Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 30, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Clarence Darrow Conducts Bold Defense
From The Oregon Daily Journal of June 29, 1907:
From the Duluth Labor World of June 29, 1907:
He knew he was taking his life in his hands
in going to Trinidad, but as he was ordered there
he would not shirk his duty.
-Henry Morris of Pueblo on murder of
WFM Organizer Alex Obremski
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday June 29, 1907
Denver, Colorado – W. F. of M. Convention Wants Investigation
From the Albuquerque Evening Citizen of June 15, 1907:
WILL INVESTIGATE THE SHOOTING
OF A MINER
—–
Murdered Western Federation Organizer
May Have Been Victim of Conspiracy.
—–LETTER CONTAINS STRONG ALLEGATION
—–
Denver, Colo., June 15.-The Western Federation of Miners’ convention today received a communication from a member in Las Animas county, suggesting an investigation of the killing of Alexander Obrenski [Obremski], a Federation organizer, by Juan Eskinas [Espinosa], at Rugby, Colo., about one month ago [May 18th].
The killing was alleged, at the time, to have occurred in a barroom row, but the writer of the communication suggested that it was the result of a conspiracy to injure the Federation.
Strong Statement.
He makes the statement that the row was not participated in by the organizer, but that the belligerents managed to gather around Obrenski, and before he could get away a shot was fired, and he fell to the floor, [..and..?] The fighters melted into obscurity immediately.
Hellraisers Journal, Friday June 28, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Clarence Darrow Opens for the Defense
From the Montana News of June 27, 1907:
Darrow’s Statement
—–Address to the Jury Outlining
Plans of Defense
—Orchard Spends Sunday Auto
Riding in BoiseSpecial to the Montana News—
Boise, June 24.
At the call of the defense attorneys the Federation men who are to appear as witnesses have come pouring into Boise the last few days. It seems good to see them here—all the old stand-bys that have so valiantly fought the struggles of the western labor for the last ten years. D. C Copely, formerly of the executive board, now a mine owner in Nevada; A. H. Floaten, candidate for governor of Colorado on the socialist ticket; Deportee from Telluride, a merchant who has been through the fiercest of the fight for his convictions; J. C. Barnes, who was up in a tree in Telluride, while the militia were hunting him underneath; John M . O’Neill, W. F. Davis, M. E. White, one after another. The very backbone of the Federation, fine, able, brainy men, more than a match for any capitalist prostitute that can be marshalled against them.
And they are here with the goods, the truth, the eternal fight against the injustice of employers, and the reasons for that fight. As one of them said:
We are here to go to the river, our cause is right and we’ll stay with it.
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday June 27, 1917
Duluth, Minnesota – Chief of Police Declares Ban on I. W. W.
From The Duluth News Tribune of June 26, 1917:
PLACE BAN ON I. W. W. ACTIVITY
—–
Police Will Not Tolerate Belligerent
Attitude of Radicals Any Longer.
—–
Chief of Police McKercher announced last night that the I. W. W. activities in Duluth are over from now until the end of the war. His announcement follows the raids Saturday made by the police on I. W. W. headquarters.
No meetings by the radicals, nor speeches or outbursts by known I. W. W. agitators will be tolerated, he declared flatly. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, arrested Saturday [on charge of vagrancy], has been warned by the police not to attempt to address any radical meeting in this city, it was said.
“There will be no demonstrations against war or against the government’s plans for over-production during the war period,” asserted the chief….
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday June 26, 1917
Duluth, Minnesota – Miss Flynn Arrested, I. W. W. Hall Raided
From The Decatur Herald of June 24, 1917:
DULUTH POLICE CLOSES I. W. W HEADQUARTERS
—–
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Arrested With
Other Professional Agitators.
—–
DULUTH, Minn. June 24-Under authority given by the city council early in the day prohibiting unpatriotic demonstrations by professional agitators, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, of New York City, who arrived here early Saturday morning, was arrested at a hotel late Saturday. The police then raided Industrial Workers of the World headquarters, here arresting nine men and a woman, and closing the headquarters.
All the I. W. W. arrested are held under the charge of “vagrancy.” The police seized all of the headquarters books.
List of Prisoners.
One of the prisoners is Marie Baxter, 28, an officer and organizer of the Duluth House Maids’ local union, affiliated with I. W. W.
Others who were taken in the raid are: Frank Gaisner, 25; William Sullivan, 37; Steven Himple, 26; Lewis Schappert, 27; P. Gideon Mattson, 35; Joseph Hogdson, 23; James Golden, 45; and Harry Lisk, 42.
Golden had literature in his possession which resulted in the placing of an additional charge against him, that of advocating sabotage. Those of conscription age had other registrations cards.
And have you fix the where and when
That we must slave and die?
Here’s fifty thousand harvest men
Shall know the reason why!
-Shorty
Hellraisers Journal, Monday June 25, 1917
A Song for the Harvest Workers of the American Mid-West
From Solidarity of June 23, 1917:
I have no country to fight for,
my country is the earth
and I am a citizen of the world.
-Eugene Victor Debs
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 24, 1917
The Masses: Censorship, Conscription and Liberty
War and Liberty by Boardman Robinson:
Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Boardman Robinson: Uncle Sam Is Ready to Fight for Liberty”
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 23, 1907
Denver, Colorado – Report from W. F. of M. Convention
From the Duluth Labor World of June 22, 1907:
WESTERN MINERS HAND LEMON
TO I. W. OF W.
—–
Revolutionary Organization of
Industrial Workers Are Repudiated.
—–
Annual Convention of Western Federation
Takes Decisive Action.
—–
DENVER, Col., June 20.—”To hell with Moyer and Haywood—they are merely individuals.”
“To hell with Eugene V. Debs—we are revolutionists.” These inflammatory utterances made on the floor during the second annual convention of the Industrial Workers of the World in secret session in Chicago last September, were probably largely responsible for the split that has since occurred in the ranks of that organization.
This was brought out in the afternoon session of the federation convention yesterday afternoon. The disclosures were made in a communication read from Charles O. Sherman, former president of the Industrial Workers of the World. There were some quickly hushed hisses and some applause following the conclusion of the reading of the lengthy document.
The Western Federation of Miners, is known as the “mining department” of the Industrial Workers of the World. The latter association is divided into two factions—the “revolutionists” and the advocates of an economic industrial organization. The federation members are mostly from the latter class and practically left the Industrial Workers last December when they refused to pay a per capita to that body.
Since then there has been much dissension between the two organizations and many attempts on the part of the Workers to have the federation return to the fold. The question is to be settled at the convention now in session in Denver.
Hellraisers Journal, Friday June 22, 1917
United Mine Workers of America to Honor Ludlow Martyrs
From the United Mine Workers Journal of June 21, 1917:
The Ludlow Monument
—–
—–
While it is fully recognized that there would be only words of commendation if the International Executive Board had appropriated sufficient money to build a monument to our martyred dead, on the field of Ludlow, there is a sentimental value in the recommendation adopted instead that, no doubt, will be appreciated by the membership.
We wish to perpetuate the memory of those who died that the organization might live in Colorado and in the entire country.
Let us place that memorial upon every minute book of every local in the jurisdiction of the miners’ union. In subscribing a small sum to be expended in the erection of a fitting monument we recognize anew the bitter cost some were called upon to pay.
So many of us have fallen heir to the benefits that are derived from unionism. We have never learned to appreciate the cost of its up building and some of us may hold them lightly, and even so, the organization gained with sacrifice, struggle and pain, even unto death.
Hellraisers Journal, Friday June 21, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Orchard Breaks Down Under Cross-Examination
Ida Crouch-Hazlett, editor of the Socialist Montana News, is on the scene in Boise covering the Haywood murder trial, and gives the following account of the cross-examination of the prosecution’s star witness, Harry Orchard, by Edmund Richardson, Attorney for the Defense:
Orchard Weeps
—–Breaks Down on Witness Stand-
McParland’s Methods Exposed
Under Richardson’s Fire
Boise, June 15.
The attitude of the Boise press towards this trial is a disgrace to the name of human freedom. The way the defense has riddled Orchard and shown his utter incompetency and reliability as a witness is potent to all observers. Even the judge looks disgusted at the revelations of this abandoned wretch, as he reluctantly makes admission after admission on the cross-examination to crimes be had not mentioned before. It is common comment that no jury could convict a man on such contaminated evidence. Yet the local papers, notably the “Statesman” [Idaho Daily Statesman of Boise] comes out with flaring articles about Richardson’s “blundering” ways, and his utter failure with the witness, how the friends of the defense are disgusted, and how the socialist reporters throw down their pencils in despair over his stupid efforts. It is needless to say that this is all fiction, pure and simple. Richardson’s work has been magnificent. He has held the strong, aggressive from the very beginning. Orchard has had to put forth a terrible defensive against him in order to bear up at all, and the tactics of the famous attorney have laid bare the very soul of the cringing and cowering murderer.
