they were several blocks away from where any strike or labor dispute was in progress.
Quote from article Anti Tear Gas Bill Passes by Large Majority in The Timber Worker , Feb 5 1927, discussing proposed bill.