Franklin Bechly (1873-1965) was Iowa 6th District Judge from 1927 to 1959. Judge Bechly presided during the 1938 Maytag Corporation labor dispute. The strike by UE Local 1116 was a test of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 against the back-to-work movement of the Maytag Corporation. The Governor of Iowa declared martial law in Newton, Iowa to break the strike, and Judge Bechly continued to preside until agreements were reached and martial law was lifted.