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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday June 14, 1910
New York, New York – Baby Boy Born to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
From the Industrial Worker of June 4, 1910:
I. W. W. General Executive Board Member
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn:
Category: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Hellraisers Journal: Spokane Free Speech Warrior Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Now Mother of Baby Boy in New York City
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday May 29, 1910
Spokane Fellow Workers Learn of Birth of Baby Boy to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
From the Spokane Spokesman Review of May 28, 1910:
GURLEY FLYNN IS MOTHER
———-I. W. W.’S EX-LEADER ENDS WARFARE TO CARE FOR SON.
—–
Youngster Will Be Named Frederic Vincent Jones,
According to Letter.
—–
The birth of a son to Mrs. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Jones, leader of the recent street speaking fight in this city, is announced in a letter received by Mrs. Fred Heslewood, of E703 Providence avenue. Mrs. Jones is with her mother in New York, engaged in the preparation of a book called “Women in the Industrial World.” The boy has been named Frederic Vincent Jones, it is said. It was born May 19.
Mr. Jones, better known by her maiden name, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, was the leader of the street speakers in their fight against the authorities last winter. She was arrested on a charge of criminal conspiracy, found guilty by a jury in a justice court, and acquitted on appeal to the superior court. She spent one night in the county jail and made charges of misconduct against the jailers that were taken up later by members of the Woman’s club. She left for New York before the final adjustment of the street speaking difficulties. Her husband’s home is in Missoula, Mont.
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[Photograph added is from Spokesman Review of July 9, 1909.]
[Emphasis added.]
Hellraisers Journal: From the Industrial Workers: “Spokane Fight for Free Speech Settled” -Prisoners Released
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 14, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Spokane Free Speech Fight Settled
From the Industrial Worker of March 12, 1910:
Spokane Fight for Free Speech Settled
—–
Spokane, Wash, March 6, 1910.—At last the great Spokane battle has been brought to a close. This was effected through the instrumentality of a series of conferences between the city and county officials and an I. W. W. committee. The following is an account of the various conferences and the conclusions arrived at by the contestants in this long battle.
On February 28th “the executive or fighting committee” of the I. W. W. elected a committee of three—Fellow Workers Gillespie, McKelvey, and Foster—and commissioned them to call on the authorities and discuss the situation before opening hostilities on the morrow. This interview terminated in practically a declaration of war on both sides, as the mayor seemed to think the only possible solution of the difficulty was to test the ordinance in the court. He frankly stated that he did not endorse a prohibitive or discriminatory ordinance, but said he had no other choice than to enforce the laws already on the books. He professed willingness to treat on the matter, but claimed lack of jurisdiction. This was considered unfavorable by the committee, and the mayor was told that the fight must continue until the I. W. W. was crushed or free speech assured.
Next day the committee, enlarged by the addition of Fellow Worker Stark, called on the police department, where a general conference was held. The authorities showed a willingness to reasonably consider the situation and asked for specific credentials from the committee, which would show their authority to talk business. These credentials were secured, and on March 3rd the general conference met. The city and county were represented by Mayor Pratt, Prosecuting Attorney Pugh, Corporation Counsel Blair, Chief of Police Sullivan, and Captain Detective Burns. The I. W. W. were represented by Fellow Workers Stark, McKelvey, Gillespie, and Foster.
The conference took on the nature of demands by the I. W. W. These were four in number: First, the promise that landlords would not be intimidated into refusing the rent of halls to the I. W. W. as had been done during the last few months of the fight, and that I. W. W. meetings be absolutely free from police interference, provided, of course, that we kept within the common rules; in short, hall conditions were to be the same as those prior to November 2. Second, freedom of the press and the right to sell the Industrial Worker on the street just as other newspapers are. Third, the release of I. W. W. prisoners in the city and county jails. Fourth, the use of the streets for public speaking.
The first two propositions were granted after but slight discussion. The third proposition was very closely related to the fourth, and after a very unsatisfactory discussion of it the committees turned to the fourth so as to find out how they stood on that. The mayor, corporation counsel, etc., assured the I. W. W. committee that free speech is to be allowed in Spokane in the near future, and though no date was or could be set for this new arrangement to take effect, they were positively assured that it will be in a short while. And meanwhile the regular religious organizations will not be discriminated in favor of, but must await the time when the streets are open to all.
With this proposition established as a working basis, the conference again took up the matter of the release of prisoners, which was a delicate one to handle. Prosecutor Pugh professed to have no animosity against any of the prisoners, but stated that it is impossible to release them all at once. It was agreed that the city prisoners (some 15 in number) should be immediately released, and the county prisoners (14 in number) released on a sliding scale, to begin immediately, without discrimination.
Hellraisers Journal: Latest News from Spokane Free Speech Fight by Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Part II
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday March 4, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Gurley Flynn Reports from Free Speech Fight, Part II
From the International Socialist Review of March 1910:
Latest News from Spokane
—–ELIZABETH GURLEY FLYNN.
—–[Part II of II.]
Since the release of the majority charged with disorderly conduct, suits have been entered amounting to $120,000 against Chief of Police Sullivan, Captain of Detectives Burns, Captain Miles and Officers Shannon, Warner, Nelson and Jelsett. These suits are based upon the treatment the men received in the sweat box and the Franklin School. Every man injured will certainly cost the city of Spokane thousands of dollars before the fight is settled. The tax payers seem to have no sense of justice or humanity, consequently an appeal to their pocket-books as a last resort will be the most effective. The I. W. W. have already been forced to spend hundreds of dollars from the defense fund caring for sick and disabled members as they were discharged from custody. At the present time one man, George Prosser, is ill at the Kearney Sanitarium, two others, Ed. Collins and M. Johnson, are confined in local hotels with extreme cases of rheumatism, and Frank Reed is in the Washington Sanitarium ill with erysipelas.
This little fellow [Frank Reed] who, by the way is one of Uncle Sam’s ex-soldiers, went through the hunger strike at Fort Wright and but a few days after his release was re-arrested charged with criminal conspiracy and desecrating the flag. When he was taken ill he was allowed to remain for 48 hours without medical treatment and in a terrible delirium. County Physician Webb excused this ill-treatment by saying that Reed had been left in charge of a trustee, in other words-a fellow prisoner. He was put under the care of a special nurse and during the first 48 hours he was in an extremely critical condition. The cost to the I. W. W. for the first two days alone amounted to $166.00. This is not reported in any mercenary sense for dollars are of course not to be considered in the balance with the life of a revolutionist, but the extreme character of his suffering and the costly treatment that it required is a severe reproach to the standard of civilization attained in the Spokane County jail.
Hellraisers Journal: Latest News from Spokane Free Speech Fight by Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Part I
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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday March 3, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Gurley Flynn Reports from Free Speech Fight, Part I
From the International Socialist Review of March 1910:
Latest News from Spokane
—–ELIZABETH GURLEY FLYNN.
—–[Part I of II.]
HE agitation of the I. W. W. and free speech fight in Spokane, Washington, if it brought no other effects has been valuable in that it has forced the officials to take action against the employment agencies. In the beginning of the difficulty they were admitted by Judge Mann to be the cause of all the trouble. Since that time Mayor Pratt has frankly admitted refunding thousands of dollars to working-men who had been sold fictitious jobs by the employment agencies. There were about thirty-one in the city of Spokane but the licenses of all but twelve of these were revoked.
The following statement from Mayor Pratt explains this action: “On the whole we have found that the larger agencies have not been causing so much trouble. Some of the larger men have made a study of the business, understanding human nature, and have been successful. In some cases we find that men who do not understand the business have engaged in it nevertheless and have made a little money and have held on to every dollar that has come into their possession whether they were entitled to it or not.”
Hellraisers Journal: Testimony of Fellow Workers Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and C. L. Filigno at Spokane Free Speech Trial
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 28, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Trial of Gurley Flynn and Filigno, Part II
From The Workingman’s Paper of February 26, 1910:
[Part II of II.]
The Jury
The first two days of the trial were taken up with impaneling the jury. It fell to Mr. Don Kiser’s lot to have charge of the prosecution’s side of this part of the performance.
About forty men were called before it was possible to get twelve men who were satisfactory. The vast majority were prejudiced against the I. W. W.; in fact, it was a surprise when a man would make the statement that he had formed no opinion concerning the case, or even when one would say he considered labor had a right to organize in order to better its conditions, etc.
Finally, however, by Friday afternoon the jury began to look like a jury and things were ready for taking up the testimony.
[The Prosecution’s Case.]
[Main witness for the prosecution were:
-Detective Martin J. Burns who testified that 20% of those arrested said no more than “Fellow Worker.”
-Chief Sullivan, witness for the prosecution, was unable to explain why foreigners who said no more than “Fellow-Workers” could draw such big crowds.
-“Floor-Spitter” Detective McDonald testified that the men he arrested were all foreigners whose names he could not remember nor pronounce.]
Defense Opens
At 3:30 [Tuesday February 15th] Mr. Symmes addressed the jury, and on request of defense court adjourned at about 4, to take up defense testimony in the morning.
Hellraisers Journal: The Spokane Trial of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and C. L. Filigno by Bessy Fiset for Workingman’s Paper
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 27, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Trial of Gurley Flynn and Filigno, Part I
From The Workingman’s Paper of February 26, 1910:
The Flynn-Filigno Trial
—–(Reported for “The Workingman’s Paper” by its
Editorial Correspondent, Bessy Fiset.)[Part I of II.
Wednesday, the 9th of February, 1910, saw the opening of the case of the State against C. L. Filigno and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn-Jones for criminal conspiracy.
The fact is that this trial is bringing to light the greatest conspiracy on the part of the MASTER CLASS AGAINST FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PRESS AND ASSEMBLAGE that has yet been revealed in this country, making it rank with the foremost cases that have had direct bearing, or been the direct outcome of the Revolutionary movement in America.
* * *
To any one looking on at this trial the spectacle was certainly a representative in miniature of conditions as they exist in society today. On entering the large courtroom-seating approximately three hundred-one faced the court with the jury box on the left, counsel’s table immediately in front of judge, clerk’s desk just to right, and at extreme right along the wall a row of seats reserved for women spectators.
Between the right wall and the court was a door opening into an anteroom, which in turn let into a corridor leading to the county jail. Between the court and the jury box on the left was the door leading into court chambers.
Hellraisers Journal: “47 Days in Spokane City Jail” by William Z. Foster, Part I -from the Seattle Workingman’s Paper
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday February 14, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Foster Describes 47 Days in City Jail
From the Seattle Socialist Workingman’s Paper of February 12, 1910:
[Part I of II.]
On the afternoon of December 11th, when a contingent of men left the I. W. W. headquarters for the purpose of speaking on the street, I accompanied them, as usual, so as to witness their arrest and be enabled to report any unusual features attending it. On this particular afternoon Korthagen and Holland, two I. W. W. members from Seattle among others, were billed to speak, and having been closely associated with them in Seattle, I was anxious to be in at the death.
I walked with them to the appointed street corner, and while they spoke I stood some twenty feet away in the thick of the crowd. They were duly arrested and a few moments later the redoubtable Captain Burns came on the scene in answer to a call sent in to the station, and although he knew nothing whatsoever as to what had taken place, and had no warrant for my arrest, he immediately placed me under arrest when he happened to see me standing in the crowd.
At the police station I had the honor of a half-hour talk with Pugh, Sullivan and Burns, during the course of which conversation these worthies attempted to pump me. They adopted a dozen different ruses by which they hoped to secure a promise from me to desist from taking part in the street fight in return for my liberty. One of these was ridiculous in the extreme. Chief Sullivan (brainy man) said that he had just received a letter from the I. W. W., stating that I was a Pinkerton, his plan being to rouse my ire against the organization and to get me to desert it, or at least promise to take no active part in the fight. Failing in this he adjudged me guilty in his office of some unknown offense, because I wouldn’t answer for my conduct for the future, and I was taken to the notorious sweat-box, where I joined the balance of the street-speaking “criminals.”
Hellraisers Journal: Russian Methods Prevail in Spokane Free Speech Fight, Report from The Progressive Woman
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 31, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Free Speech Fighters Suffer Sweating, Hunger and Cold
From The Progressive Woman of January 1910:
RUSSIAN METHODS IN SPOKANE.
—–
—–
Every once in a while things happen in the United States that seem for the world like Russia. The “bull-pen” episode in Colorado a few years ago was one of these. The present fight for free speech out in Spokane is another. The authorities out there took it upon themselves to deny the right of free speech to the Socialists, and the Socialist labor organization, the Industrial Workers of the World, with its official organ, The Industrial Worker, and its headquarters in Spokane, is bearing the brunt of this fight.
As fast as men are thrown into jail for attempting to hold their usual street meetings others come to take their places. In fact, the comrades are pouring in from every section of the country to help in this fight.
And it is a serious business. Young men, without funds, but anxious to help, take advantage of every possible means of reaching Spokane, even to “riding the rods” through the long dreary cold of the north west. One splendid young comrade from Chicago was killed while making his way in this manner; another was hurt in a wreck. Others suffered agonies from hunger and the cold. But none have turned back.
Hellraisers Journal: Rose Pastor Stokes Writes to Gurley Flynn, Describes Uprising of New York Shirtwaist Makers
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday January 3, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Hears from Rose Pastor Stokes
From The Spokane Press of January 2, 1910:
From page 5-
ROSE PASTOR STOKES TELLS OF STRIKE
—–
Millionaire Socialist’s Wife Writes to Gurley Flynn
of Shirt-Waist Makers’ Strike.
—–
Rose Pastor Stokes, the well known woman socialist and labor leader, wife of New York’s millionaire-philanthropist, is a friend of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the I. W. W. leader, who has been prominent in the street speaking fight here. Mrs. Stokes has written the local leader regarding her work in the strike of the shirt waist strikers of the metropolis.
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn has given a copy of the letter to The Press for publication. She is herself a New York girl, and knows the working conditions among the girl and women workers of New York. The letter follows:
[Rose Pastor Stokes on New York Shirtwaist Strike.]
You have doubtless heard of the shirt waist makers’ strike out here. For weeks I have been so deeply engaged in the struggle with these striking men and women that I have found it difficult to think of anything else. I am still in the fight, as the strike is not yet over. There were between 30,000 and 40,000 out about there weeks ago. Now there are about 8,000 strikers left, the rest having gone back, on the union terms, with recognition of the union.