Hellraisers Journal: From the Montana News: Big Bill Haywood on the Witness Stand; Borah Fails at Bulldozing

Share

If one man has a dollar he didn’t work for,
some other man worked for a dollar he didn’t get.
-Big Bill Haywood

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday July 20, 1907
Boise, Idaho – The Testimony of Big Bill Haywood

Ida Crouch-Hazlett of the Montana News has been in the town of Boise covering the trial of Big Bill Haywood, Secretary-Treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners. She provides us with a first-hand account of Fellow Worker Haywood on the witness stand under cross examination by Senator Borah:

HMP, Hy on witness stand, Landon, Spk Prs, July 12, 1907

…Haywood is the socialist of the three accused men. From his reading and study he understands something of the historic function of the working class. He has nothing in common whatever with the capitalist class and its ideals. His whole make-up and inclination is to knock the stuffing out of the system that oppresses him….

As he gave his testimony every socialist felt that there was the man who was speaking the instinctive aspiration and determination of the working class….

[Drawing added.]

We have also provided reporting from the Daily Capital Journal of Salem, Oregon, of July 12th:

WANTED TO SEE BORAH’S EYES

Haywood [while being cross-examined by Borah] gave an indication of his coolness by asking that the window shutter be closed, explaining that he could not see Borah’s eyes, because of the sun’s glare.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Montana News: Big Bill Haywood on the Witness Stand; Borah Fails at Bulldozing”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1917: Found in West Virginia

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

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 19, 1917
Mother Jones News for June: Organizing in West Virginia

Mother Jones, UMWJ, Feb 10, 1916

Mother Jones was found in West Virginia during the month of June 1917 continuing on the mission to organize the coal miners of that state into the ranks of the United Mine Workers of America.

The United Miner Workers Journal of June 7th had this to say about the organizing campaign in the New River and Winding Gulf field:

Mother Jones, ably assisted by organizers in whom the West Virginia miners have learned to repose the fullest confidence, are active in the field and are making a record of successful organization.

New River and the Winding Gulf field, where but a short time ago a union man could not confess his faith except at the imminent risk of his life, is fairly on the road to solid organization.

A letter from West Virginia printed in the June 28th edition of the Journal describes the miners lining up with the union en masse:

Possibly a few words from this part of West Virginia would not be amiss. Of course, as you know, there has been a local here of several years’ standing, but not until now, of recent date, has there been any united action on the part of the miners themselves, and to cinch it all Mother Jones and Brother L. Dwyer clinch it. All Layland, believe me, turned out en masse, even the county officials, to attend, and general good feeling exists all around. The boys are joining their union and the quickest way seems too slow now since they begin to see the light.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1917: Found in West Virginia”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1907: Found in Arizona

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

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 18, 1907
Mother Jones News for June: Organizing Miners in Arizona

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

During the month of June 1907, Mother Jones was found working with the Western Federation of Miners, organizing the metal miners of Arizona. During that month she also made a trip to New York City, and, on her way back to Arizona, stopped off in Girard, Kansas, to visit with J. A. Wayland of the Appeal to Reason.

The Tombstone Epitaph of June 2, 1907 stated that she should seek a less taxing lifestyle than that of preaching “socialistic doctrines,” while the Albuquerque Evening Citizen of June 24, 1907 honored her efforts on behalf of the working class:

Like Joan of Arc, Mother Jones is alone in her class, and is one of the few labor leaders in this country who have the ear of the entire people, and the respect of the different factions that so often clash in the material world.

From the Nogales Border Vidette of June 1, 1907:

“Mother” Jones, prominent in the labor field of the United State, will arrive in Tombstone this afternoon and is billed to lecture both this and tomorrow evening. “Mother” Jones is a lady 60 years of age or more, the major portion of which time has been devoted to the welfare of the working-man. The lady is not a disturbing element nor an agitator, but on the contrary endeavors to still the troubled waters by pointing out how amicable relations may be brought about and prosperity take the place of chaos. “Mother” Jones speaks from a socialistic standpoint, is well versed in political economy, highly educated and has oratorical ability. Her prominence throughout the country will doubtless call out large audiences on both occasions of her lectures.-Prospector.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1907: Found in Arizona”

Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportee, Attorney W. B. Cleary, Issues Statement from Hermanas, New Mexico

Share
There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 16, 1917
From Hermanas, New Mexico – W. B. Cleary Speaks

Bisbee Deportation Miners and Supporters July 12, 1917

—–

In a statement issued from Hermanas, New Mexico, where the miners and their supporters, deported from the Bisbee district of Arizona, were left stranded at 3 a. m. on July 13, Attorney W. B. Cleary said in part:

About 5 o’clock in the morning of the 12th a rounding-up of the men on strike began. The strikers were members of the I. W. W. and the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Men from Bisbee, Lowell, Warren, and Douglas, and the county adjacent thereto, to the number of 2,200, mostly armed with rifles and revolvers and some with clubs, assisted in the work of the round-up. Some of the miners were treated without any show of violence by the men taking them from their homes, while in other instances the men were forced at the point of a gun to leave their homes, and in many instances their wives and families.

They were herded by gunmen with an automobile which carried a machine gun. This machine gun was trained on the miners….

The men were entrained on twenty-four cars waiting on a siding near the park. Cattle cars and box cars were used for this purpose. About noon the train was started toward New Mexico. On top of each car were a large number of armed guards and along the railroad track for miles the train was accompanied by automobiles with men holding guns fixed upon the railroad cars.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportee, Attorney W. B. Cleary, Issues Statement from Hermanas, New Mexico”

Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportees Stranded at Hermanas; Governor Appeals to U. S. Authorities for Help

Share
There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 15, 1917
Hermanas, New Mexico – I. W. W. Fellow Workers Stranded in Desert

From the Santa Fe New Mexican of July 13, 1917:

Bisbee Deportation, IWW Hermanas, StFe NMxn, July 13, 1917
Bisbee Deportation, IWW US Army, StFe NMxn, July 13, 1917

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Bisbee Deportees Stranded at Hermanas; Governor Appeals to U. S. Authorities for Help”

Hellraisers Journal: IWW Miners of Jerome & Bisbee Loaded into Cattle Cars & Deported from State of Arizona

Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday July 14, 1917
From Jerome & Bisbee, Arizona – More Than 1000 Working Men Deported

Bisbee Deportation, IWW to Cattle Cars, July 12, 1917

The above photograph shows more than 1000 working class men, mostly members of the Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union of the Industrial Workers of the World, being loaded into cattle cars in Bisbee, Arizona, July 12th, for the purpose of being deported from the state of Arizona. The men were force to stand in manure and left without food and water for hours until they were hauled across the state line and into New Mexico. More than 1000 men were left stranded in the desert near Hermanas, New Mexico.

The sixty-seven men deported from Jerome were taken across the state line and left at Needles, California.

From the Bisbee Daily Review of July 12, 1917:

Bisbee Deportation, Keep Off Streets, Bsb Dly Rv, July 12, 1917

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: IWW Miners of Jerome & Bisbee Loaded into Cattle Cars & Deported from State of Arizona”

Hellraisers Journal: In Boise, “Tide Turning” in Favor of Defense Due to Fearless Testimony of Morris Friedman

Share
There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday July 13, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Ida Crouch-Hazlett Reports from Haywood Trial

From the Montana News of July 11, 1907:

Reporting on the amazing testimony of Morris Friedman, author of The Pinkerton Labor Spy, Ida Crouch-Hazlett states that the testimony of this intrepid former employee of the Pinkerton Detective Agency has “crystalized [the] gathering sentiment” in favor of the defense. The article, “The Tide Turning,” states in part:

Pinkerton Labor Spy by Friedman, BBH, Moyer, 1907

—–

[Friedman] reached the climax of the effect he created when Borah accused him of stealing the copies of the detective correspondence. With his voice thrilling with the sense of the justice that had impelled him to the sacrifices he had undergone to give his knowledge of the work of these inhuman fiends to the world, he indignantly repelled the charge:

When I discovered the crimes they were committing, and the wicked plots they were attempting to fasten on the machinists, the United Mine Workers, and the Western Federation, I considered these matters the property of the various unions, and that I was restoring it the rightful owners.

The ringing words electrified the court-room, and the ranks of the Federation broke into cheers, which the guards forgot to silence.

[Photograph added.  See full article below.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: In Boise, “Tide Turning” in Favor of Defense Due to Fearless Testimony of Morris Friedman”

Hellraisers Journal: Appeal to Reason Invites Czar to America, “Conditions here are good for your line of business.”

Share

While Elihu Root is advising
the new Russian democracy,
you can come over and advise
the new American autocracy.
Appeal to Reason to Czar Nicholas II

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 12, 1917
Girard, Kansas – Invitation Sent to “Mr. Nicholas Romanoff”

From the Appeal to Reason of June 30, 1917:

The Appeal Invites “Czar Nick”
to Come to America

Girard, Kansas, June 27, 1917.

Mr. Nicholas Romanoff, Care Council of Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Delegates, Petrograd, Russia.

Czar Nicholas II, March 1917, wiki

Dear Nick: Not knowing just how to reach you directly, we are sending this letter in care of the Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Delegates, who are doubtless keeping an eye on you and whom we trust to deliver this message uncensored as the mail of other private citizens is now being delivered-in Russia.

We expect you to be surprised at hearing from us, but not more surprised than we are at finding ourselves writing to you, a perfect stranger, you might say. Still, we feel that we have had an introduction to you after a fashion, having read about you a great deal and followed your recent career with much interest; so we think, Nick, that you’re the very man for a job that is now open over here in this land of the recently free. Here is a new and promising field for the exercise of your peculiar talents.

You will drop your hoe and come over on the next ship when we tell you that Czarism has been introduced in America, that the United States has taken the place of Russia with a vengeance that is rather characteristic of your own past rule.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Appeal to Reason Invites Czar to America, “Conditions here are good for your line of business.””

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

Share

Hallettsville, TX, The Rebel, Let Us Arise, June 2, 1917

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.]

———-

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

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

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

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.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: The American Socialist Banned From the Mails, Issues Statement to Readers”