Month: July 2017

Hellraisers Journal: The Rebel of Hallettsville, Texas, Suppressed & Socialist Editor Red Tom Hickey Arrested

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Hallettsville, TX, The Rebel, Let Us Arise, June 2, 1917

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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 11, 1917
Hallettsville, Texas – The Rebel Suppressed

Tom Hickey, Texas Socialist, 1911

The campaign to destroy the Socialist press of the nation continues, and, in the case of The Rebel, Socialist newspaper of Texas, and a voice for the Farmers’ and Laborers’ Protective Association, authorities did not wait for passage of the Espionage Act before moving to destroy circulation.

From The Salt Lake Tribune of June 14, 1917:

Paper Confiscated.

WACO, Tex., June 13.-T. A. Hickey of Hallettsville, Tex., editor of The Rebel, a socialist paper, announced here today that the government suppressed the last issue of his paper and confiscated all copies, numbering 20,000. Hickey says he had written an account of his arrest by federal agents in west Texas a week or more ago during a raid on officials of the Farmers’ and Laborers’ Protective association, and this matter appeared in the suppressed issue.

[Photograph of Tom Hickey added.]

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: The American Socialist Banned From the Mails, Issues Statement to Readers

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 10, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Official Organ of the Socialist Party Suppressed

From the American Socialist of July 7, 1917:

WWIR, American Socialist Statement, July 7, 1917

———-

A STATEMENT TO OUR READERS

WWIR, American Socialist Editor Engdahl, July 7, 1917

THE EDITION of June 30th, of THE AMERICAN SOCIALIST, our Liberty Edition, has been held up by the Solicitor General of the postal department at Washington as to whether it is mailable.

For this reason, many subscribers have not received their paper. We are still hoping to have this issue declared mailable and hope to have this and future issues, in regular form, go out as usual.

Our paper will be published regularly. Every effort will be made to comply with the law and at the same time issue a publication that will be a credit to the Socialist movement. There should be no let-up in getting subscriptions. We must continue to rely entirely on your efforts in increasing our army of readers, now as always.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Voice, “A Newspaper for the New Negro,” Hubert H. Harrison: “The East St Louis Horror”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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How can America hold up its hands
in hypocritical horror at foreign barbarism
while the red blood of the Negro
is clinging to those hands?
-Hubert H. Harrison

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Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 9, 1917
East St. Louis, Illinois – “Making the World Safe for Democracy”

From Ohio’s Piqua Daily Call of July 7, 1917:

East St Louis, Safe for Democracy, Piqua Dly OH, July 7, 1917

From The Voice, “A Newspaper for the New Negro,” July 4, 1917:

The following article by Hubert H. Harrison addresses the disgraceful and murderous attacks of July 2nd, perpetrated by white citizens of East St. Louis against their fellow citizens of African descent. The massacre took many lives, and, in many cases, even the children were not spared.

The Voice is intended to be the “political voice” of the Liberty League. The issue of July 4th is it’s first.

The East St. Louis Horror
by Hubert H. Harrison

Hubert H Harrison (1883-1927)

This nation is now at war to make the world “safe for democracy,” but the Negro’s contention in the court of public opinion is that until this nation itself is made safe for twelve million of its subjects the Negro, at least, will refuse to believe in the democratic assertions of the country. The East St. Louis pogrom gives point to this contention. Here, on the eve of the celebration of the Nation’s birthday of freedom and equality, the white people, who are denouncing the Germans as Huns and barbarians, break loose in an orgy of unprovoked and villainous barbarism which neither Germans nor any other civilized people have ever equalled.

How can America hold up its hands in hypocritical horror at foreign barbarism while the red blood of the Negro is clinging to those hands? So long as the President and Congress of the United States remain dumb in the presence of barbarities in their own land which would tip their tongues with righteous indignation if they had been done in Belgium, Ireland or Galicia?

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Hellraisers Journal: Pinkerton Gunthugs Siringo and Meldrum in Boise: “notoriously handy with their revolvers.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 7, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Gunthugs Siringo & Meldrum Attend Trial

From the Appeal to Reason of June 29, 1907:

GUN-FIGHTERS IN BOISE.
—–

HMP, Gunthugs Siringo & Meldrum, SLTb, June 18, 1907

—–

HMP, Gunthug Siringo w Walking Stick, Wilshires July 1907

The following Associated Press dispatch, printed in the Kansas City Times, will give our readers a pen picture of the sort of witnesses summoned by the Gooding-McPartland gang to testify against Haywood:

Boise, Ida., June 20.-Charles A. Siringo and “Bob” Meldrum, who are in daily attendance at the Haywood trial, are notoriously handy with their revolvers. Meldrum has “five notches” in his gun; but the number of men who have fallen before Siringo’s unerring aim is not definitely known.

Siringo acts as body guard for the detective, James McPartland. He has served the Pinkerton agency twenty-one years, and one of his first assignments was to “shadow” certain lawyers in connection with the trial of the Chicago anarchists. Siringo has operated extensively against cattle rustlers, and at the time of the Coeur d’Alene strike he was recording secretary of the Gem Miners’ union, of which at the time George A. Pettibone was financial secretary. Siringo’s record became known and he escaped by cutting a hole in a floor and crawling under a wooden sidewalk for 200 yards.

Meldrum is now a deputy sheriff at Telluride. Colo., and is here as a witness. Originally he was a cowboy and was employed by cattle men to fight the rustlers. In several strikes he has served the mine owners in various capacities, and he is reputed to be one of the handiest men in the country with a revolver.

Another dispatch relates how Meldrum and his partner undertook to start a riot. The attempt was such a bunglesome job that the Boise police collared the bad men, and fined them $100 and $50 respectively. The fines were paid by the Pinkerton Agency.

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Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Fired by Haywood as Organizer for Industrial Workers of the World

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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MN16, ON Hilton speech, LW, Dec 23, 1916

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday July 6, 1917
Duluth, Minnesota – Miss Flynn “Expelled” from I. W. W.

From the Pittsburgh Daily Post of July 1, 1917:

Note: the information below comes via the Duluth Police Department, and not directly from Elizabeth Gurley Flynn.

I. W. W. President Expels
Miss Flynn
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EGF, Tresca, MN Iron Miners Strike, Ev IN, Aug 17, 1916

DULUTH, Minn., June 30.-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn of New York told Duluth police, before departing for her home, that William Haywood, Chicago, president [General Secretary-Treasurer] of the Industrial Workers of the World, had expelled her from the organization. Miss Flynn, according to the police, said Haywood and his advisors charged she conspired with Carl [Carlo] Tresca, Haywood’s former lieutenant, to “double cross” four industrial workers who received penitentiary sentences recently on a murder charge, in connection with labor troubles.

Miss Flynn exhibited a manuscript which was to have been her speech at Virginia, Minn., last Sunday. In it she made pleas against stories at the mines during the war, and this address, she said, was in conflict with Haywood’s plans. It was Miss Flynn’s story that brought about her release from charges of vagrancy Thursday, the police said today.

———-

[Photograph added]

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Hellraisers Journal: For the Defense: WF Davis, Union Veteran, & Morris Friedman, of “Pinkerton Spy” Fame

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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If they hang Moyer and Haywood,
they’ve got to hang me.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday July 5, 1907
Boise, Idaho – “The defense is putting up a magnificent case.”

From the Montana News of July 4, 1907:

Union Veterans
—–

Reviews History of the Idaho
and Colorado Wars—
Witnesses Tell Experience
of the Bullpen

Boise, June 28.

HMP, WF Davis of WFM, DEN, June 28, 1907

On Wednesday afternoon [June 26th] W. F. Davis took the stand. This is one of the most valiant and dauntless characters in the whole ranks of the Western Federation. He was accused of stealing and running the train in the Coeur d’Alenes at the time the mill was blown up. The mine owners declared he was on the engine and directed the engineer, and he has been pursued relentlessly ever since by the persecutions of the mine owners. He was a member of the strike committee in the Cripple Creek district, and was tried with the other members of the committee on the charge of attempted wrecking of a Florence and Cripple Creek train. Davis was dismissed by the judge without letting the case go to the jury. H e was obliged to leave the district when the union men were run out, and change his name in order to get work.

While he was held in jail, his wife and baby both died. He is a big, noble-hearted fellow who has the confidence and sympathy of the entire Federation. He was moved to tears when the fact of the loss of his family were brought out on the stand. He has jeopardized his freedom by coming here from Goldfield, as the mine owners are looking closely for a chance to arrest him for the Coeur d’Alenes difficulties. Orchard implicated him in the blowing up of the Vindicator mine at Cripple Creek, where the two shift bosses were killed. When he read Orchard’s testimony he immediately telegraphed to the attorneys of the defense that he would come to Boise and deny the cowardly lie.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V Debs & Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Denied Right to Speak in the State of Minnesota

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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EGF Quote, I fell in love with my country, RG 96

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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 4, 1917
St. Peter & Duluth, Minnesota – Freedom of Speech Denied

From the New Ulm Review of July 4, 1917:

EUGENE DEBS IS BARRED FROM
PUBLIC SPEAKING
—–

Eugene Debs, ISR, Sept 1916

St. Peter’s Chautauqua opened Sunday, July 1, and will continue until next Sunday, July 8. An excellent program has been arranged and is being carried out, with a large attendance. Eugene V. Debs, who had been secured to deliver one of the lectures, has been forbidden by the Minnesota Safety commission to deliver a public lecture in this state. The St. Peter committee was notified to that effect late last week. Mr. Debs was to have delivered the Fourth of July address on the Chautauqua program. St. Peter people, who had anticipated hearing a patriotic address by Mr. Debs feel that the Safety commission has convicted him without a trial.

The commission offered to send C. W. Ames, a member of that body to take the place of Debs on the program, but the offer was declined without even thanks. In fact the offer was considered, according to the St. Peter papers, somewhat presumptuous on the part of the commission.

———-

[Photograph added.]

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and the City of Duluth:

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Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review on Mooney Case: “They Are Building the Gallows”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 3, 1917
San Francisco, California – Report on Tom Mooney Frame-Up

From the International Socialist Review:

Building Gallows Mooney by Minor, ISR, July 1917

—–

IT HAS been proven that Tom Mooney was framed up. We who are interesting ourselves in his case were glad, after our long and terrible struggle, when we were able to offer the public the absolute and unquestioned proof that Mooney’s conviction was the result of perjury bought and paid for. We were glad to be able to silence arguments with actual letters in the handwriting of the chief perjury conspirator, which letters tell in black and white that Mooney’s death is sought by false testimony. We have silenced argument.

Franklin A. Griffin, the judge who pronounced the death sentence upon Mooney, has angrily demanded that Mooney be given another trial, free of perjury. The newspapers which formerly demanded his blood have now ceased to call for Mooney’s death, and two of them are demanding that the disgraceful conviction be undone.

All of California and American Labor has ceased to discuss personal differences and has demanded in one tremendous voice that Mooney, Mrs. Mooney, Billings, Weinberg and Nolan be freed. Every national figure in the labor movement of the United States is active now in behalf of the humble labor unionists in the jail of San Francisco.

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WE NEVER FORGET: Alexander Obremski Who Gave His Life in Freedom’s Cause at Rugby, Colorado on May 18, 1907

Janet RayeWe Never Forget
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Link up in one socialist company;
Evil must perish!
Only together and united!
Long live the Western Federation of Miners!
-Alex Obremski

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WE NEVER FORGET, Alex Obremski, Rugby CO May 18, 1907

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Alexander Obremski
Union Organizer for the Western Federation of Miners

In 1907, Alexander Obremski was a union organizer for the Western Federation of Miners, working in the very dangerous field of the Trinidad area of southern Colorado. The field was considered to be so dangerous that organizers took the precaution of traveling in pairs.

On the evening of May 18, 1907, Brother Obremski was shot down in a saloon in Rugby, Colorado, near Trinidad, by Juan Espinosa, “a Mexican allegedly hired by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I) for this purpose.” [See below.]

A large funeral was held in Trinidad on May 22nd to honor the intrepid union organizer. He was survived by two brothers who lived in Starkville, Colorado.

According to M. E. White who had charge of WFM headquarters in Trinidad:

Much credit is due for the three hundred members initiated here in the last five months, and at Pueblo, to the faithful and diligent work of your organizer, Brother James Peretto, and the late Brother Obremsky who took their lives in their hands in the work of educating the slaves of this district.

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SOURCE I

Essays in Colorado History, Issues 5-10
Colorado Historical Society, 1987
(Search with “alex obremski” reveals signature: “Alex. Obremski.”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=_ngjAQAAIAAJ

Note: not available online except in snippet view. By using various search-words, I was able to bring up some relevant information. I will be attempting to track down this source in a library.

Page 55-

Alexander Obremski (1876-1907)
Correspondence from Trinidad, Colorado
Published as “Korespondencje. Trinidad, Colo.” in Robotnik Polski

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