Publisher's Synopsis
"Notes on the Trial of William (Billy) Davis" dives deep into the actualities of a labor union strike and company lockout at two small steel moulding plants in rural Indiana during 1924-25. Following an explosion at a hotel housing strike breakers, 50 union and nonunion men were charged with conspiracy to possess and set a bomb. This book focuses on the true, well-documented facts leading up to the explosion and its aftermath.
Specifically, it recounts the trial of Welsh immigrant, William (Billy) Davis, his conviction and sentence for the offenses, and the subsequent Indiana Supreme Court Opinion, which uncovered perjury by the State's key witness, misconduct by the Union, and prosecutorial misconduct by the State, resulting in insufficient evidence to support the conviction.
The book also identifies the actual people involved in the Union and the trial based on the documented evidence, offering an authentic portrayal of a significant labor union strike and its subsequent trial. This work serves as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in labor law history, criminal justice, or simply intrigued by real-life dramas.
