[Carbon copy, patrolman's report, Port Hume City Police Form 22. Reilly's hand has typed this on a Corona Personal No. 3; the carbon is somewhat faint. Includes a rough sketch on a separate sheet, reproduced as described.]
PORT HUME CITY POLICE — FIRST REPORT OF OFFICER AT SCENE
Officer: E. Reilly, Badge 411, Harbor Police — responding across jurisdictions per call received. Date / Time: 18 July 1922 — 1:41 p.m. Location: Ironside Lane at Blackwell Iron Works main gate. Nature of Incident: Gunfire, multiple casualties.
Narrative.
Called to scene by Patrolman Meaney over the box at Ironside and 4th at 1:39 p.m. Arrived by motor 1:41 p.m. Observed three men down in the street within the picket line, in condition apparently fatal. Five other men wounded, two severely, being attended by members of the strike committee and by two sisters of St. Casimir's parish who were passing on their way to the Blackwell gate errand. Sent for ambulances; three arrived by 1:55 p.m.
I directed persons on the scene not to move the casings or touch the ground in the immediate area of the fall. I took out my pocket pad and sketched the positions of the shell casings I could see, before the crowd closed in upon the bodies.
[sketch reproduced: shows Blackwell gate at bottom of the page (south); Ironside Lane running east-west; warehouse opposite (labeled "Cadenza"); picket line marked with X's just inside the gate; bodies marked F1 F2 F3 within the picket line, oriented as though facing the gate; shell casings marked with small dots and grouped — a cluster of five dots immediately in front of the warehouse side doorway (north of the lane), and three additional dots on an arc consistent with fire from an upper-floor window of the warehouse. No casings in or behind the picket line itself.]
I counted five casings near the warehouse doorway before they were removed from the scene. I had not yet finished counting those on the arc when Det. Ostermann arrived and took charge.
Persons I noted at the scene, by approximate position.
- J. Vasko (deceased), F1 on sketch — lying face-down, 12 feet inside the gate from the street line, head pointed northeast.
- P. Rekas (deceased), F2 — 8 feet east of Vasko, on his back.
- F. Zieliński (deceased), F3 — at the gate post itself, slumped against the post.
- H. Vasko (widow of J.V.) arrived at 1:58 p.m. from the direction of Little Warsaw.
- J. Kamiński, sacristan of St. Casimir's, arrived at 2:02 p.m. and helped with the sisters.
One further observation, for the record.
Between 1:40 p.m. (arrival) and 1:47 p.m. (Det. Ostermann on scene) I observed a man walking, not running, eastward along the north sidewalk of Ironside Lane, away from the Cadenza & Sons warehouse. He wore a light gray summer suit, no hat, no jacket visible (i.e. jacket being carried, or already disposed of). He had a slight limp in the left leg. Medium height. Clean-shaven. Brown hair. He did not look at the scene as he passed. He did not run. He boarded a streetcar at the eastbound stop at Ironside and 5th.
I did not pursue, being the only officer on the scene and having the bodies and the wounded to secure. I recorded his description in my pad.
Respectfully submitted, [signed] Emmet Reilly, Ptl. 411, H.P. Submitted 18 July 1922, 7:42 p.m.
[pencil annotation at foot, Reilly's hand, undated:]
"Carbon to my locker. Typed copy was taken from me by Sgt. Meredith on the 19th for 'filing review.' Sketch marked 'preliminary' and reported misplaced during re-filing. Sergeant did not meet my eye. I have not said anything about this to anyone, but I have kept this carbon."