Word: yablonsky
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Shot Dead. Finally, Boyle's leadership was seriously challenged in a 1969 election by Joseph ("Jock") Yablonski, a member of the U.M.W. executive board. Yablonski lost the election, but for daring to defy the leadership's code of blind loyalty, he, his wife and daughter were brutally gunned to death in their beds on New Year's morning 1970 -on the orders, it later came out, of Tony Boyle, who was eventually convicted of murder and is now in prison. The murders sent shock waves of indignation across the coal fields. Shortly afterward, Miller, who had risen...
...more than four tormented years, Kenneth and Joseph ("Chip") Yablonski have waited for justice in the murder of their father, United Mine Workers Insurgent Joseph A. ("Jock") Yablonski, their mother and sister. Prosecuting Attorney Richard Sprague has labored relentlessly those same years, winning the convictions of three triggermen and four co-conspirators and working his way up to the suspected mastermind of the plot. Last week it was all over after 4½ hours of jury deliberation in Media, Pa.: "Guilty, in the first degree," droned the jury foreman. "Guilty, in the first degree," he said again and once again...
Boyle had authorized Yablonski's murder three weeks after the insurgent announced that he would challenge him for the union presidency. Said the prosecutor to the jury: "Why was Yablonski killed? To get rid of Yablonski's fighting spirit." As proof, Sprague questioned former U.M.W. Official William Turn-blazer, who recounted a June 23, 1969 meeting with Boyle at U.M.W. headquarters in Washington. According to Turnblazer's testimony, Boyle said: "We're in a fight. We've got to kill Yablonski. Take care...
...arguments fell apart under questioning, Boyle tried a final tactic. "Jock Yablonski and I were very close friends," he said. "The day after I heard of the murder I put up $50,000 in reward money for the apprehension of the killers." Sprague then turned to Suzanne Richards, Boyle's executive assistant for 20 years. Richards said that it was she who proposed a reward-for $100,000 -and prepared a press release to that effect. "I gave it to Boyle, who said he'd think about it. Later, he said he was against any reward...
...plotting of the murder took place. Turnblazer has signed an affidavit Unking Boyle directly to the case. Promised Sprague: "You are going to hear it right here on this stand from Mr. Turnblazer himself, who will tell you that it was Boyle who gave the order to kill Jock Yablonski...