The Deseret Evening News reported the news late yesterday afternoon:

On a request of Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States, Governor William Spry today granted a respite to Joseph Hillstrom, who was under sentence to be shot to death tomorrow, until the next regular meeting of the state board of pardons. This will have the effect of re-opening the case for further hearing before the board. Governor William Spry sent his reply to the president at 3:15 o’clock this afternoon

Fellow Worker Hill hears the news:

When Hillstrom was told of the governor’s action this afternoon he did not say a word. The death watch, which was placed over him this morning, was removed when the governor granted the respite. The sheriff has been advised that Hillstrom will not be shot tomorrow and the official respite will be filed with the sheriff tonight, the governor announced this afternoon.

The article announcing the reprieve also featured an exchange of telegrams between Governor Spry and Swedish Minister Ekengren which Hellraisers

will present in full tomorrow. The first half of the article can be found below the fold.

From the Deseret Evening News of September 30, 1915:

 

GRANTS JOSEPH HILLSTROM
STAY OF EXECUTION
President Wilson Telegraphs Request to Governor
William Spry to Take Action

REPRIEVE GIVEN TO OCT. 16
—–
During Interval Opportunity Will Be Given to
Prove Reasonable Doubt of Guilt
—–
BOARD OF PARDONS CONFERS AND ACTS
—–
On Date Fixed He Will be Taken into Court and
Resentenced if Effort for Freedom Fails.
—–

 

President Wilson
““`

On a request of Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States, Governor William Spry today granted a respite to Joseph Hillstrom, who was under sentence to be shot to death tomorrow, until the next regular meeting of the state board of pardons. This will have the effect of re-opening the case for further hearing before the board. Governor William Spry sent his reply to the president at 3:15 o’clock this afternoon.In his reply to the president, Gov. Spry says that on the assumption that “you have been convinced that additional facts can and will be presented to the board why clemency should be extended and upon your request, and your request only , I will grant a respite until the next meeting of the board of pardons which will be held Saturday, Oct. 16.”

The governor further says that he must insist that W. A. Ekengren, the Swedish minister to the United States, must come to Utah and make a personal investigation prior to the meeting of the board. The president asked for the respite owing to influence which was brought to bear upon him by the Swedish government, of which Hillstrom is claimed to be a subject. Mrs J. Sargeant Cram and Miss Elizabeth Flynn, of New York, also interceded with the president in behalf of Hillstrom. Frank B. Scott, Hillstrom’s former attorney, did the same by telegraph.

When Hillstrom was told of the governor’s action this afternoon he did not say a word. The death watch, which was placed over him this morning, was removed when the governor granted the respite. The sheriff has been advised that Hillstrom will not be shot tomorrow and the official respite will be filed with the sheriff tonight, the governor announced this afternoon.

Upon sending the foregoing message to the president, Governor Spry said this afternoon that it was the first time in the history of the country that he had heard of the president of the United States interfering in a state case “I have told the president,” said the governor, “that I insist that the Swedish minster shall come here and investigate this case for himself. The local vice consul has notified him that there is no evidence to warrant clemency, but the minister seems to have ignored. Now, I shall insist that he give it a thorough investigation.”

The board will convene Oct. 16 for further hearing in the matter, and if there is no new evidence forthcoming and the decision remains that Hillstrom must die for the Morrison murder, he will be again taken before the trial court, which will re-set the time for his execution. Unless new and unforeseen information is forthcoming, Hillstrom will eventually pay the death penalty in expiation of the crime of which he stands convicted.

Hillstrom can not have a new trial, unless appeal should be made to the United States supreme court. The president could ask one of the supreme court justices to direct the chief justice of the Utah supreme court to sign a writ of error for appeal to the tribunal, and if appeal was entertained, Hillstrom could be re-tried. This is regarded as not probable, however, in view of the fact that it is not believed there is ground upon which an appeal to the highest tribunal in the nation could be made.

Justices of Utah supreme court were displeased with telegram sent to Pres. Wilson last night by Atty. Scott, in which the attorney says that there was no evidence against Hillstrom save an unexplained bullet wound and that there were three of these on the night of the murder. They declared that if Scott had this evidence he should have presented it to the trial court and jury, or if precluded there to the board of pardons. They commented that he had never done this.

Before the governor’s official act this morning. Sheriff John S. Corless went to the state prison and completed arrangements for the execution. The sheriff said that the condemned man made no request other than that he be shot while attired in his good clothes. Hillstrom was placed under the death watch this morning, but the reprieve will recall this.

WOMEN MAKE APPEAL.An appeal to President Wilson on behalf of Hillstrom was made late yesterday by Mrs. J. Sargeant Cram and Miss Elizabeth G. Flynn, of New York, who called personally upon Secretary Tumulty, and also by Frank B. Scott, former attorney for Hillstrom, in a telegram to the president’s secretary. The women also asked Acting Secretary Polk, of the state department, to help them, and according to an Associated Press dispatch, he promised to transmit the representations made by W. A. Ekengren, Swedish minister to the United States, to Gov. William Spry.

The dispatch states Mrs. J. Sergeant Cram, who is the wife of a member of the New York public service commission, and Miss Elizabeth G. Flynn, of New York, an organizer of the Industrial Workers of the World, said they have become convinced that Hillstrom had not had a fair hearing, and that they were asking for a reprieve in order that he might be given another trial.

SCOTT SENDS MESSAGE.Frank B. Scott, one of Hillstrom’s former attorneys, last night received a telegram from Mrs. Cram asking him to send an appeal to President Woodrow Wilson on behalf of Hillstrom. The telegram to Mr. Scott read:

Frank B. Scott, Salt Lake City-Secy. Tumulty suggests you immediately telegraph him to appeal to president and briefly state your opinion as to Hillstrom’s innocence.
MRS. J. SARGENT CRAM.

To this telegram Mr. Scott last night sent Secy. Tumulty the following wire:

President’s Secretary, Mr. Tumulty, Washington, D. C.-Responsive to your appeal to president to request 30-day reprieve for Joseph Hillstrom. Absolutely no evidence connecting Hillstrom with murder except unexplained bullet wound, which he insists is no one’s business. Three other unexplained bullet wounds same night. Hillstrom fanatically makes no attempt to save his life. I believe that but for threats made against officials sentence would have been commuted-should be.
FRANK B. SCOTT,
Hillstrom’s Former Attorney.

Another telegram asking for a further consideration of the case was received last night by Gov. William Spry from the Swedish minister, who said that he had been instructed yesterday by his government to endeavor to obtain a postponement of the execution…To this Gov. Spry replied in a lengthy telegram that nothing has been found which would warrant a reprieve being granted…

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
Deseret Evening News
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-Sept 30, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

IMAGES
Joe Hill, Salt Lake Tribune,
Sept 19, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…
Woodrow Wilson, 1912
http://www.loc.gov/…
Mrs. J. Sargeant Cram, Salt Lake Tribune,
Sept 30, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

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“““““
Information from Archie Green via Gibbs Smith:

The Industrial Worker of July 11, 1912 reports that the new edition of the I. W. W. songbook (Little Red Songbook) will include “Casey Jones.” That edition of the songbook was published by The Industrial Worker in Spokane Washington, and also included “Where the Frazer River Flows” on page 39:

Where the Fraser River Flows – Utah Phillips

WHERE THE FRASER RIVER FLOWS
(Tune: “Where the River Shannon Flows”)
-Joe Hill

Fellow workers pay attention
to what I’m going to mention,
For it is the fixed intention
of the Workers of the World.
And I hope you’ll all be ready,
true-hearted, brave and
steady,
To gather ’round our standard
when the Red Flag is unfurled.

CHORUS
Where the Fraser river flows,
each fellow worker knows,
They have bullied and oppressed us,
but still our Union grows.
And we’re going to find a way, boys,
for shorter hours and better pay, boys;
And we’re going to win the day, boys;
where the river Fraser flows.

For these gunny-sack contractors
have all been dirty actors,
And they’re not our benefactors,
each fellow worker knows.
So we’ve got to stick together
in fine or dirty weather,
And we will show no white feather,
where the Fraser river flows.

Now the boss the law is stretching,
bulls and pimps he’s fetching,
And they are a fine collection,
as Jesus only knows.
But why their mothers reared them,
and why the devil spared them,
Are questions we can’t answer,
where the Fraser river flows.

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Today we offer the second part of an article in the September 30th edition of the the Deseret Evening News wherein it was announced that Fellow Worker Joe Hill had been granted a last minute reprieve through the intervention of President Wilson at the request of the the Swedish Minister to the United States.The article concludes with an exchange of telegrams between Minister Ekengren of Sweden and William Spry, Governor of Utah.  On behalf of Joe Hill, a subject of Sweden, the Minister expresses his doubts as to whether justice will be served through enactment of the death penalty in this case:

I have read the case of Hillstrom in the Pacific Reporter and must state my opinion that while the procedure might have been perfectly regular, the evidence on which the state bases its case is too weak to warrant execution of capital punishment. The evidence is at best only circumstantial, and though I know that there have been cases where convictions of capital crimes have been made on just such evidence, I consider it very grave to do it.If I understand it, it is the states’s duty to prove beyond doubt the guilt of the accused. In this instance it looks as if the burden of proof was on the accused, as if he must prove where he received his wound, etc. His refusal to take the stand on his own behalf seems to have actually, while not expressly, operated against him with both court and jury.

In a lengthy statement, the governor makes the absurd claim that there was direct evidence given against Joe Hill, when, in fact, not one of the states witnesses could positively identify him as one of the men who ran from the store following the murders of Morrison and his son.The Minister further states:

[I]t seems to be a very serious thing to take a man’s life if there is a shadow of doubt as to his guilt.

Utah appears ready to do just that, and to go down in history as the State that murdered Labor’s Troubadour, Joe Hill.

From the Deseret Evening News of September 30, 1915-
“Reprieve Given to Oct. 16” (Cont.)

MINISTER’S REQUEST.

Another telegram asking for a further consideration of the case was received last night by Gov. William Spry from the Swedish minister, who said that he had been instructed yesterday by his government to endeavor to obtain a postponement of the execution.
To this Gov. Spry replied in a lengthy telegram that nothing has been found which would warrant a reprieve being granted. The telegram to the Governor from Minister Ekengren follows:

                                                                   Bar Harbor, Me., Sept, 28, 1915.His Excellency, the Governor of Utah, Salt Lake, Utah.-Please accept my thanks for your message of yesterday, received today. I have read the case of Hillstrom in the Pacific Reporter and must state my opinion that while the procedure might have been perfectly regular, the evidence on which the state bases its case is too weak to warrant execution of capital punishment. The evidence is at best only circumstantial, and though I know that there have been cases where convictions of capital crimes have been made on just such evidence, I consider it very grave to do it.

If I understand it, it is the states’s duty to prove beyond doubt the guilt of the accused. In this instance it looks as if the burden of proof was on the accused, as if he must prove where he received his wound, etc. His refusal to take the stand on his own behalf seems to have actually, while not expressly, operated against him with both court and jury. Further, even if it is proven that Hillstrom was one of the two men who entered the store, it is not proven, it seems to me, that it was he who did the shooting. He may have been in the store and yet neither fired a shot nor had any intent to do so. The other party may have fired all of the shots.

WANTS INVESTIGATION.The question of motive leaves room for serious consideration, too. What motive could Hillstrom have had? It appears that he had been in Salt Lake but a short time and could hardly have made such enemies that he would shoot and kill them out of pure malice. From the information that I have on hand about the man I draw the conclusion that while he might be radical and haughty, he has led a comparatively honest life previously, and robbery as motive for the crime would therefore not seem any more reasonable than pure malice.

Today I have been telegraphically instructed by my government to endeavor to secure a new investigation in the case and on their behalf and in my own I ask you again very earnestly to consider at least a postponement of the execution. I beg to assure you that I appreciate very fully the letters and appeals written by a lot of emotional people in various parts of the country cannot be rated very highly.

Nevertheless, it seems to be a very serious thing to take a man’s life if there is a shadow of doubt as to his guilt.
W. A. EKENGREN,
Swedish Minister.

Governo Spry
““`

To the forgoing, Governor Spry replied:

W. A. Ekengren, Swedish Minister,
Bar Harbor. Me.In your last telegram you indicate the evidence in the Hillstrom case is too weak to warrant capital punishment, and express doubt of his guilt. We submit that the court and jury who heard the evidence, and the supreme court who reviewed, and the board of pardons who considered the record evidence in its entirely, are in a better position to judge of that than one unfamiliar with the record or the real facts of the case. You say the evidence is but circumstantial. the supreme court in its opinion, pointed to direct evidence of Hillstrom’s guilt. You say, “Even if it is proven that Hillstrom was one of the two men who entered the store, it is not proven, it seems to me, that it was he who did the shooting. He may have been in the store and yet neither fired a shot nor had any intent to do so. The other party may have fired all of the shots.”

EYE WITNESSES.That statement is not supported by either the facts or the law of the case. Confessedly two men with masks over their faces and guns in hand in the night time and for the purpose of murder or robbery, entered the deceased’s store, and deliberately shot him and his son to death. In the assault one of the assailants was shot by the deceased’s son. The state, by eye witnesses, adduced testimony to show that one of the assailants was Hillstrom; that he shot and killed the deceased, and that he was the active perpetrator of the crime, and further proved that he, two hours after the commission of the homicide, was suffering from a fresh and serious gunshot wound through the chest, and applied to a doctor for surgical aid.

Against that proof Hillstrom offered nothing. He offered no proof to show where he was or what he did that night or where or how he received his wound. After an affirmance of the judgment by the supreme court and on a hearing before the board of pardons for a commutation of sentence, Hillstrom and his friends were given every opportunity to show, either by himself or anyone else, how or where he received the wound or where he was or what he did on the night or the homicide, or any other matter of fact or thing in his favor. He has refused to show or to offer anything or to be interrogated by his own counsel or by any member of the board and declined to give the board any information or to make any statement whatever, and has since declined to give any, but has stated that it was “no one’s business” how or where he was shot.

WOMEN EXAMINED.

Mrs. Virginia Snow Stephen
““`

In pursuance to your prior telegrams that a Mrs. Stephen and a Miss Bolin claiming to know something about the case, had wired you for intervention, and of a cablegram sent by Arnoldson and Larson of this city to the burgomaster of Stockholm, we caused them to appear before the board, and on inquiries made of them they stated that they did not know Hillstrom, knew nothing of his past life and nothing that could be represented by them or anyone else in Hillstrom’s favor on a further hearing of the case.All stated they had not heard the evidence nor read it, except one, who claimed to have read a portion of it and the briefs of Hillstrom’s counsel. One of them stated that he asked Hillstrom’s discharge whether he be guilty or innocent; another, that the sentence be commuted, no matter how revolting the crime was or how conclusive Hillstrom’s guilt, and the two others who had not read the evidence, but only a portion of it and on reading the briefs of Hillstrom’s counsel, expressed doubt of his guilt. You have heretofore been fully advised that Hillstrom had a fair trial; that he was represented by counsel his own selection; that he was regularly tried and convicted in accordance with the laws of this state, and that no disinterested person familiar with the record and the evidence had any doubt of his guilt.

CONSUL REVIEWS CASE.The local Swedish consul, who also is a lawyer, at your request examined the records and proceedings of the case and advised you, after such examination, that Hillstrom was represented by counsel, that the evidence was sufficient to show his guilt, that he had a fair trial, that he had several interviews with Hillstrom and that there was nothing made to appear to justify interference with the judgment; in our last telegram to you we assured you that the case had received our most earnest consideration and that thus far nothing had been made to appear to justify interference with the judgment, and stated that if you knew of anything or could direct us to anyone possessing knowledge of anything tending to justify commutation we would be pleased to consider the question of further postponement of the execution.

You have furnished us nothing except arguments from the briefs of Hillstrom’s counsel. We submit that if Hillstrom is a Swedish subject more can be accomplished by your appeal to him and his friends that if there is anything to justify commutation they make it known and lay it before the board of consideration. Though every opportunity was afforded them, they thus far have refused to show anything.
WILLIAM SPRY,
Governor of Utah.

———-[Photographs and paragraph breaks added.]

SOURCES

Deseret Evening News
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-Sept 30, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

The Case of Joe Hill
-by Philip S Foner
International Publishers, 1965
https://books.google.com/…

Joe Hill
-by Gibbs M. Smith
Gibbs M Smith Inc, 1984
(copyright 1969)
https://books.google.com/…

IMAGES
Joe Hill
http://www.freedomarchives.org/…
His Excellency, W. A. F. Ekengren
Swedish Minister to the United States
http://books.google.com/…
William Spry, Governor of Utah
from 1909-1917
https://en.wikipedia.org/…
Virginia Snow Stephen,
supporter of Joe Hill, Utah Socialist
http://historytogo.utah.gov/…

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Information from Archie Green via Gibbs Smith:

The Industrial Worker of July 11, 1912 reports that the new edition of the I. W. W. songbook (Little Red Songbook) will include “Casey Jones.” That edition of the songbook was published by The Industrial Worker in Spokane Washington, and also included “Coffee An'” on page 42:

Coffee An’
(Tune: Count Your Blessings)
-Joe Hill

Count Your Blessings – Chelmsford Citadel Songsters

An employment shark the other day I went to see,
And he said come in and buy a job from me,
Just a couple of dollars, for the office fee,
The job is steady and the fare is free.

CHORUS:
Count your pennies, count them, count them one by one,
Then you plainly see how you are done,
Count your pennies, take them in your hand,
Sneak into a Jap’s and get your coffee an’.

I shipped out and worked and slept in lousy bunks,
And the grub it stunk as bad as forty-‘leven skunks,
When I slaved a week the boss he said one day,
You’re too tired, you are fired, go and get your pay.

When the clerk commenced to count, Oh holy gee!
Road, school and poll tax and hospital fee.
Then I fainted, and I nearly lost my sense
When the clerk he said: “You owe me fifty cents.”

When I got back to town with blisters on my feet,
There I heard a fellow speaking on the street.
And he said: “It is the workers’ own mistake.
If they stick together they get all they make.”

And he said: “Come in and join our union grand.
Who will be a member of this fighting band?”
“Write me out a card,” says I, “By Gee!
The Industrial worker is the dope for me.”

FINAL CHORUS:
Count your workers, count them, count them one by one,
Join our union and we’ll show you how it’s done.
Stand together, workers, hand in hand,
Then you will never have to live on coffee an’.

In the October 2nd edition of The Day Book, we find the reaction of Big Bill Haywood, General Secretary of the Industrial Workers of the World, to a recent statement made by Judge W. M. McCarthy of the Supreme Court of Utah. The Judge stated on October 1st:

There is no doubt in my mind that the lawless element with which Hillstrom is associated, the I. W. W., will construe Gov. Spry’s action in granting reprieve [of the death sentence] at request of President Wilson as tacit approval of their course and methods.Hundreds of members of the lawless organization will swarm into this state and use Hillstrom as an excuse to create a reign of terror such as Coeur D’Alene, San Diego, Seattle and Goldfield.

Haywood held up a copy of the statement and shouted:

Read it. Read it alone in a quiet place. You’ll get a feeling that what this supreme court judge of Utah wants is a drinking cup full of the warm, red blood of Joe Hill.

In other news regarding ongoing efforts to save the life of Joe Hill, Orrin N. Hilton met with Big Bill in Chicago on October 3rd, and the Swedish Minister, W. A. F. Ekengren, met with a state department official yesterday in Washington, D. C.

From The Day Book of October 2, 1915:

BILL HAYWOOD SAYS UTAH JUDGE ATTACK ON
PRESIDENT WILSON IS “BLOODTHIRSTY”

Bill Haywood, general secretary Industrial Workers of the World, says I. W. W. charges in the case of Joseph Hillstrom now have new proof. He points to statement of Judge W. M. McCarthy of Utah supreme court yesterday.

[Said Haywood:]Read what this tool of Utah capitalists says about the reprieve requested by President Wilson and then judge for yourself whether we are right in charging that capitalists, courts and police of Utah are bloodthirsty”…They hanker for the blood of this agitator. We have said all along it wasn’t a murder case, but a labor case.

Judge McCarthy’s statement reads like the statements of Judge Gary and Prosecutor Grinnell at the time of the hanging of the Chicago anarchists. When Altgeld pardoned those who were not hanged, he analyzed the trial evidence and procedure and said Judge Gary conducted the trial with “malicious ferocity.” That’s what the I. W. W. is fighting today in Utah. It’s malicious ferocity. They’re thirsty for the blood of Joe Hill because he stirs up rebellion among workingmen.

Judge McCarthy’s statement leaves inference that Gov. Spry ought to have refused the request of President Wilson. The judge says:

There is no doubt in my mind that the lawless element with which Hillstrom is associated, the I. W. W., will construe Gov. Spry’s action in granting reprieve at request of President Wilson as tacit approval of their course and methods.Hundreds of members of the lawless organization will swarm into this state and use Hillstrom as an excuse to create a reign of terror such as Coeur D’Alene, San Diego, Seattle and Goldfield.

This element has the freedom of the mails to attack and threaten the governor, myself and other state officials. The situation is extremely serious and apparently President Wilson has no faith in the Utah courts. It now remains for the Swedish minister and other advisers of the president to produce the evidence which they profess to hold to support their claims of Hillstrom’s innocence. The queer part of the entire business is why President Wilson interfered at the eleventh hour.

Haywood shook a copy of the statement in the face of a reporter and cried:

Read it. Read it alone in a quiet place. You’ll get a feeling that what this supreme court judge of Utah wants is a drinking cup full of the warm, red blood of Joe Hill.

———-[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 4, 1915:

EXPLAINS HOW JUDGES STAND IN HILLSTROM CASE

Judge O. N. Hilton, counsel for Joseph Hillstrom of Salt Lake City, came through Chicago yesterday on his way to Washington to give the Swedish embassy evidence on the innocence of Hillstrom. Hilton held a conference with W. D. Haywood, general secretary Industrial Workers of the World, which is pushing Hillstrom’s fight for freedom.

[Said Hilton:]Three supreme court judges of Utah, already on record with strong feelings against Hillstrom, are on the Utah pardon board of five members…When I spoke before them for a commutation of death sentence I saw how judges are only human, after all, and, having once made up their minds they cling to their first ideas. I had not spoken five minutes before they were all after me in violent dissent. At one time three of them were talking all at once.

I am informed that at the last official shooting of a condemned man in Salt Lake the price paid to the creatures who fired the fatal shots was $25 each, but they struck for higher wages and $40 was agreed on as the wages hereafter for the performance of such service. This suggests that there may be organized a new labor union to be called the Amalgamated Executioners. Such an organization, however, would have a hard time affiliating with regular organized labor.

———-[Photograph added.]

From The Ogden Standard of October 4, 1915:

HILLSTROM CASE IS BEFORE THE STATE DEPARTMENT

His Excellency, W. A. F. Ekengren
Swedish Minister to the United States
““`

Washington, Oct. 4.-W. A. F. Ekengren, the minister from Sweden, conferred today with Counselor Polk of the state department of the case of Joseph Hillstrom, a Swede, whose death sentence for murder has been stayed by an appeal through President Wilson to Governor Spry of Utah.The minister has been instructed by his government to do his utmost to get a new trial for Hillstrom, who, the minister feels, was convicted on insufficient evidence. After the conference, Mr. Ekengren returned to New York to seek further legal advice, at the suggestion of Counselor Polk.

The Hillstrom case has stirred much interest in Sweden where the Social Democrats, who compose a large proportion of the electorate, have brought pressure on their government to urge interference in behalf of their accused countryman.

———-[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES

The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Oct 2, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
-Oct 4, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

The Ogden Standard
(Ogden, Utah)
-Oct 4, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Joe Hill
http://en.wikipedia.org/…
Big Bill Haywood, ISR, 1915
https://books.google.com/…
His Excellency, W. A. F. Ekengren
Swedish Minister to the United States
http://books.google.com/…

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Information from Archie Green via Gibbs Smith:

The Industrial Worker of July 11, 1912 reports that the new edition of the I. W. W. songbook (Little Red Songbook) will include “Casey Jones.” That edition of the songbook was published by The Industrial Worker in Spokane Washington, and also included “John Golden and the Lawrence Strike” on page 43.

JOHN GOLDEN AND THE LAWRENCE STRIKE
-by Joe Hill
(Tune: “A Little Talk With Jesus”)

Just A Little Talk With Jesus – Zoomtop Quartet

In Lawrence, when the starving masses struck for more to eat
And wooden-headed Wood tried the strikers to defeat,
To Sammy Gompers wrote and asked him what he thought,
And this is just the answer that the mailman brought

CHORUS:
A little talk —
A little talk with Golden
Makes it all right, all right;
He’ll settle any strike,
If there’s coin enough in sight;
Just take him up to dine
And everything is fine —
A little talk with Golden
Makes it right, all right.

The preachers, cops and money-kings were working hand in hand,
The boys in blue, with stars and stripes were sent by Uncle Sam;
Still things were looking blue ’cause every striker knew
That weaving cloth with bayonets is hard to do.

John Golden had with Mr. Wood a private interview,
He told him how to bust up the “I double double U.”
He came out in a while and wore the Golden smile.
He said: “I’ve got all labor leaders skinned a mile.”

John Golden pulled a bogus strike with all his “pinks and stools.”
He thought the rest would follow like a bunch of crazy fools.
But to his great surprise the “foreigners” were wise,
In one big solid union they were organized.

FINAL CHORUS:
That’s one time Golden did not
Make it right, all right;
In spite of all his schemes
The strikers won the fight.
When all the workers stand
United hand in hand,
The world with all its wealth
Shall be at their command.

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A statement released by John R. Lawson makes clear the opinion of the imprisoned labor leader regarding Rockefeller’s industrial plan. From The New York Times of October 3rd:

LAWSON CONDEMNS PLAN.
—–
Lacks Essentials of Real Collective Bargaining, He Says.TRINIDAD, Col., Oct. 2.-John R. Lawson, international board member of the United Mine Workers of America, confined in the county jail here awaiting decision of the Supreme Court on his application for a new trial on the charge of murder, made a statement tonight relative to the Rockefeller industrial plan.

[He declared:]The plan is not practical…and will not prove the factor to promote industrial peace in Colorado, because it does not contain the essentials of collective bargaining, but rather attempts to substitute paternalism for democracy, or philanthropy for justice.

The coal miners of Colorado are not seeking charity, they want justice. They are only asking the same rights that the officials of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company claim for themselves, the right to join the organization of their choice, which is provided for by statute in Colorado. They demand the privilege of selling their labor through the medium of collective bargaining. They desire an organization on each side equal in strength, with a sense of equity to govern a contract that is binding on both sides.

This new plan of labor union, built along the lines of the old Provincial Workmen’s Association of Canada, now defunct, will not do in Colorado. Without an organization there is amassed on one side all the wealth and power, on the other are grouped the partially organization employes, without any real organization behind them.

Referring to that part of the plan which says that the company will pay the expenses of miners’ representatives to the conferences and reimburse them for time lost, Mr. Lawson said:

It will be a hopeless task, indeed, if safe representatives cannot be found under this benevolent plan. No intelligent person is going to be deceived by this subterfuge.

—–[Photograph added.]

MOTHER JONES SPEAKS IN OHIOSoon after the arrival, of John D. Rockefeller Jr. in Colorado Mother Jones gave a speech in Akron, Ohio, in which she opposed the efforts of United Mine Workers officials to have Rockefeller arrested and charged with murder in Colorado.

From Missouri’s Kansas City Star of September 21, 1915:

SHOULD NOT ARREST JOHN D., JR.
—–
Mother Jones Against Proposed Action
of the Miners.

Akron, O., Sept. 21.-“Mother” Jones, on whose suggestion John D. Rockefeller, jr., is in Colorado on a mission that may end mining labor wars there, frowned today on the proposed plan of United Mine Workers of America to cause Rockefeller’s arrest while in Colorado on a charge of responsibility for the Ludlow massacre.”Mother” Jones stopped in Akron a day on her way to Cleveland from Warren, where she conducted a protest mass meeting in protest against the conviction of John Lawson, Colorado labor leader, on a murder charge.

[Said Mother Jones:]I don’t hold Rockefeller responsible as a personality for the terrible conditions…It is his viewpoint that is at fault. I believe Rockefeller wants to better conditions, I believe he will do it if he can raise above the high class burglars and economic leeches that surround him.

The question in my mind is whether he is strong enough to do that.

“Mother” Jones said Rockefeller made a poor start Monday when he visited the miners accompanied by a mine superintendent and officials of his mining company.

If Rockefeller is going to accomplish any good in Colorado he must go alone to the mining camps and call the miners into mass meetings…Then he should invite every miner to speak up without fear and tell of the horrible oppression.

“Mother” Jones does not expect to return to Colorado while Rockefeller is in the state.

—–[Photograph added.]

A few days later, Mother gave a rousing speech in Cleveland, Ohio, in which she declared that “the people are awake” and warned Rockefeller and his fellow capitalists that:

..if he [Rockefeller Jr.] returns without knowing the facts about Colorado and his workmen there he has already signed his death warrant or, what is the same thing-the death warrant of capitalism.

From Oklahoma’s Muskogee Times-Democrat of September 25, 1915:

“JOHN D., JR., MUST BE BORN AGAIN OR DIE”
—–
Such is Mother Jones’ Opinion of the Visit of the Mine Owner
to the Colorado Region–Most Serious Thing He Has
Ever Done, But He Doesn’t Know Much
About the Real Situation.
—–Staff Special.

Cleveland,-Ohio, Sept. 25.-“John D. Rockefeller, Jr., must either be born again or he will die!”Mother Jones, more old and crumpled than ever but flaming with the same fire with which she swept hounded, capital ridden Colorado, trumpeted the startling defi with conviction as ringing as Joshua’s. It represented the climax of her convictions as to the significance of the visit of the oil king’s son to the miners of Ludlow.

[Mother Jones exclaimed:]This visit of young Rockefeller is the most serious undertaking of his life…but I fear he does not even guess it! But if he returns without knowing the facts about Colorado and his workmen there he has already signed his death warrant or, what is the same thing-the death warrant of capitalism.

For, at last, from the American people, so far the most indifferent in the world to the injustices heaped upon them by capital, some great leaders are emerging! Their tongues are to prove the whips that will lash us masses into sudden molten action. And this means but one thing-that things have got to changed-that if things don’t change from the inside, capital’s side, they will be changed from the outside, our side!

We are watching John D. Jr. in Colorado. It is his test. He has started out with the wrong escorts-the capitalists. He should go alone among the miners and listen to them and their wives. He would stand more chance of being converted to truth and justice.

In other words he might be born again. If he should be, then our newfound leaders, such as Frank P. Walsh, will not have to head the great clash that seems to be on the cards of the future. The potential enemies will meet as common workers-as patriots and friends.

But if John D.’s visit is not an excursion in truth-hunting and proves a social white wash-if he is not born again into the light-he seems destined to die. For the unconvinced exploiters of the American masses carry unsigned death warrants in their own hands today. And today, if they realize it, is doomsday for them! The people are awake!

In other words, Mother Jones means there must be bloodless reform or bloody revolution.

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES

The New York Times
(New York, New York)
-Oct 3, 1915
http://query.nytimes.com/…

The Kansas City Star
(Kansas City, Missouri)
-Sept 21, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

Muskogee Times-Democrat
(Muskogee, Oklahoma)
(Also source for photo within article.)
-Sep 25, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

IMAGES
John Lawson Denied New Trial,
Coshocton Morning Trb, OH, July 14, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
The Masses, JDR Jr Caught Red-Handed,
John Sloan, July 1914
http://dlib.nyu.edu/…

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
I Hate the Capitalist System-Barbara Dane

I hate the company bosses,
I’ll tell you the reason why:
They cause me so much suffering
And my dearest friends to die.
-Sarah Ogan Gunning

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

STORY OF TWO GIRLS SHOWS THE EFFECT OF POLICE BRUTALITY
ON THE WORKING CLASS
BY JANE WHITAKER

They are just two out of over 300 who have had similar “experiences in the past few days, but their story is a revelation. It shows what this brutality of the police in their battle on the side of the manufacturers is doing. It shows how it weakens in the minds of the best element of the working people their respect for the law when the representatives of it break it by arresting people guilty of no offense, by tearing the clothing of women, by riding at women in an effort to terrorize them, by talking to  in a manner that would cause the arrest of any other man guilty of it.They are two very young girls. Rebecca is 20 and has been working three years. Eva is 21 and has been working four years. They are both pretty, dainty girls, neither very tall nor very strong. They are both sensitive, the kind of girls who shrink from publicity, who are incapable of violence under any but extraordinary conditions, but the youngest of the two said:

“Was I angry when I was arrested? When he held me so tight that he tore my coat? If I had a hatpin and could have had my hands free I would have stuck it into him. I could have-”

She stopped, then her voice softened. “We weren’t doing anything. There were three of us, Esther, Eva and myself, walking on Market and Van Buren sts.

“It is our fight to try to show those who are working that they are taking our bread and butter. But if we had been talking to them it would have been different. We were talking
to no one. There wasn’t any one but ourselves and the policemen on the street.

“A policeman who had Sergeant F. on his cap said: ‘You girls get off the street.’ I asked him if we couldn’t walk on the street when we were doing nothing, and he grabbed hold of Eva and she cried that he was hurting her hand. It is swollen today because he did hurt it.

“It was so unfair. When she cried out I rushed to him and I said: “You do not need to hurt her; she has done nothing,’ and then Policeman 190 got hold of me and he held me so tightly I couldn’t move my arm and I begged him to loosen his hold because he hurt me, and he held tighter so that the sleeve of my coat was pulled so tight around my arm that it tore.

“Then Officer 921 got hold of Eva and they tried to drag us over the sidewalk like beasts, but I kept my feet and the other girls did, too. They took us to the Harrison street police station and locked us in two hours, and I never slept all night, I was so excited. But we will go back there and picket again. This is our fight for a living and the police have no right to arrest us for nothing.”

“It would be different if we had been yelling at ‘scabs’,” said Eva. “But we don’t get any chance. That is the part that makes it seem sad. The scabs who are taking our bread and butter from us are taken along the street by three or four policemen to protect them, while we, who are trying only to get better conditions for ourselves and for all the clothing workers, are arrested for walking on a city street

“While we were waiting for the patrol Officer 921 said to me, when I told him I did not understand why we couldn’t walk on a street: ‘Why didn’t you stay on the other side of the river where you belong?’ I told him this was America, the land of liberty, where people are free and that he talked like a foreigner. He said, pointing with his club to the sidewalk: ‘I was born right here.’ ‘Then you better lay down and die here,’ I told him.

“I am not ashamed of being arrested because it was for nothing, and I guess I will grow used to it before the trouble is over, but I do not know why they tear our clothes and insult us. Officer 190 told us he would teach us a lesson, so that we wouldn’t feel so fresh in the future. But you will find us on that street whenever we have to go there. We are fighting the bosses and the scabs to get a living. We have nothing to do with the police. We don’t break the law and they don’t arrest us for breaking the law. They arrest us because the boss tells them to.”

When it was called to the attention of Chief of Police Healey that mounted police rode on the sidewalks at girls guilty of no violation of the law, Healey scoffed. Judge for yourself if it is true.

Saturday morning, for the same reason that the strikers were on Jackson blvd.-the performance of duty-I followed about twenty of them from Halsted and Harrison to Jackson and Desplaines. As I did not know any of them I walked quite a little in the rear, merely staying close enough to observe what was happening in case of trouble.

The twenty turned north on Desplaines street and Mounted Officer 570 shouted and rode up on the sidewalk, galloping his horse until he was almost on top of them, though so far they had not done a single thing but walk on the street.

They turned fearfully, though on each face was a look of outrage they dared not put in words, and they walked south on Desplaines where Mounted Officer 309 rode at them and tried to crowd one girl against the wall.

Once again they permitted themselves to be driven while only the humanity in the horse which made him try to avoid stepping on them saved them from the brute in the human
being who tried to urge the horse on them.

I was quite a little separated from the crowd when the two mounted officers saw me taking the number of Motorcycle Officer 4400, who was shouting: “Ride them down if they don’t go fast enough.”

One of the mounted officers turned his horse directly at me:

“You get off the street;” he said. “I told you before.”

That was the first time he had spoken to me, and as the horse seemed headed straight at me I knew just a moment of fear and then the feeling the strikers know possessed me. Outrage against the injustice and the brutality of it made me stand still.

My reporter’s card was, and had been, in very plain evidence. As the horse loomed right before me I glanced at it and at the officers and said nothing.

Both of them reined in and the one in the rear came up beside the other to read while an officer on foot also scrutinized the card.

The one who had charged me turned his horse. The other muttered something and sneered. The officer on foot flashed at me:

“You’re taking our numbers, ain’t you? Be sure you don’t miss any. Have you got mine? Don’t miss it.”

I thanked him and took his number. It was No. 250.

—–[Photograph added.]

Below the fold our readers can find further reporting on the “monster strike” from the Chicago Day Book

From The Day Book of October 4, 1915:

Council will be asked tonight to curb police brutality that has been a daily occurrence since the beginning of the clothing workers’ strike. Socialist Aldermen Rodriguez and Kennedy have collected fifty affidavits from women and girls manhandled by cops. These will be handed to the council.”Most of the affidavits are from girls,” Rodriquez said. “They testify to having been beaten pinched and jerked off their by six-foot bluecoats. Several are in bed as a result of their experiences at the hands of these city paid men.”

Alderman Thomas A. Lynch has a  resolution which calls for the most thorough probe the police department ever has undergone. He will introduce it tonight The alderman, in Sunday’s Tribune, was listed among the 22 who were going to take the trip with the mayor.

“Our committee will be too busy to take a vacation for several weeks,” the alderman told a Day Book reporter. “One of the things we are curious to know is how Chief Healey can feel that he can take a vacation after calling 300 members of his department in from their furloughs to special duty on the strike.

“I wouldn’t take that trip if they gave me a special car. However this excursion comes at an opportune time for certain persons.

What is alleged to have been an attempt on the part of the police to “railroad” a striker through to trial was frustrated today by union officials.

Louis Bowasky, 18, 1036 S. Racine St., was arrested by Officer O’Keefe at 7 o’clock this morning at Market and Van Buren. Instead of following the usual precedent of taking strikers to police stations where they are bonded out, Louis was taken straight to the boys’ court, which union officials declare was done because they have bondsmen at the different police stations.

Louis was locked up in the pen and would have come to trial at 9 o’clock had not a social worker notified the union that the boy had been arrested. Then he was released” on bond and granted a jury trial. There are now more than 350 jury trials of strikers set for November 10.

Police brutality continues. Sam Levin charged that Officer No. 1865 turned him over to a slugger in front of Royal Tailors and he was beaten.

Jacob Hyman was beaten on the head and side by Officer 4422.

Officer 570 alleged to have struck boy on head for whistling. M. Kaplan, 1721 W. 12th st, had his nose broken by slugger while it is alleged Officer 1865 held his hands.

L Jacobson was hit in the- back by a slugger in front of Kuppenheimer, Franklin and Congress, his glasses broken and he was placed under arrest and taken to Harrison st station.

At the station he alleges the slugger told the desk sergeant, “I have Blumenthal.” “When Jacobson established his identity, he was turned loose without being booked and the
slugger explained it was another striker he wanted to “get.”

Jacobson said the incident occurred shortly after Shop Boss Michaels of Kuppenheimer had sworn at him for asking what the I. O. W. A. organization was that Michaels had told a striker would put him out of business. Jacobson is of the opinion the initials stand for International Organized Wealthy Assassins.

Sam Levine, president of the clothing workers’ district council, opened headquarters in the West hotel, Madison and Halsted, to sign up the manufacturers. Twenty-four visited him this morning.

Thirty cutters walked out of H. M. Ludenthal’s shop this morning.

They were followed by 40 cutters and trimmers in Daube and Rosenthal’s shops at 515 S. Franklin st.

Three hundred went on strike at Morris Levy’s shop, at 2014 Wabansia av. Levy has a contract to supply Sears-Roebuck with clothes.

At a meeting held by the Christian Socialist brotherhood yesterday resolutions were adopted protesting against the lawless brutality of the police toward striking garment workers and condemning the mayor, police chief and aldermen for starting on a pleasure junket at this “crucial time.”

Sidney Hillman, pres. of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, announced that the Majestic Tailoring Co. and Holinbock & Estabrock Co. have signed up with the union and other are negotiating.

A telegram was received from Terre Haute signed by Wm. Mitch, sec’y of the United Mine Workers, stating 23,000 united mine workers endorsed the garment clothing workers’ strike and pledged financial support.

Twenty-five hundred attended the mass meeting called at 4 o’clock this morning to show the power of the union.

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 5, 1915:

The slim pay envelope and what it might do to a woman were up in Judge Uhlir’s court today.One of the thousands of girls hired and fired in State street stores told a plain story and an old story.

It’s worth printing as new, to show claims of the Chicago Vice Com’n on low wages are still true and at work in this city. The story:

Coppers arrested Mary Jones of 114 Grand av. and told Judge Uhlir they caught her soliciting. The court said: “Mary Jones, you have a plain, honest, name. Are you
guilty or not guilty?”

Mary Jones twisted the corner of a handkerchief, slanted her eyes at the judge and murmured:

“I’m guilty.”

“What do you work at, Mary, or do you ever work?”

“I was in The Fair last February. I worked in the flannel department, second floor.”

“The Fair do you mean the big department store on State street?”

“Yes, that’s the place.”

“What were your wages?”

“I got- – $4.”

“A week.”

“Yes, $4 a week. It was more than I earned sewing. I was glad to get it when I started. But I couldn’t get along on it. I had to go to the streets.”

These are the main facts as they will be entered into a record kept by Mrs. Florence Kirk, probation officer in Judge Uhlir’s court.

So many cases of the slim pay envelope driving women to the streets have come to Judge Uhlir that he decided months ago to tab them. Summaries and conclusions will be given out by the court.

—–

From The Day Book of October 5, 1915:

CLUB WOMEN TO ENTER WAR ON
POLICE BRUTALITY

Mrs. Medill McCormick
““`

Clubwomen will make an investigation of the  alleged instance of brutality on the part of the police toward women strikers of the clothing workers. The presidents of more than a score of women’s leading social, civic and political organizations will meet today in the office of Mrs. Medill McCormick.Affidavits of a number of young girls stating that they had been manhandled by the police will be produced by Sidney Hillman, pres. of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.

“I have heard a number of these reports,” said Mrs. McCormick. “From what I have been able to learn it seems to me the police have handled this strike, which largely concerns young girls, as they would a strike of teamsters. If the police have used such methods we shall take some sort of action in the matter. We don’t like the manner in which these girls have been treated.”

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 5, 1915:

“DARKEST RUSSIA GIVES MORE JUSTICE WORKERS THAN LAND OF LIBERTY”BY JANE WHITAKER

“I love this country; I am a citizen of it. I have renounced Russia and I would fight for this, country and lay down my life for it but it is not a mother to the working man. It is kind to the man with dollars. It lends to him the police to arrest and slug and to kill the workers. It is the dollars that are listened to in courts. Labor is never truthful dollars always are believed.”It is a habit of ours we who were born in the land of the free, to compare our country and its freedom with the bondage of “darkest Russia.” We consider the comparison one to gloat over because we feel we are comparing extremes the land of unbounded liberty and the land of deepest bondage.

But yesterday I heard Russia compared with our land of the free and I could not resent the comparison; I merely felt a deep shame as I was forced to acknowledge the truthfulness of that which was said against us.

I talked to one of the striking clothing workers a man still under thirty a man who knows so much of the mockery of our vaunted freedom that lured him across the sea that he begged me not to use his name because it would mean that he would be blacklisted even when the strike was over.

“The difference between Russia and this country is that in Russia, though we have no free press, the government is more fair,” he continued. “A man may fight to get better conditions and if he gets in trouble with the law both sides are heard and justice is dealt to both. In this country the man with money is always in the right and the working man is always in the wrong no matter how right he may be.

“There is no injunction, in Russia. Here the law says a man must keep off of some streets. He cannot pass in the sky; he has got to walk on the sidewalk; he may have to go on that street to look for work, but the law says he cannot go.

“Before my eyes I see pictures of children and wives hungry while men go out on a strike that they may help themselves and thousands of others. And the man may be arrested or slugged or even killed, and it is all right. The Chief of Police says it is all right; the mayor says he will not interfere.

“It is true we put them in office, but always we listen to their full dinner pail promises. Mayor Thompson arbitrated the strike of the street car men, but he goes away when 40,000 clothing workers are striking. It is as much for the tailors and cutters that they have a full dinner pail, too. We want justice as well.

“There is a boss in Kuppenheimers. He is a foreigner himself. At his orders when he comes out and points us out on the street, we can be arrested. Not for anything we do, but because he says we are to be. He has said he will send some of us to the hospital. He can do it He has the power.

“Why has he the power? Because behind him are the dollars and America is the mother of the dollars. To wealth she gives protection.

“A slugger told me if we carry on anymore the militia will come next. What for? To kill us off so that there may be less of us to fight for enough to eat?

“We have no home. We have got to make a living. We have no one to take care of us. But shall I go to work and sell my body for a few extra dollars a day to kill off thousands as these sluggers do when they help the dollars to break our strike?

“No. I walk up and down the street I keep within the law. I make no quarrel with the police. I am fighting for my bread and butter.”

He paused and some of the fire died out his voice. “We have not much to lose,” he said, whimsically. “I am a man and they paid me $13 a week. It could not be much worse. But I fight that I and others like me may not go down to the level of the saloon like bums who are not given enough to live on.”

—–[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for images of headlines.)
-Oct 4, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
-Oct 5, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Garment Workers Make Strike,
Chicago Daily Tribune, Sept 29, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Chicago Garment Strikers attacked
by police on horses 2, ISR, Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Mrs. Medill McCormick (Ruth Hanna), 1914
http://www.loc.gov/…
We Shall Fight Until We Win, ISR,
Nov 1915, Chicago ACW Strike
https://books.google.com/…

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
I Am A Union Woman-Deborah Holland

We are many thousand strong
And I am here to say
We are getting stronger,
And stronger every day
-Aunt Molly Jackson

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

CHICAGO POLICE AND SLUGGERS WORK HAND
IN HAND AGAINST STRIKERS

By what right are orders being issued by the “man higher up” in the police department that no picketing shall be permitted in front of the Royal Tailors since there is no legal
injunction prohibiting it?In a scene that beggared description, young girl strikers sobbed out protests and even tried to beat their way through with their slender fists while seven policemen shut off Sherman street and Fifth avenue to prevent picketing of the shops of the Royal Tailors last night.

And lined up against the curbstone, yellow taxicabs received girl strikebreakers through a narrow lane made by six husky sluggers and pulled away, giving the bribe of a few hours of luxury to the workers as a price of their disloyalty to their class.

Miss Elizabeth Tyler, who was with the twenty strikers making an investigation of alleged police brutality, begged of the police that the girls might be allowed to picket and policemen begged of her that she would take the girls off the street because “they didn’t want to arrest them, but they had orders from ‘higher up’ that the girls were not to be permitted to pass the shop.”

“We are fighting for our bread and butter. Don’t you know what it means to us?” one slender girl of less than 20 screamed, while the tears stood in her glittering brown eyes. “Arrest me; throw me in jail; I don’t care; I am going to picket. It is our bread and butter, I tell you. It is our duty. The scabs are taking our bread and butter from us. We ask only that we get a chance to fight for our bread and butter.”

“Leave your hands off of me,” another girl cried, as a husky, dissipated-looking slugger took her roughly by the arm and pushed her away. For a moment he tightened his grip And the tears brought by pain came into her eyes as she jerked loose. A few moments later she was crying hysterically as they stood around, a solid wall of fat, and told her to “get off the street or they would lock her up and she had a taste of what they would do the night before.”

When Miss Tyler and the twenty girls came in pairs on Fifth avenue from Polk street they were permitted to walk around the block, but as they came through Sherman street to turn on Fifth avenue one mounted officer and six on foot, including a burly negro officer and a sergeant of police, stood lined up and informed the girls that they would not be permitted to walk back again.

The girls protested, but turned back. At Harrison and Sherman the same seven lined up to prevent the pickets walking again, on Sherman street.”You cannot come through here,” the sergeant said, and after the girls had been forced to go on he stated to a Day Book reporter that if they came two at a time it would be different, but a “crowd” couldn’t be permitted.

The reporter passed this information to Miss Tyler and she started the girls out in pairs. At Fifth avenue, with The Day Book reporter trailing the first pair and a second pair several yards behind, the first passed the mounted policeman with the reporter, but the pair in the rear were stopped.

As though it had been prearranged, the Royal Tailor was disgorging its strikebreaking employes into the yellow taxicabs. The lane was surrounded by husky sluggers and the two girls in front were pushed to one side.

The girl who was hurt by the slugger protested. The police declared the pickets must leave the street. Girls cried out pleas that they be let alone to fight their own battle. Miss Tyler, representative of Chicago’s club women, pleaded also. There was no more picketing.

Seven well-known clubwomen will watch picketing today as a result of the meeting of representatives of prominent women’s clubs yesterday.

Several arrests were made of strikers yesterday.

Apparently finding hiring of taxis to send home strikebreakers too expensive, some of the clothing bosses have installed cots and commissary departments, turning the shops into lodging houses for their employes, who, in a few cases, have also been locked in the shops.

Committee of citizens appointed at meeting of strikers last night, met today to investigate charges of strikers that police were employing brutal methods to prevent the picketing.

More than fifty independent firms have signed up with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, President Hillman stated, and others are negotiating. A mass meeting of the strikers will be held next Monday.

Hillman will see First Deputy Schuettler today in an endeavor to secure a license for a monster parade of the strikers next Monday, and on the same day a mass meeting will be held by the women’s clubs to protest against police brutality.

—–

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Oct 6, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Chicago Garment Strikers attacked by
police on horses, ISR, Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
We Shall Fight Until We Win, ISR,
Nov 1915, Chicago ACW Strike
https://books.google.com/…

“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
Picket Line Song – Evan Greer

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

THE “SCAB” HAS TO PAY A MUCH GREATER
PRICE THAN THE WORKER HE BETRAYSBY JANE WHITAKER

“Scab!” There is no word in the English language so fraught with hatred as this one word when it is used by strikers against strike-breakers. Girls cry it with tears of rage in their eyes and every primitive instinct aroused against the man or woman who is jeopardizing their fight for better working conditions. Men cry it with all the unleashed passion of their natures urging them to wage cave warfare.If you ask them just what is a “scab” you always get an answer like this: “A lowdown fink who is taking our jobs!” “A gutter bum that’s scabbing on the job and sucking in with the boss,” or even, some unprintable definition, but always from the same angle what the “scab” does to the worker.

The thing you never get and which has always seemed to me to be of so much more importance is what the “scab” is to herself or himself.

A few years ago I had occasion to talk to the wife of a man who remained working with a few others while the the rest of his shop went on a strike for better conditions.

His two children, both of them old enough to realize the word that was being called their father, sat in the room with the mother as she talked, and while her eyes were bright with defiance, the boy looked down at the pattern of the carpet and the girl looked out of the window.

“I told my man to work,” the woman said defiantly. “I told him we ain’t got no time for strikes. He’d been out of work for months before he got this job and me and the children need the money. We got bills to pay.”

Her voice was hard. She talked feverishly. She said too much. She realized she was the wife of a man who was ‘a traitor to his class, and though she had urged him on, though she justified him then, she was tasting the bitterness of loss of self-respect. And the children were tasting it with her. They would never be proud of their father again, for he wore the brand of a traitor and they would not be able to forget it.

The loss of the respect of others is a terrible price to pay, but it is little beside the loss of one’s one’s self-respect. One may get away from the others; one cannot get away from oneself. Judas, who betrayed his Master, hung himself to escape his conscience. There is always the “still small voice” to taunt; there is always the sense of shame that only the traitor knows.

If the fight is lost, his is the consciousness that he helped to defeat the workers who fought, and the industrial slavery that binds itself still more tightly about the mass was caused by the treachery of the one.

If the fight is won he has no part in the victory, for he did nothing to make the fight a success.

He has not even the satisfaction of receiving the gratitude of the bosses for whom he betrayed his class. The briber has naught but contempt for the bribed. The capitalist despises the worker who will sell out his class. He wouldn’t trust the traitor when his need of him has gone.

“Scabs” they start and what do they finish? You will get your answer in front of some of the shops today where men who bear on their faces the brand of failure, and, more the look of the traitor are earning a few dollars a day hired out to the bosses to slug men and women clothing strikers. Those sluggers are the flotsam and jetsam today. They are the men who began as traitors to their class and today have no class to which to return.

They haven’t the respect of the bosses; they haven’t even the respect of the coppers, and they have the hatred of the class to which they once belonged.

If I were asked for a definition of a “scab” I would not give the one the majority of the workers give. I would say a “scab” is a creature over whom men and angels must weep
a human being without self-respect.

—–[Photograph added.]

Below the fold our readers can find further coverage of the Chicago Garment Workers Strike from The Day Book

.

From The Day Book of October 7, 1915:

Second Deputy Sup’t of Police Schuettler this morning stated that he knew of no reason why a parade permit should not be issued to the striking garment workers. This was in reply to a request for a permit made by a committee from the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, headed by their president, Sidney Hillman, this morning.The line of march you have there is pretty long and would take some time to traverse,” said the chief. “A great many of the girls would not be able to finish. You shorten your route and come back this afternoon, and we will go over the plans together.”

The committee expressed their astonishment at the cordiality of the chief. They lay it to these’ three reasons:

The panning the police force received from Aldermen Kennedy, Utpatel and Rodriguez at the council meeting last Monday night;

The coming investigation by Ald. Lynch and his committee and his committee;

And the report which is being formulated by the Chicago Woman’s club and other woman’s organizations who are about to make public their reports on the actions of the police during the strike.

The strikers had planned to march from Green and Harrison to Division and Milwaukee and then back through the loop.

Before the aldermanic committee which is investigating the garment workers’ strike, Sidney Hillman, international president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, stated that John J. Sonsteby, attorney for the United Garment Workers’ union, was present solely for the purpose of raising technical questions to befog the issue.

In a very nice way Hillman told Sonsteby that he knew very little about the issues at stake. The attorney drew a card of the United Garment Workers from his pocket and told how he worked in the trade years ago.

“That it it – you worked in the trade years ago,” Hillman stated. “We are not here to fight out the differences between our two organizations, but to endeavor’ to come to an understanding with the employers’ associations. Since you have raised the question I would suggest that this committee call in Pres. John J. Fitzpatrick and Sec’y Edward N. Nockles of the Chicago Federation of Labor to state the present status of our organization in the labor world.”

Chairman Utpatel state he would have those two gentlemen present at the next meeting of the committee.

“You will find it very difficult to get in touch with the employer’s association,” Hillman continued. “I would suggest you call in Martin Isaacs who is attorney for the two  associations and obtain the employers’ view of this situation. Isaacs also runs an employing agency which supplies labor to the members of this organization. This agency has always discriminated against union men and women.”

“I have experienced some difficulty in getting’ in touch with, the employers,” Alderman Utpatel told the committee. “I have kept after them for the last three days and this afternoon I expect to meet them. I will report on their views at the next meeting.”

The meetings was adjourned to meet again at the call of the chair.

“The differences between the United Garment Workers and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers will be settled at the next executive meeting of the American Federation of Labor,” Hillman told a Day Book reporter. “We have some very serious charges to make against that organization. Our union has 100,000 people who formerly belonged to theirs. They have only 5,000 left. What the charges are will be made public when the time comes.”

[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 7, 1915:

WOMEN ON THE JOB TO WATCH TACTICS OF COPPERSPolice tactics toward strikers underwent great change yesterday as a result of the number of clubwomen acting as watchers at the different clothing shops in their investigation of police brutality. At the chief trouble zone on the West Side, Jackson and Peoria, Ellen Gates Starr was stationed. Mrs. F. N. Lille watched in front of the Royal Tailors and Mrs. James W. Morrison was on duty in front of the International Tailoring Co.

One hundred members of the Political Equality league will be on duty in the strike zones today as a result of the report of their committee who interviewed pickets and investigated their stories and who declared the police had used rough tactics.

The United Hebrew Trades delegates will endeavor to raise $25,000 to finance the strike.

5,000 strikers have returned to work in independent houses that have signed up with the union.

From The Day Book of October 8, 1915:

GIRL MAY TELL COUNCIL POLICE BODY ABOUT
POLICEMEN CRUSHING HER RIBS

Rose Goldstein may be able to come before the council police committee and tell her story.If she don’t testify it’s because she is staying home with a rib mashed in by policemen handling strikers according to orders of Charles Clarence Healey, superintendent of police appointed by Mayor Thompson.

Maud Cain Taylor, secretary of the Chicago Political Equality league, gives this statement on it:

“I saw the doctor employed by the garment workers’ union working over Miss Goldstein on a table in a room at strike headquarters in Hod Carriers’ hall. I saw Miss Goldstein twist in pain over the slightest pressure of the doctor’s fingers on her diaphragm.

“I know Miss Goldstein was one of the last girls to be thrown by the police into an overloaded patrol wagon. She struck the floor with considerable force as the result of a terrific shove given her by two policemen.

“She fainted. Other girls in the wagon were frightened over the white face on the floor. They lifted her up on their knees and held her there.

“Then two or three other girls jammed their fists against the glass windows and broke open holes to let in fresh air for the sick girl to breathe. Since then a serious condition has developed in Miss Goldstein’s chest and diaphragm and her friends are worried over the outcome.”

For the complete facts of eye-witnesses and other who know what happened to Rose Goldstein, Miss Taylor refers to these members of the Chicago Political Equality league who have been on picket line with strikers: Mrs. Charles G. Nagley, 4417 Champlain av.; Mrs. Kenneth McClennan, Miss Elizabeth Taylor.

“Rose Goldstein was a sleeve baster getting $16 a week,” said Miss Taylor. “She joined the union because she wanted to help the low-paid girls get a living wage. Hundreds of girls now on the streets driven here and there by the police got wages of $5 and $6 a week. One girl I know paid $4 a week for board and room. This left her $2 a week for lunches, carfare, clothes and amusements. know one case of a girl working 30 hours to earn $1.20. I know still others who earned only 18 cents a day.

“We recognize this as a woman’s fight more important than the fight to get the ballot. Our women are going on the street with these girl strikers to battle for industrial equality.

“I believe it more than a mere rumor that white slavers are at work among the strikers. A woman who mixed with the girls yesterday was told by the officers to leave because she did not have proper-credentials. In many aspects the whole situation is barbarous and ought to command immediate attention from thoughtful people who want to see something like civilization here in the second largest city of the nation.”

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 8, 1915:

COP SHOOTS STRIKER AFTER RIOT CALL IS SENT INWhile leading clubwomen accompanied groups of pickets to West Side and loop clothing shops, Patrolman W. F. Odenwald of Town Hall police station drew a gun on strikers in front of a tailoring establishment on the North Side and shot Morris Wishner, 1301 North Artesian av., in the ankle.

A riot call had been sent into the station by a tailoring establishment at 1331 Moorman st and a wagon full of cops rushed to the scene. They used the usual cop tactics of beating back the crowd with clubs. It is alleged that a striker attempted to take Odenwald’s club from him and that he then pulled his gun and fired.

Members of the Chicago Political league attended a meeting of striking girl clothing workers at Hod Carriers’ hall yesterday, held to organize pickets to operate under supervision of clubwomen. Four clubwomen were assigned to each group of pickets.

They patrolled the shops of Lamm & Co., Royal Tailors, Scotch Woolen Mills, Continental Tailoring Co., Edward E. Strauss & Co. and International Tailoring Co.

First Deputy Schuettler is expected to give an answer to the union committee today whether a permit will be issued for a peaceful parade of the strikers on Monday. He told the committee yesterday he saw no reason why such permit should not be issued as the last union parade of clothing workers was orderly.

—–STRIKERS CANT GET WARRANT FOR SLUGGER’S ARRESTSlugger Steele, in front of Royal Tailors, ordered striking youth to beat it.

The youth did not get under way quickly enough to please Steele. The strongarmer slugged the boy till the lad’s coat was soggy with blood from his nose.

When Steele hit the boy a crowd gathered around the police sergeant in charge of the block. “Arrest that ruffian,” they said. “You’ve arrested our girls for simply blowing whistles. Play square!”

“Gwan,” said the sergeant “Get a warrant if you want him arrested.”

The strikers went to Harrison street station to swear out a warrant for Steele’s arrest.

“You strikers get no warrant,” they were told at the station house. “Keep away from the factories and you won’t get slugged.”

Motor Cop Eisenberg, working in front of Lamm’s, Peoria and Jackson, today boasted that his name had been in the papers four times for brutal work.

Work Bros Co., Hennig-Paul and Cohn-Rissman Co. are today arbitrating. The union announced today that 5,000 had returned to work under satisfactory agreements and 5,000 more had walked out from small shops.

—–

From The Day Book of October 9, 1915:

POLICE KEEP HANDS OFF OF ELLEN GATES STARRMiss Ellen Gates Starr, investigating strike conditions, was standing in front of Lamm’s Peoria and Jackson blvd.

Police are afraid to arrest her, for they dare not. Miss Starr’s connections are too high. But they try to heckle her.

“Why do you spend so much time on the street here,” a rough policeman asked her.

“So far as I can see, it is none of your business,” retorted Miss Starr. Miss Starr remained on the street while police roughly chased working girls away.

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 9, 1915:

CLOTHING BOSSES’ WORDS AND ACTIONS DON’T AGREE

Sidney Hillman
“`

Despite the claims of the bosses that only a few of the workers are out and shops are running almost at full capacity, Alfred Decker & Cohn, a large association house, is sending letters to the strikers asking them to come back to work and pledging the 48-hour week and wage increase demand, but refusing recognition of the union, according to Sidney Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.Hillman, addressing a mass meeting of girls yesterday, told them to expect to receive some of these letters since men strikers had already received them.

[Hillman stated:]They are the promissory note’s given by the bosses when they find they need labor, but whenever labor takes these promissory notes without the union in back of them to force payment they find the notes are worthless.

It took them a long while to find out that the people are dissatisfied. But it will take them only a few days to find out that the people will not return to work.

I know how many of you did not make sufficient in the shops to keep you through this week and many of you didn’t make enough to keep you while you, were in the shops. But this fight is a fight to the finish. So far everything is on our side and we are bound to win.

Ass’t Chief of Police Schuettler told me the police have spies among our girls, so have the manufacturers spies, but spies cannot make clothes. They may try to create” a feeling of depression; they may tell you that you are going to lose, but the only thing that can make us lose will be from within the ranks.

They can make statements in the papers and get sufficient advertising, so that the papers will not take in our statements, but they cannot fill the tailor shops.

No matter how many arrests they make we will picket the line. No matter what the police, who are no longer run by the city but by the manufacturers, may do we will fight until we win.

Ellen Gates Starr of Hull House swore out a warrant yesterday for a slugger who beat up Harry Woxman, 1302 N. Hastings st, opposite Lamm & Co.Miss Elizabeth Tyler reported that Officer No. 2018, stationed before the Royal Tailors, told one, of the girl strikers that he would get her a man who would pay her better for the night than it paid her to walk the streets. The striker reported to Mrs. Merriam, wife of the alderman, who protested to the officer.

An assessment of 10 per cent on each member for as long as the strike lasts was voted unanimously by cutters in Cutters Local No. 61, who are working in shops that have signed up with the union.

A mass meeting of the Italian workers will be held in Hod Carriers’ hall Monday morning at 4 o’clock.

—–[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for image of headline.)
-Oct 7, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
-Oct 8, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
-Oct 9, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Chicago Garment Workers Strike,
Stay With Us, ISR, Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, emblem
https://books.google.com/…
We Shall Fight Until We Win, ISR,
Nov 1915, Chicago ACW Strike
https://books.google.com/…
Ellen Gates Starr under arrest during
Henrici waitresses strike, March 5, 1914
http://blog.chicagohistory.org/…
Sidney Hillman
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/…

See also:
Search: Henrici + JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/…

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Never Cross A Picket Line-Billy Bragg

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The New York Times of October 7th reported the arrival of Orrin N. Hilton, attorney for Fellow Worker Joe Hill. Mr. Hilton was passing through New York on his way to Washington D. C. for a meeting with the Swedish Minister.

HOPES TO SAVE HILLSTROM.
—–
Counsel Will Ask Swedish Minister
to Make Plea.Judge O. W. [N.] Hilton of Denver, counsel for Joseph Hillstrom, the I. W. W. song writer, who was convicted of murder in Salt Lake City, arrived in this city yesterday and left for Washington last night with the records of the case, which he will lay before W. A. F. Ekengren, the Swedish Minister to Washington.

Hillstrom was to have been shot by a firing squad on Oct. 1, but was reprieved by Governor Spry of Utah at the request of President Wilson, who asked that the execution of the sentence be postponed until the Swedish Minister should have an opportunity to present his view of the case.

The fact that Hillstrom is a Swedish subject was only brought out three weeks ago, and the request for a reprieve was made by Minister Ekengren after he had received some of the papers in the case from I. W. W. leaders of New York.

Judge Hilton said he would try to induce the Swedish Minister to make a request through the State Department for a commutation of sentence, and that he thought such a request would be granted by the Pardon Board of Utah, although no precedent existed for such a request from the representative of a foreign nation.

[Photograph added.]

Mr. Hilton and Minister W. A. F. Ekengren met together on October 7th and 8th and, it is reported, came to an agreement on how to proceed in their efforts to save the life of Joe Hill who was granted a sixteen day reprieve of his death sentence on September 30th, the night before he was scheduled to face a firing squad. Exactly what that plan is, we do not know at the present time. We have heard, however, that Big Bill Haywood, General Secretary of the Industrial Workers of the World, is in full agreement with the plan.

Joe Hill: “A Few Reasons Why I Demand A New Trial” (Continued)On October 4th, the Salt Lake City Deseret Evening News published a long statement by Fellow Worker Joe Hill which Hellraisers is republishing in three parts. Today we present the the Third and final part of the statement. The statement was prepared by Joe Hill for the Utah Board of Pardons in order to explain his reasons for insisting upon a new trial rather than commutation. Solidarity will also republish FW Hill’s statement in its October 16th edition.

From the Salt Lake City Deseret Evening News of October 4, 1915:

 

HILLSTROM’S STATEMENT [Part 3]

SAW ATTORNEY M’DOUGALL.

 

A few days after that hearing an attorney by the name of McDougall came to see me at the county jail. He said he was a stranger in town and had heard about my case and would be willing to take my case for nothing. Seeing that that proposition was in perfect harmony with my bankroll, I accepted his offer. I will say for McDougall, though, that he was honest and sincere about it and would no doubt had carried the case to a successful finish if he had not got mixed up with that miserable shyster Mr. Scott. Before my trial, I pointed out the fact that the preliminary hearing records had been altered, but they said that the said record did not amount to anything anyway, and that it would do no good to make a holler about it.Then the trial commenced. The first day went by with the usual questioning of jurors. The second day however something happened that did not look right to me. There was a jury of eight men entered the courtroom. They had been serving on some other case and came in to deliver their verdict, which was one of “Guilty.” Then the court discharged all the jurors and they all started to go home, but then for some reason Judge Ritchie changed his mind and told three of them to come back and go up in the jury box to be examined for my case. I noted that these men were very surprised and that they did not expect to be retained for jury service. I have therefore good reasons to believe that they were never subpoenaed for the case, but just simply appointed by the court. One of these men, a very old man by the name of Kimball was later on made “foreman” of the jury.

During the course of the trial I was surprised to see that some of the witnesses were telling entirely different stories to the ones told by them at the preliminary hearing and I then asked my attorney why they did not use the preliminary hearing records and pin the witnesses down to their former statements. They then told me that the preliminary hearing had nothing to do with the district court hearing and that they did not amount to anything. They did however use said records a little but only for a bluff.

After I had watched this ridiculous grand stand play for a while I came to the conclusion that I had to get rid of these attorneys and either conduct the case myself or else get some other attorney. I therefore stood up the first thing in the morning one day and showed them the door. Being the defendant in the case, I naturally thought I should have the right to say who I wanted to represent me but to my surprise I discovered that the presiding judge had the power to compel me to have these attorneys in spite of all my protests. He ruled that they remain as “friends of the court” and that settled it.

Mr. Scott went after one of the state witnesses in a way that convinced me that he really could do good work when he wanted to. After he got through with this witness (Mrs. Seely) he came up to me and said: “Now then how did you like that?” I said: “That’s good, but why didn’t you do some of that before?” “Well-er-” he hesitated, “this was the first witness we had marked for cross-examination.” If that is not a “dead give-away” then I don’t know anything. It will be noted that Mrs. Seely is one of the last witnesses for the state.

I will now say something about the pistol which I had in my possession when I called at Dr. McHugh’s office to have my wound dressed. That pistol was a “Luger” caliber 30, a pistol of German make. I laid my pistol on the table while the doctor dressed my wound and I thought that he would be able to tell it apart from other pistols on account of its peculiar construction. He said he did not know, however, what kind of pistol mine was. That was an even break and whenever I get an even break I am not complaining. He did not like most of the state witnesses commit perjury and is therefore in my opinion a gentleman.

There was another doctor, however, by the name of Bink [Bird], who dropped in while Dr. McHugh was dressing my wound. He only saw the pistol as I put it in my pocket, he so said at the preliminary hearing, but at the district court hearing he came up and deliberately swore that my pistol was exactly the same kind of pistol as the one that Morrison and his son were killed with.

As I said before, my pistol was a “Luger” 30. It was bought less than a month before my arrest in a second hand store on west South Temple street, near the depot. I was brought down there in an automobile by three officers and the record of the same was found on the books: price, date of sale and everything as I had stated. The books did not show what kind of a gun it was however and as the clerk who sold it was in Chicago at the time a telegram was sent to him to which he sent this answer: “Remember selling Luger gun at that time. Whats the trouble.” I bought the pistol on Dec. 15, 1913 for $16.50. Anybody may go to the store and see the books.

Now, anyone can readily understand that I am not in a position where I could afford to make any false statements. I have stated the facts, as I know them in my own simple way. I think I shall be able to convince every fair-minded man and woman who reads these lines that I did not have a fair and impartial trial in spite of what the learned jurist may have said to the contrary. Now if you don’t like to see perjurers and dignified crooks go unpunished, if you don’t like to see human life being sold like a commodity on the market, then give me a hand. I am going to stick to my principle no matter what may come. I am going to have a new trial or die trying.

Yours for Fair Play,
JOSEPH HILLSTROM.

—–[Photograph and paragraph breaks added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES

Joe Hill
-by Gibbs M. Smith
Gibbs M Smith Inc, 1984
(copyright 1969)
https://books.google.com/…

The New York Times
(New York, New York)
-Oct 7, 1915
http://query.nytimes.com/…

Deseret Evening News
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-Oct 4, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

The Letters of Joe Hill
-ed by Philip S Foner
Oak Publications, 1965
https://books.google.com/…

IMAGES
Orrin N Hilton
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/…
Joe Hill, International Socialist Review, Aug 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Scissor Bill”s Prayer
http://www.folkarchive.de/…

See also:

Search: NYT of Oct 1-31, 1915 w/ “Hillstrom”
http://query.nytimes.com/…

“The Legacy of Joe Hill”
http://local.sltrib.com/…

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Information from Archie Green via Gibbs Smith:

The Industrial Worker of March 6, 1913 announced that the new edition of the I. W. W. songbook (Little Red Songbook) would include eleven new songs. That edition of the songbook was designated as the Fifth Edition on the front cover. Nine of the eleven new songs were by Joe Hill, including “Scissor Bill” on page 17.

Scissor Bill –  Bucky Halker

Scissor Bill
By Joe Hill
(Tune: “Steamboat Bill”)

You may ramble ’round the country anywhere you will,
You’ll always run across the same old Scissor Bill.
He’s found upon the desert, he is on the hill,
He’s found in every mining camp and lumber mill.
He looks just like a human, he can eat and walk,
But you will find he isn’t, when he starts to talk.
He’ll say, “This is my country,” with an honest face,
While all the cops they chase him out of every place.

CHORUS
Scissor Bill, he is a little dippy,
Scissor Bill, he has a funny face.
Scissor Bill should drown in Mississippi,
He is the missing link that Darwin tried to trace.

And Scissor Bill, he couldn’t live without the booze,
He sits around all day and spits tobacco juice.
He takes a deck of cards and tries to beat the Chink!
Yes, Bill would be a smart guy if he only could think.
And Scissor Bill, he says: “This country must be freed
From Niggers, Japs and Dutchmen and the gol durn Swede.”
He says that every cop would be a native son
If it wasn’t for the Irishman, the sonna fur gun.

CHORUS
Scissor Bill, the “foreigners” is cussin’;
Scissor Bill, he says: “I hate a Coon”;
Scissor Bill is down on everybody
The Hottentots, the bushmen and the man in the moon.

Don’t try to talk your union dope to Scissor Bill,
He says he never organized and never will.
He always will be satisfied until he’s dead,
With coffee and a doughnut and a lousy old bed.
And Bill, he says he gets rewarded thousand fold,
When he gets up to Heaven on the streets of gold.
But I don’t care who knows it, and right here I’ll tell,
If Scissor Bill is goin’ to Heaven, I’ll go to Hell.

CHORUS
Scissor Bill, he wouldn’t join the union,
Scissor Bill, he says, “Not me, by Heck!”
Scissor Bill gets his reward in Heaven,
Oh! sure. He’ll get it, but he’ll get in the neck.

Steamboat Bill – Edward Meeker

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From the front lines of the Great Chicago Garment Workers strike, lead by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, we offer the fine reporting from recent editions of The Day Book which includes the reporting of Jane Whitaker and Carl Sandburg.There is also a report of the City Council’s investigation into police conduct toward the strikers and well as a report on the grand parade of strikers, men, women and children, 15,000 strong:

The striking garment workers scored a big victory, the police and private detectives were forced to back water and the trust press were plainly made out liars when 15,000 men, women, babies and children paraded, in perfect order, through the loop district this afternoon [October 12th].

From The Day Book of October 11, 1915:

The clothing bosses’ plan of turning their shops into lodging houses for the strikebreakers as a cheaper method than hiring taxis to take them, home got a bump today when State Factory Inspector Oscar F. Nelson filed charges against three firms with Judge Flanagan in the municipal court, charging violation of act which prohibits people sleeping in quarters where garments are made.Nelson charges that a personal inspection be made with deputies Friday night showed that 20 people were sleeping in the shop of the Scotch Woolen Mills, Halsted and Adams; 15 in Edw. E, Strauss’ shops, 409 S. Market st, and 4 in the shops of the Great Central Tailoring Co., 833 W. Adams st.

Nelson says he will have deputies out every night hunting violations of this law and every firm found violating it will be hauled in court.

While the city slept 2,000 strikers met in Hod Carriers’ hall at 4 o’clock this morning and arranged the day’s picketing. Several sluggings were reported before 7 o’clock and a number of arrests were made. Two men were slugged in front of Lamm’s and two in front of the Royal Tailors.

Women spies working among the girl strikers to discourage them is the report of J. Gilckman, shop chairman. He says several women have entered Hod Carriers’ hall claiming to be members of the Political league of the University of Chicago, and have engaged the girls in conversation, telling them that they are waging a hopeless fight. When cornered the women have been unable to show credentials.

Strikers are wearing red buttons with the slogan, “We are out to win,” in anticipation of the parade tomorrow, when it is expected 15,000 will be in the march through the loop led by Sidney Hillman, president of the clothing workers’ union and “Mother” Jones.

Shops meeting will be held in Hod Carriers’ hall at 9 o’clock, followed by a mass meeting to assemble strikers, who will meet the groups from the North and South Sides of the city.

That he police department of Chicago is on trial not only in this strike, but to determine what is to be their attitude in future strikes, was the statement of Ald. Kennedy before a council committee when it opened its session to investigate charges of police brutality to girl strikers in the clothing industry.

Kennedy’s statement was brought forth by the declaration of Chief of Police Healey that his presence was not necessary before the committee, as he had turned the entire matter over to Ass’t Deputy Schuettler.

“This is too serious a matter for any one to be absent,” Kennedy said. “It is too far-reaching. It affects not only this strike, but what the police attitude is to be in future strikes.”

Twenty girls and men alleged to have been slugged while picketing were waiting to testify, and Wm. Cunnea, attorney for the strikers, stated he had 140 cases to present.

Prompted by Schuettler, Ass’t Corporation Att’y Chas. Haft said he did not think any testimony should be heard until the policemen who are accused can be present, and it was agreed that the witnesses will then be cross- examined by Ass’t Corp. Counsel Leon Hornstein representing the city and the police department.

Cunnea wanted to know if it was the intention to bring in any of the sluggers who have received police protection. Healey said he knew of no sluggers being protected by the police.

“Perhaps you know of some detective agencies who have sluggers stationed in front of some of the shops?” Cunnea asked.

Healey did not, but Schuettler said he had information that Shippy, Hunt & Dorman and P. J. Hardy Detective Agency had special men in front of some of the shops.

A motion was introduced by Ald. Martin that the police be ordered to stop slugging, but the chief pleaded that the police department should not be “defamed” by passing such an order.

The meeting adjourned until police charged with having slugged strikers can be present.

From The Day Book of October 11, 1915:

FROM EARLY MORNING UNTIL NIGHT-
HISTORY OF A DAY WITH THE STRIKERSBY JANE WHITAKER

“They call us ‘foreign agitators,’ and we are glad to be called that. We come from the country where we are taught the class struggle in our childhood; it is bred in our bones to fight oppression because we have always had to fight it. We are used to the Cossacks; they do not frighten us. So long as we have souls in our bodies we will go on fighting and when we stop fighting it will be because our souls are dead.”

“If we lose this strike it means for the men that they might as well jump in the river, but with girls it is a case of selling their bodies because we cannot live on what we have been making. We have got to win.”

The words were spoken by a man and a girl, a slender man with a fire in his eyes that makes one almost believe he is being consumed in his ardor for the cause of his people, and a girl who without emotion pointed out what must be the fate of girl strikers if they lose,” and the two sounded the keynote of one day and every day in the clothing workers’ strike.

Before ‘6 o’clock in the morning their struggle is on each day. They are picketing the shops while the bosses sneak strikebreakers in through the alleys that are blocked by the bosses’ police force that the strikers may not interfere.

At 9 o’clock they are at the different halls attending shop meetings. At noon they are again on the picket line girls and men and before they return some one will have been slugged or perhaps even shot and there will be an added current of intensity as they come back into the halls again.

At 3 o’clock the most interesting meeting of all to me is held, the mass meeting of girls. The hall is well filled. Mingling with the strikers are women who are attempting to help, clubwomen and sometimes girls from the University of Chicago who have been brought there in the hope that they may assist the strikers.

“I have been in the class struggle since I was 13. My best friend is in Siberia and has five years to remain there if his strength holds out. My mother begged me to come to this country because she said she didn’t want to lose me and she would feel I was safe here.”

One of the chairmen of the board of trustees of the Cutters’ union, J. Glickman, is speaking. What he says is simple, but there is such pathos through the very simplicity of it that a girl who has never before come in touch with the class struggle save as it is written in the books she has studied at the university wipes tears out of her eyes.

“My two brothers are on the battlefield of Europe. I do not know if they are alive. I have not heard from my mother in five months and I do not know if she is alive. I do not want to think and so I try to forget in this struggle. I am with a house that has signed up with the union, Hart, Schaffner & Marx, where the men and women have decent conditions through the union, but I am out to help you.

“They call us foreign agitators. But I tell you this, it is because we have been fighting all our lives that we are able to understand the class struggle.

“Your American-born man, do you know his’ condition? He works in a department store for $12 or $13 a week. He cannot marry or, if he does, his wife must work with him. They have no home. I see them eating together, morning, noon and night in restaurants.

“I speak to him of the, class struggle. He doesn’t know what I mean. He can tell me the baseball score in a flash, but he doesn’t know how many women are working for starvation wages and how many starve to death. He isn’t class conscious.

“We have bodies that must be fed, but a body without a soul is what they put in Dunning. It is the soul in us that keeps us struggling for better things for ourselves and for each other. They may slug us-we are used to that; they may kill us-we have seen our brothers killed in Europe, but they have got to kill our souls before they stop us fighting for our rights.”

He stops. A girl mounts the platform. Simply she tells what is the alternative to men and to women if the struggle is lost and she calls on them to go out and picket the shops, not heeding the cops or the sluggers.

They go. On the West Side, in the Loop, on the North Side, on the South.

Ellen Gates Starr of Hull house had intended going to the Royal Tailor’s shop, where she knows there is a bad situation for girls, where brutes of sluggers maul and police officers insult But at noon a man was slugged in front of Lamm’s and so Ellen Gates Starr elects to go to Lamm’s.

There is nothing of the society woman condescending in Ellen Gates Starr. There is nothing of the “upper class.” She is not even an “outsider.” She is one of the strikers in heart and act. She walks up and down, up and down. Her face looks cold, sometimes she looks very weary-she walked up and down a few hours at noon and this is night.

They are her sisters and her brothers-these strikers. She fought side by side with the waitresses; she is fighting side by side with the clothing strikers.

The “scabs” are being taken home in automobiles through the alleys by the bosses. The young boys try to go back that they may protest to men and women who are selfishly and without self-respect trying to help the bosses by acting as strikebreakers. Six husky policemen drive the boys back, pushing them around roughly.

Ellen Gates Starr is on the spot, “Why are they not permitted to go through the alley?” she asks. It is public property.”

The officers dare not answer her as they would like, though when she is beyond hearing they say things they dare not say in her hearing, and once again the picketing goes on with Miss Starr promising to ascertain by the next day if the strikers are not permitted in an alley in which strikebreakers are permitted by the bosses’ police officers.

Miss Starr calls to me: “We haven’t quite enough women to cover all the shops with the strikers. Many of the clubwomen are doing splendid work, but we need more. Do you know of any serious women who can be depended on to take care of some one shop each day?”

We talk a few moments, walking as we talk, for we dare not stop. A wagon passes and the driver leans out: “Keep it up,” he calls. “We’re with you.”

It is cold. Boys and girls shiver. The patrol wagon waits at the corner in the hope that it will get a load, but Ellen Gates Starr walks up and down until the last picket leaves the street

From The Day Book of October 12, 1915:

The striking garment workers scored a big victory, the police and private detectives were forced to back water and the trust press were plainly made out liars when 15,000 men, women, babies and children paraded, in perfect order, through the loop district this afternoon.Public opinion has butted in long enough to force at least a little fair play. Chief Healey’s men lined the walks along the marching route, but their clubs hung at their sides and they merely looked on. Possibly an occasional “Move along” was snapped, but orders were a little changed for a day.

Stories in the trust press that only 5,000 workers were on strike were knocked in the head. Three times that many trudged along before the very eyes of the bosses. Their protest was great. A parade of that kind carries a punch. And the bosses in the garment industry looked down on the bunch and the “punch” from upstairs office windows.

Three weeks ago today the strike was called. Then more than 25,000 people were called out With almost no exceptions the independent shops have signed up. The strikers who marched this afternoon are those employed by the Clothing Manufacturer’s ass’n who have refused to recognize the strikers’ union and to arbitrate.

One strong punch in the clothing workers’ parade was in banners that were strung throughout the strikers’ ranks. Every banner told a story. One set was directed to the former bosses, another to citizens of Chicago and a third to strikebreakers. Here is how they read:

TO OUR FORMER BOSSESThis strike is the result of your unfair treatment of us.

You knew the conditions that were imposed upon us they were unbearable.

You skimped our wages as much as you could we barely existed.

You overworked us in rush seasons, underworked us in slack and always underpaid.

You are more concerned with profits than you are with human life.

Your profits have stopped because the labor-power has stopped.

You have your employers’ unions, but refuse to recognize our union.

Our union is the only agency that will secure for us decent living.

Our revolt is against poverty and all the misery that poverty brings.

We want to work and live in decency, according to American standards.

TO CITIZENS OF CHICAGOWe and the bosses are two parties to a trade-we want this trade to be fair.

The bosses do not want a fair trade-they want profits at any price.

The bosses think more of profits than they do of human life.

We can make a fair deal and can enforce it only by having a strong union.

Both parties need unions to secure and maintain right relations in trade.

The bosses have strong unions, but refuse to recognize our union.

We want a square deal-nothing more-we must have it in order to live.

Overwork and underpay cause poverty, misery, disease and death.

Citizens df Chicago, can you afford to support an underpaid industry?

This problem concerns, all citizens of Chicago-help us solve it!

TO STRIKEBREAKERSWhether you are called scabs, sluggers,cops or what not-you are men.

All men are alike, only some men see the truth more clearly than others.

Some men see straight, think straight and act straight.

Some men see straight, but think crooked and act crooked.

Some men do not see straight and that is one reason why we parade.

Lincoln said: “A bond of sympathy should unite all working people.”

The strikebreaker says: “The dollar of the boss is stronger than sympathy.”

The strikebreaker betrays his follow men. In doing so he betrays himself, also.

Fellow workers, don’t scab! There is nothing in it for you and it hurts us.

Men! Search your hearts. See straight! Think straight! Act straight.

—–The parade was divided into four divisions.

The one from the Southwest Side started from 22d and Troy and went up 22d to Ashland over on Ashland to Jackson.

The West Side division marched from Apollo hall, Blue Island and 12th, to Racine and  down Racine to Taylor. There another group formed in line and marched on Racine to Polk to Ashland and over Ashland to Jackson.

The Northwest division marched fromWood and Blucher on Wood to Jackson and over Jackson to Ashland.

The Middle West Side group formed in line at Hodcarriers’ hall and marched over to Peoria and Harrison and turned south to Van Buren. Continuing down Van Buren they turned south on Ashland to Jackson.

From Ashland and Jackson the parade went east to Canal, south on Canal to Harrison, east on Harrison to Franklin, down Franklin to Van  Buren, east on Van Buren to Michigan, down Michigan to Jackson, down Jackson to Market, over on Market to Adams, down Adams to, Canal, back to Jackson and down Jackson to Green and over on Green to Harrison, where they disband.

From The Day Book of October 12, 1915:

BIG CLOTHING BOSSES FORCED TO COME
THRO’ TO THE COUNCIL POLICE COMMITTEEWe are to hear from the higher-ups in Chicago Clothing industry strike.

Heads of B. Kuppenheimer & Co., The Royal Tailors, Kuh, Nathan & Fischer and Lamm & Co. are to be called  before the council police committee to answer for rank actions of their private detectives.

At the tail end of a twelve-hour session of the police committee Ald. Martin sprung a resolution calling for an explanation from the big clothiers. In spite of Ald. Stern’s objections it carried. So some of the big bosses who have tipped back in their easy chairs and watched men with “special” stars rush the striking men and girls will have to come through and tell about their end of the rotten methods which have been employed.

Twenty witnesses were heard during the session, which lasted well into the night. “Fool question” asking was sidetracked from the start when Ald. McDermott kicked on Corporation Counsel Leon Hornsteins way of cross-examining.

A majority of the witnesses told of being slugged while walking in front of some of the shops. These slugging stories are really what caused Ald. Martin’s resolution calling for the big bosses to “fess up.”

Wm. Cunnea, counsel for the strikers, did not attempt to cross-examine policemen who were accused of slugging. “I have spent too much time in law to want to cross-examine a policeman,” he said. “We are not filing charges against these men. We are simply trying to show a condition and find out what is responsible for this condition.”

After Cunnea had told Ald. McCormick that the law did allow peaceful picketing he asked Chief Healey if there was not a conference in his office between his commanding officers and himself over the strike. Healey replied no, but later changed his answer to yes. He admitted Martin Isaacs had visited him regarding the strike, but denied that he had made any suggestions as to how the strikers Should be handled. He said he could not substantiate the charges made by Ellen Gates Starr and other clubwomen regarding the slugging of strikers by police.

Not all of the policemen who were called before the committee were there to reply against slugging charges.

Patrolman Herman Klank, Shakespeare station, told how he arrested a strikebreaker named Frank Smith, who was carrying a shoemaker’s hammer tied to his wrist Smith was charged with disorderly conduct. When brought up before Judge Sullivan he testified he was a presser working at Mayer Bros, and was discharged. Klank then created a sensation, saying that Capt Duffy had told him “that it was no use bringing in those fellows.” Klank did not arrest any more strikebreakers.

Capt Duffy was called by Ald. Buck to explain his order. He admitted saying “words to that effect” and that he thought the offense (carrying the hammer where it could be used) was of so slight a nature the arrest should not have been made.

Throughout the hearing the word “slugger” was used. Ald. McCormick asked Att’y Cunnea just what the word “slugger” meant. Cunnea took a Tribune want ad and read:

Wanted strong, husky men for guards.
Must be 5 feet 10. Good pay.
Apply at Inter Ocean Hotel.

Patrolmen A. C. Anderson testified how he was transferred from Royal Tailors when he refused to take orders from one of the “sluggers” employed by that firm. He had forbid the slugger to hit anyone in his presence.Chief Healey demanded to know the name of the officer who transferred him. Anderson named Serg’t Dillon of Sheffield avenue station. Dillon will be called before Chief Healey this morning to explain his order.

Miss Ellen Gates Starr told how Harry Waxman had been slugged in the presence of policemen who did not attempt to interfere; how they had obtained John Doe warrants for these two men and how they were taken into custody by Detectives O’Connor and Hans of the Desplaines street station. The next morning she called up the station and was told the men had not been arrested. A short time later she was told they had been arrested but not booked. An hour later the sergeant told her the men had been booked and discharged in court for want of prosecution.

Waxman, who was present, showed his bandaged head to the aldermen and stated that the detectives had not informed him as to when the “sluggers” would be arraigned in court.

“These facts combine to make it appear that the police are helping these private policemen as much as possible,” Miss Starr said. “In my opinion these hired gunmen are the crux of the whole matter. If we could find a way to censor them we would find a way out of this situation.”

After the meeting was adjourned until Thursday morning different aldermen made comments on the proceedings so far.

“We have developed some valuable information which will probably result in a different attitude by the police in future strikes,” said Ald. Kennedy.

“It is the healthiest thing the council ever did,” Ald. Rodriguez stated. “It has been brought out that the police do not know what their attitude is in a strike. We must get them away from their ‘bosses’ viewpoint’.”

“We have made great progress,” said Ald. Lynch, chairman of the committee. “I think that hereafter equality will be given to strikers.”

“The attitude of the aldermen are most favorable for us,” Att’y Cunnea said. “In my opinion this will turn out to be the best investigation the city council ever authorized.”

“I’m going to keep my eye on the police who testified here,” said Ald. McDermott. “No monkey business goes, such as transfers to the opposite part of the city from their homes. I think we are doing a whole lot of good.”

“The findings of this committee will have an important bearing on the police department,” said Ald. Buck. “I think the chief and his first deputy will derive a great deal of knowledge of their own department at these meetings.”

—–[Emphasis added.]

From The Day Book of October 12, 1915:

CLUB WOMEN MAY GO TO JAIL IN PROTEST OF
POLIGE VIOLENCE ON GIRL STRIKERSBY CARL SANDBURG

Mrs. Medill McCormick, daughter of Mark Hanna, is making a spectacle of herself.

She says she and a lot of other club women are going to line up with the women and girls on strike and do the same things the strikers are doing, so as to get arrested and thrown into the lousy police cells of Ha Desplaines street stations.

Some of us understand exactly why Ruth Hanna McCormick wants to pull this stunt.

It’s a deep wish many of us have that somebody would tell us how this city can get common decent human feelings of fair play into Chicago police handling strikes.

I saw girls and women yesterday in the city hall with black and blue marks on their arms where Coppers had wrenched and mauled those arms.

I talked with a dark-eyed, dark- haired, beautiful little Jewess whose mouth was slapped and her lips were rough and swollen where the dirty fist of a copper had made a swipe on her face.

She was better looking than some movie actresses I’ve seen and I wondered what kind of a mother and what kind of sisters the copper had who used his mitt on this little Jewess.

I talked with Mrs. Maud Cain Tavlor, Mrs. Charles Merriam and Mrs. A. H. Schweitzer, club women who say they heard coppers jeering at girls and women on strike: “Who’re you going with tonight? Have you cats got your fellows for tonight?”

Two strikers have been shot by policemen while so far not one policeman has got a bullet or a brick from the strikers.

The violence is all one-sided and the strong-arm work and the coarse-mouthed language is all to the batting average of Charles Clarence Healey, police chief appointed by Mayor Thompson to drive the crooks from Chicago.

Mrs. Armour’s jewel burglars are loose enjoying their swag, cooling their heels in fun somewhere, sneezing like jeewhillikins when they mention the name of” Chief Healey and Healey’s, job of driving the crooks from Chicago.

One daring woman like Ellen Gates Starr, battling on the picket line with the strikers, going to jail in the waitresses’ strike and right at the front in this garment workers’ strike, is worth more money in human returns to Chicago than Healey and Luthardt and P. D. O’Brien and McWeeney and the whole bunch that’s now running the police department.

In first jury trial yesterday of striking garment worker the police couldn’t prove disorderly conduct and the jury said “Not guilty,” so another false alarm is chalked up for Healey.

And if you want ‘to see more Healey false alarms just watch the jury verdicts just watch these cases of strikers charged with disorderly conduct, conspiracy, unlawful assembly, etc.

All this is part of the regularly organized game of the police force as an adjunct and annex of the Illinois Manufacturers’ ass’n and the Association of Commerce with the high strategic aim of whacking, battering and hammering into nothing the hopes of the strikers for a living wage and a union.

Police thumping heads of strikers are driving deeper info the life of Chicago the slums, tuberculosis, prostitution and crime that follow in sure and inevitable percentages the low wages of any class of low-paid workers.

These are the facts that have roused Ruth Hanna McCormick and her chums so that in a strike of women and girls they are about ready to go to jail.

Some of us are mighty glad there are such women alive and battling on the picket line with strikers. And we hope they shame down the barbarous heads of the Chicago police force who have sanctioned from day to day the last ten days the beating and manhandling of women and girls putting up a grave struggle for a living wage.

—–

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for image of headlines.)
-Oct 11, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
-Oct 12, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGE
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, emblem
https://books.google.com/…

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Working Girl Blues – Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard

Well, I’m tired of workin’ my life away
And givin’ somebody else all of my pay
While they get rich on the profits that I lose
And leavin’ me here with those workin’ girl blues
I-dee-o-lady, workin’ girl blues
And I can’t even afford a new pair of shoes
While they can live in any old penthouse they choose
And all that I’ve got is the workin’ girl blues
-Hazel Dickens

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The young girls doing their duty on the picket lines during the Great Chicago Garment Workers Strike, now on-going in that city, face the brutality of the Chicago Police Department and the manufacturers’ hired sluggers with undaunted courage. The Chicago Day Book of October 13th presents affidavits sworn to by these girl-strikers, some as young as seventeen, such as this statement by Miss Ida Miller who gave the following testimony:

Ida Miller, 17, of 1457 Spruce St., worked for Edward Rose & Co.; average $4 a week. Oct 4 about 5 p. m. walked with Molly Steinberg on Harrison st. “Mounted policeman blocked our way and another came up and began to push us.” Deponent states she told officer: ‘Keep your hands off. We are not doing anything and we have a right to the sidewalk.’ ” The officer struck her with his club across the face, blood began to flow from her nose and she fainted. When she, recovered she was in a nearby store, where she had been carried by bystanders.”

From The Day Book of October 13, 1915:

How newspapers and police double-cross the people of Chicago is dis cussed by Mrs. Medill McCormick in a statement given The Day Book today. She was appointed by the women’s committee of fifteen as press chairman. She said:

For some reason or other we have not been able to get our view of the cause of the garment workers printed in the newspapers.Miss Sophonisba Breckenridge, at our meeting Monday, read sworn statements of 50 women and girls who have been brutally or insolently handled by the police. We have had from 30 or 40 women each day on the picket line with the girls on strike. Our women have witnessed with their own eyes or carefully checked up on serious charges of police violence and police use of obscene and profane language.

We have asked newspapers to print facts and evidence which we believe convincing proof that the police department is in some manner under control or influence of clothing manufacturers who wish to defeat the strike.

We know that women and girls have been arrested who have not violated any law, and we are certain no evidence can be produced that these girls are lawbreakers.

While these numerous arrests have been made of working girls, clothing manufacturers have deliberately violated the law every day without interference by the police.

Our committee will push action to a definite end in one specific case in which Ellen Gates Starr and strikers saw a man slugged while three policeman looked on, did not interfere and made no arrests. A John Doe warrant for the slugger has been sworn out. We shall test the rights of police to act as powerless bystanders while strikers are beaten by sluggers in the employ of manufacturers.

We have no apologies for our course in going on the picket line with the strikers. They have asked arbitration. The manufacturers have not replied to the offer of Pres. Hillman for arbitration in a letter ten days before strike was called.

Sixty per cent of the strikers are women and girls. At Springfield we asked for a minimum wage commission, an eight-hour day and a better child labor law to protect these women and girls. This legislation was refused.

These are summaries of sworn statements suppressed by the big newspapers which yearly get hundreds of dollars in ad money from clothing manufacturers and stores:

—–Hit on Stomach.

Rose Goodman, 21, of 1256 Turner av., worked for Sachs & Co. On Oct. 4 about 5 p. m., near Harrison and Sherman streets she saw an officer strike an old woman he was about to arrest. She asked why he was so rough with an old woman and the officer, No. 4470, told her to move on, adding: “Get to hell out of here.” When deponent started to speak again Officer 4470 said: “If you don’t go I’ll kill you.” Deponent further states that Officer No. 4470 struck her on her stomach and then gave a swift shove upon her shoulders so that she lost her balance, falling close to the feet of a mounted police horse in motion. Thrown into wagon with 15 other girl strikers.

On the way to the station she fainted. On recovery from fainting the other girls in the wagon pointed to a window they had broken to gain air to revive her. At the station she lost consciousness, was taken home in a cab, and the following day again lost consciousness, suffered pains in chest and abdomen where blows were struck upon her body by Police Officer No. 4470 and others who threw her into the wagon. She is now under the care of a physician.

Hit By MotorcycleLena Rosen, 20, of 1823 W. North av., worked for Ederheimer, Stein & Co.; average $5 a week. On Sept 29 about 10 a. m., walked with her sister on Robey st near Wabansia, followed by two police officers who called them ‘damn fools’ and taunted them, saying they would not win the strike. One block from shop Motorcycle Officer No. 3596 rode cycle up on sidewalk between them, ran over deponent’s right foot and her foot is bruised and swoolen.” (Hilda Rosen joins in this sworn statement.)

Cop 3598 Bruised Her Arm.Fannie Ginsburg, 17, of 1903 Milwauke av. worked for Ederheimer, Stein & Co. Charged by Motorcycle Policeman No. 3598. He “seized her arm, hurled her to the sidewalk and caused a bruise on her left arm and side.”

Cop 2018 Insults Girl.Ida Chieftis, 16, of 1846 W. Adams st worked for Royal Tailors at $5 a week. Oct. 4 about 5 p. m. on Harrison st, near Sherman “found herself hemmed in by a crowd, was arrested and roughly thrown into a patrol wagon.” When she “begged the policeman not to be so rough he told her to ‘shut up’ and said they were ‘a bunch of dogs,’ and pushed her into the wagon so that she fell, breaking her glasses and bruising her face. Oct 7 on 5th av. Patrolman 2018 said to her and another girl: “Girls, don’t walk around here; I will give you a man for tonight that’s a better job.”

Hit With Club.Ida Miller, 17, of 1457 Spruce St., worked for Edward Rose & Co.; average $4 a week. Oct 4 about 5 p. m. walked with Molly Steinberg on Harrison st. “Mounted policeman blocked our way and another came up and began to push us.” Deponent states she told officer: ‘Keep your hands off. We are not doing anything and we have a right to the sidewalk.’ ” The officer struck her with his club across the face, blood began to flow from her nose and she fainted. When she, recovered she was in a nearby store, where she had been carried by bystanders.”

Cop Drags HerLillian Schaps, 22, of 1330 S. Springfield av.. worked as baster for Marx & Brown at $5 a week. Oct. 4 about 5 o’clock was with other girl; strikers going east on Harrison st Mounted Policeman No. 3932 charged at them when they tried to cross street Officer 4770 swore at them and said they were “crazy fools” and “wild Indians” and “You’ve got no business on Harrison st; where you belong is S. State st” Officer 4770 seized her by the arm, dragged her from the edge of the sidewalk and threw her against a building. Bruised. Thrown into wagon with 15 other girls.

Cop 4422 Uses ForceRose Deninberg, 21, of 1434 N. Rockwell st was finisher for Kling Bros, at $6 a week. On Oct 4 about 5 p. m., on Harrison st, near Sherman walked with another striker. Near Royal Tailors shop Officer 4422 stopped them. She asked: “Can’t we walk on the public sidewalk?” Officer 4422 did not reply, but pushed her and “she fell on the pavement and narrowly escaped being trampled on by the horse of a mounted police man.” She was thrown into a wagon where one girl fainted and it was necessary to break a window to get air and revive her.

Sluggers Got HimJoe Sherman, 715 Paulina st, Oct 11, about 8 a. m., walking with Miss Julia Chieftis south on Sherman st., near Polk st., was surrounded by five sluggers. One of the sluggers held his left arm and another his right hand and he was struck five blows on the mouth causing profuse bleeding and a swelling of the upper lip. With a bystander and Miss Chieftis all three accosted a mounted policeman, pointed out the sluggers to him and asked him to arrest sluggers. Officer at first did not answer, but finally replied: “Go and get warrants for them.” They then met Officer No. 132 (tall, dark, wearing a mustache). They pointed out the sluggers to him and asked him to make the arrest and he also said; “Go get a warrant.”

Generally MauledMrs. Josie Mart, 1428 Elk Grove av., worked as finisher Kuh, Nathan & Fischer, earning average of $4 a week. Sept 29, about 4 p. m. “saw a fellow employe whom she knew very well looking out of shop window; she waved her handkerchief at the girl on the inside; an officer regularly stationed there came up to her and took hold of her arms, gripping them so tightly as to cause great pain and black and blue marks, pulled her hair, struck her in the head and kicked her.”

Schoenbrun ThreatensLillian Jescke, 22, of 1743 Keenon st., sleeve operator for Schoenbrun Co., 844 Adams st, at $6 to $7 a week. Oct 4 about 5:30 p. m. Schoenbrun said to deponent: “How would you like to stay downtown in a hotel and go to the theater two or three times a week? I will give you anything you ask for in wages if you stay and work until the strike is over.” Later when she was picketing Schoenbrun came and said: “I want you to understand that if I catch you walking on this sidewalk once more I will have you kicked out, damn you! Do you understand? I’ll have you locked up. I’ll make it so hot for you that you will get no job in the city of Chicago.” Deponent told Schoenbrun Chicago isn’t the only city she might earn $6 a week in. Schoenbrun then pointed her out to policemen and told them the next time they saw her walking past the shop they should arrest her.

Hit in the JawHarry Waxman, 1302 Hastings st, worked for Lamm & Co. On Jackson blvd., near Halsted, Oct 8, at 12:20 p. m. he was attacked and beaten up by two plain clothes men who had threatened him the previous day when he walked past Lamm shop. “Deponent states assailants attacked him from the rear, that one man struck his head with some instrument, causing a deep wound and that the other assailant struck his jaw.” The policeman on the beat “witnessed the attack and refused to arrest the assailants, although asked to do so by deponent and others who saw what happened.”

Nine Cops Did ItEdward Landau, merchant tailor, 57 W. Ohio st, in merchant tailor business at 459 W, Chicago av, on Market st, near Van Buren, about 4:20 p. m., Oct 4, saw nine police officers attack 30 girl strikers to prevent their passage over Van Buren st bridge. Girls were handled roughly, clothing torn, hair pulled and hats broken. Among officers were Nos. 2725, 4107, 921, 2885.

—–

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for headline within article.)
-Oct 13, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…IMAGES
Chicago Garment Strikers attacked by police on horses,
ISR, Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
We Shall Fight Until We Win, ISR,
Nov 1915, Chicago ACW Strike
https://books.google.com/…
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, emblem
https://books.google.com/…

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Union Maid –
Billy Bragg, Mike & Ruthy Merenda,
Dar Williams, New York City Labor Chorus

Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union,
I’m sticking to the union, I’m sticking to the union.
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union,
I’m sticking to the union ’til the day I die.
-Woody Guthrie

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The question of whether or not spies have been planted by the Chicago Police Department within the ranks of the garment strikers came up during the city council’s probe into police conduct when Alderman Buck questioned Second Deputy Schuettler:

“Are there any secret agents of your department in the ranks of the strikers?” he demanded.”The chief does not have to answer that question,” said [Attorney] Hornstein. “They have the privilege of using secret agents for investigating crimes and criminals.”

“I think the public will be benefited by this knowledge. I think it an outrage that a member of the staff of the corporation counsel should try to hamper the work of this committee,” returned Buck. “These people are not criminals.”

Buck moved that the committee ask the first deputy whether or not there are spies in his department. “At present we can do one of two things,” he said. “We can either jump on individual policemen or go to the higher-ups and find the source of the trouble. This mystery surrounding the actions of the police department is BUNK pure and simple.” Buck was backed by [Alderman] Kennedy.

Schuettler explained: “There are no secret agents in the police department who belong to any labor organization,” he stated. “I have a man who has been making reports to me for many years. He moves in anarchist circles. Suppose there are anarchists in this strike. We must protect the people of Chicago. I defy you to compel me to produce this information. Ill resign my position before I do.”

The Chicago Police took time out from protecting the city from anarchist to ensure that the manufacturers of this city are protected from the young girls, their former employes, who are on strike for a living wage. The front-page article in the October 14th edition of the Day Book also featured several affidavits which document the brutality directed at these girls while carrying out picket-line duties. The following is but one example:

Bessie Att, 22, 1430 W. 13th st, was canvas baster for Lamm & Co. at $4 a week. On Oct. 1 at about 5 p. m. walked with Annie Weinstein in front of Lamm & Co. on Jackson near Green st. A policeman took hold of her arms and dragged her toward the corner where four officers were handling two boys. Josef Goodman and Charles Goldman. Blood was flowing from Josef’s nose and mouth, following a blow struck by one of the policemen.Deponent tried to help him when the officer who had hold of her arm struck her a blow in the stomach which has resulted in an incomplete fracture of the lower end of the breast bone. She fell against the building, was picked up by officers and thrown into a patrol wagon with the two boys and a number of strikers. Deponent states she is still suffering constant pain from the blow upon her breast bone Oct 1.

From The Day Book of October 14, 1915:

Second Deputy Schuettler let fly startling facts which may reveal some past secret history of the Chicago police department, and the clothing bosses practically told the council police committee to go jump in the lake when they failed to appear at the meeting today.At the police committee’s last meeting three reports were demanded from the police department. Today only two were made. Argument over the third point was hot. It is still being debated and is on whether or not the secret correspondence between Chief Healey, and his first deputy, Schuettler, shall be read into the record.

Ald. Buck insists that it shall. Schuettler says nix. In fact, on one main point the ass’t deputy says he will quit his job before he will cough up. That point concerns a mysterious spy, high in anarchistic circles, who has been making secret reports to the police department for the past twenty years. Who is he? That’s what Schuettler renigs on! He defied the committee to force him to come through.

The first of the two reports which were cleaned up showed that 330 had been arrested since the beginning the clothing workers’ strike. Also that only 17 of these were not strikers.

The 17 included strikebreakers and guards employed by the clothing bosses.

The second report showed 54 men had been granted special police powers by Schuettler since the beginning of the strike. The Edward V. Price Co. has 20. Lamm & Co., The Great Central Tailoring Co., the F. W. Smith Co., the Scotch Woolen Mills and the M. L. Overndorf Co. use the rest of them.

“Where is the correspondence between you and Chief Healey?” Ald. Buck asked Scheuttler after the reports had been read.

“I don’t think that the communications between the two highest officers in our police department should be made public,” said Ass’t Corporation Counsel Hornstein, who represented the city. “Suppose the police had secret agents who turned in reports out mingling with the workers. The making public of these is likely to cause complications.

Buck turned to Schuettler. “Are there any secret agents of your department in the ranks of the strikers?” he demanded.

“The chief does not have to answer that question,” said Hornstein. “They have the privilege of using secret agents for investigating crimes and criminals.”

“I think the public will be benefited by this knowledge. I think it an outrage that a member of the staff of the corporation counsel should try to hamper the work of this committee,” returned Buck. “These people are not criminals.”

Buck moved that the committee ask the first deputy whether or not there are spies in his department “At present we can do one of two things,” he said. “We can either jump on individual policemen or go to the higher-ups and find the source of the trouble. This mystery surrounding the actions of the police department is BUNK pure and simple.” Buck was asked by Kennedy.

Schuettler explained: “There are no secret agents in the police department who belong to any labor organization,” he stated. “I have a man who has been making reports to me for many years. He moves in anarchist circles. Suppose there are anarchists in this strike. We must protect the people of Chicago. I defy you to compel me to produce this information. Ill resign my position before I do.”

The meeting then switched to the bosses’ end. Cunnea asked if anybody was present representing the employers.

The clerk read a letter signed by Chairman Lynch asking representatives of Lamm & Co., B. Kuppenheimer & Co., the Royal Tailors, and Kuh, Nathan & Fischer to attend the meeting to respond to some of the questions the aldermen wanted to ask about the sluggers these firms had employed to intimidate the strikers. No one answered.

“They have ignored us,” said Chairman Lynch.

“Is your department capable of handling this strike, chief?” Ald. Buck asked Schuettler.

The reply was yes.

“Then I will ask the committee to act upon the following order this afternoon. The order revokes all of the special police commissions issued to the sluggers employed by those tailoring companies and directs the police department to investigate each of the men who acted in that capacity. The criminal records of the men, if there be any, will be investigated.

If no representatives of these firms appear the order will be acted upon just before the committee adjourns this evening.

—–Following are more sworn-to affidavits made by strikers:

Breast Bone FracturedBessie Att, 22, 1430 W. 13th st, was canvas baster for Lamm & Co. at $4 a week. On Oct. 1 at about 5 p. m. walked with Annie Weinstein in front of Lamm & Co. on Jackson near Green st. A policeman took hold of her arms and dragged her toward the corner where four officers were handling two boys. Josef Goodman and Charles Goldman. Blood was flowing from Josef’s nose and mouth, following a blow struck by one of the policemen.

Deponent tried to help him when the officer who had hold of her arm struck her a blow in the stomach which has resulted in an incomplete fracture of the lower end of the breast bone. She fell against the building, was picked up by officers and thrown into a patrol wagon with the two boys and a number of strikers. Deponent states she is still suffering constant pain from the blow upon her breast bone Oct 1.

Hit In the Face.Annie Weinstein, 17, 1421 Hastings st., was able by working on her lunch hours to earn $7 a week as finisher at Lamm & Co.’s. Oct. 1, 5 p. m., officer seized her arm while she walked in front of Lamm & Co.’s.; hit her in face with fist. She bled at mouth and nose.

Ida Gold, 1157 Washburne av., employed by Edw. Rose, Jackson and Desplaines. Officer stopped her Oct 4, 5 p. m., by twisting hand in her hair and pulling it. She saw same officer hit Ida Miller with club.

Sworn AtHilda Rosen, 20, 1823 W. North av., averaged $5 a week. Button sewer, Ederheimer & Stein, Robey and Walking Sept 29., 10 a, m. on Robey near Wabansia av. with her sister, Lena. Policeman called them “damned fools” and walked behind them, using foul language. Say Officer No. 3598 rode on sidewalk between girls; seized Hilda by shoulder and threw her to one side.

Cop Hit Her.Jennie Shaffer, 20. 912 W. 14th, was finisher, Lamm & Co., Jackson blvd. and Peoria st Walking in front of factory, Oct 1, 5 p. m., policeman seized Fannie Goldberg. Miss Shaffer asked why. Witbout further cause, officer struck her in face with his fist.

She’s Black and BlueFannie Goldberg, 18, 2615 Haddon av., worker, Lamm & Co. Walking in front of company, Jackson and Peoria, with Bessie Att, Annie Weinstein and Jennie Shaffer. Policeman seized her arm. Struck her in face. Taken to Desplaines station with cheek scratched, eye swollen and left arm black and blue.

Cop 4,422 Hit HerMolly Liberman, 22, 1206 W. 13th; baster John C. Gorman Co.; $5 week. Officer 4,422 squeezed her arm. She screamed with pain. Struck her in stomach and sides with fist Happened while she walked with Ella Greenberg on Harrison near Sherman st.

Thrown Into PatrolGertrude Rosen, 16, 1310 N. Washtenaw av., with Continental Tailoring Co., Jackson and Desplaines, earning $4 to $5 a week. As she with 30 girls came from getting pay they were surrounded by policemen. Policemen charged into their midst. Roughly thrown into patrol wagon. Miss Rosen badly bruised.

Wouldn’t Arrest SluggerChas. Levin, 1432 S. Central Park, av., saw Harry Waxman, 1302 Hastings, assaulted on Jackson blvd., near Halsted. Policeman stationed there refused to arrest slugger when requested by Levin and others. Told them to get warrant

Cop 4,770 InsultingOfficer 4,770 told Beckie Friedman, 20, 1126 Washburn av., skilled worker of House of Kuppenheimer, to “get the hell out of here,” as she walked on Harrison near Sherman st. Called them “fools and wild Indians.” Said that all “belonged on State street”

Who Did Shooting?Frank Maskal, 30, 1703 W. North av.; Kuh, Nathan & Fischer, Robey and Wabansia av. On Sept 30. 9:30 1 a. m. walking, on Julian near Wood. Officer 1,203 shouted to him to get out “All right, I’m going home,” answered Maskal. Immediately he heard shots from behind; felt shock; two bullet holes were in his coat and vest.

—–

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for image of headline.)
-Oct 14, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Chicago Garment Workers Strike of 1915,
Police protecting manufactures
http://www.pbs.org/…
Girl Strikers Charge Police Brutality,
Chicago Daily Tribune, Oct 12, 1915
https://www.newspapers.com/…

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The Rebel Girl – Hazel Dickens

She’s a Rebel Girl, a Rebel Girl!
She’s the working class, the strength of this world.
From Maine to Georgia you’ll see
Her fighting for you and for me.
Yes, she’s there by your side with her courage and pride.
She’s unequaled anywhere.
And, I’m proud to fight for freedom
With a Rebel Girl.
-Joe Hill/Hazel Dickens

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John R. Lawson is now back home in Denver, having been granted bail late on October 7th by the Colorado Supreme Court. On October 6th, while still a prisoner in the filthy Las Animas County Jail in Trinidad, Colorado, Lawson wrote a letter to Ex-Judge L. S. Walter of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. The letter was published in the Mount Carmel Item and expresses Lawson gratitude for the “message of encouragement” sent to him in the form of a resolution passed by his friends and former neighbors at the Lawson Mass Meeting held in Mount Carmel on September 24th.From the Mount Carmel Item
of October 12, 1915:

LAWSON EXPRESSES GRATITUDE
—–Ex-Judge L. S. Walter has received the following letter from former townsman’ John R. Lawson dated at Trinidad, Colorado, acknowledging receipt of letter enclosing a copy of the resolutions adopted at the big Lawson mass meeting on September 24th:

                                                                                    Las Animas County Jail.
Trinidad, Colorado,
October 6, 1915
Mr. Lincoln S. Walter,
Mount Carmel, Pa.
My dear Sir:     Your most welcome letter, dated Mount Carmel, September 27, 1915 with resolution adopted by mass meeting enclosed, has been received.

Permit me to express my heart felt appreciation for the splendid declaration of confidence in my innocence and faith in my integrity in this hour of bitter persecution. This message of encouragement, coming as it dos from friends I have loved during and since my boyhood, from former neighbors and towns people of Mount Carmel and surrounding communities makes it a priceless gift, which will be cherished and preserved through life as a token of love and esteem. Realizing as I must that it is not John Lawson the man, but something far greater than any individual, so far reaching that it is bigger than the labor movement itself. The real issue is Justice, the foundation of God’s Throne, effecting as it does every man, woman and child in our generous country.

I shall not touch on the merits of my case at this time, as it has been given wide publicity, except to state that I am most optimistic as to the final outcome, conscious that I have broken no law and committed no crime. I feel confident that I shall eventually receive justice and a complete vindication.

The great work, the uplift of humanity will go forward with increase momentum. Iron bars and prison walls will not intimidate or swerve me from my duty toward my fellow men in their struggle for industrial democracy. My sincere hope is that God will give me the necessary strength and courage to endure like a Christian the acts of tyranny aimed against my life and liberty by the oppressors of Labor, to merit the confidence reposed in me by so many good and true friends and to humbly bear the added burdens of responsibility that are still to come in life.

I am, with best wishes,
Yours very truly.
John R Lawson
4652 York St.,
Denver, Colorado

—–

Below the fold our readers can find further reporting on the Hero of Ludlow, John R.  Lawson, and more news regarding the persecution of the former striking miners by the State of Colorado in the service of the coal operators.

From The Indianapolis Star of October 8, 1915:

 

COURT ADMITS LAWSON TO BAIL
—–

Mine Leader, Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
for Death of Deputy Sheriff,
Will Be Released Today.
—–
ROCKEFELLER IS GRATIFIED
—–
Owner of Colorado Company Glad of Step
to Dispose of Case and Restore
Friendly Feeling in District.
—–

 

DENVER, Col., Oct, 7,-The Colorado Supreme Court late today admitted John R. Lawson to bail in the sum of $35,000. Lawson was convicted of first degree murder in connection with strike disorders. Lawson was sentenced to life imprisonment on a charge of murdering John Nimmo, a deputy sheriff [deputized company gunthug] killed in a riot [strikers defending the tent colony from attack] near Ludlow in October, 1913. The Supreme Court several weeks ago granted a supersedeas and writ of error.Horace N. Hawkins, chief counsel for Lawson, stated that bail would be provided immediately and that Lawson probably would be released at Trinidad tomorrow. Mr. Hawkins declined to comment on the ruling of the court.

John D. Rockefeller Jr., when informed of the action of the Supreme Court, dictated the following statement:

Rockefeller Gratified.Mr. Rockefeller is gratified to hear of any step looking toward an early disposition of this and the other cases which have so long been pending and which until disposed of will necessarily continue to be a constant cause of irritation standing in the way of that complete restoration of friendly feeling and industrial peace which the citizens not only of this state but of the entire country so earnestly desire.

Lawson was one of the most prominent union leaders in the coal miners’ strike of 1913-14. It was in one of the battles between strikers and deputies [deputized company gunthugs] near Ludlow before the arrival of the National Guard that Nimmo was killed.Lawson’s trial started April 21, 1915. The state offered evidence regarding the beginning of the battle in an effort to show that it had been started by strikers, Lawson himself was a principal witness. The jury returned its verdict May 3.

New Trial Denied.A motion for a new trial was denied July 12 by Judge Granby Hillyer. The Supreme Court Aug. 17 granted a writ of error, and a supersedeas, and issued a writ of prohibition barring Judge Hillyer from presiding at future strike trials. It was charged that Hillyer had been an attorney for the coal interests of southern Colorado.

One outgrowth of the Lawson case was the filing of an information by Attorney General Fred Farrar against Horace N. Hawkins and Fred Clark, attorneys for Lawson, charging them with subornation of perjury in connection with an affidavit used in the motion for a new trial.

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Topeka Daily Capital
of October 10, 1915:

JOHN R. LAWSON RETURNS HOME;
GOING BACK TO WORK
—–Denver, Colo., Oct. 9.-John R. Lawson, member of the international executive board of the United Mine Workers of America for district No. 15, arrived home here today after his release on bond last night from the Trinidad jail. Lawson said he was “going back to work” at the Denver headquarters of the United Mine Workers.

—–

From Trinidad we have learned that the bond was delivered by the President of the Colorado Federation of Labor, John McLellan. Lawson’s first act of freedom was to call his wife, Olive whom, along with his daughter, Fern, he has not seen for many weeks.Before leaving the jail he made the rounds to say good-bye to the miners who remain locked behind the iron bars. They shouted to him: “So long, John. We’re sorry to see you go but we hope to hell you never comeback to this hole.”

Lawson replied: “Don’t worry boys, you’ll be out of here before very long.”

At the Denver station, Lawson was met by his wife who told reporters: “I’m the happiest women in the world.”

From The Labor World of October 17, 1915:

 

COLORADO WILL TRY 1,000 MINERS
—–

Governor Carlson, Friend of Mine Owners
Finally Decides to Press Cases
—–
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER FAVORED DISMISSAL
—–
But Vindictive Executive Stubbornly Refused
to Permit Indictments to Be Quashed.
—–

 

DENVER, Oct. 14.-The more than 1,000 persons made defendants in cases growing out of the recent coal strike in Colorado must go to trial. Governor George A. Carlson, after several hours’ deliberation today, refused to interfere in the prosecutions. This decision was the culmination of a series of conferences between Governor Carlson, labor leaders, State officials, and prominent citizens of the State. Among those who were said to have favored dismissal was John D. Rockefeller Jr., now in Colorado on a tour of investigation of the various mining camps of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company.

He Lost No Time.The decision of Governor Carlson came only a few hours after the announcement of the action of the Supreme Court, ordering the release on bail of John R. Lawson, labor leader, who has been confined in a Trinidad jail since his conviction several months ago of first degree murder, in connection with strike disorders.

Approximately seventy-five criminal and civil suits were filed, and more than 1,000 persons were made defendants, as a result of the recent Colorado coal strike.

Of the civil suits the case of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. against the United Mine Workers of America, charging conspiracy in restraint of trade, and asking damages in the sum of $1,000,000, was the most prominent. Of the criminal cases, that of John R. Lawson was the most noteworthy.

Reviewing the history of cases, growing out of the strike, and their present status, the Governor says:

Governor Is Merciless.I do not feel that I can now order the annulment of these prosecutions. Considerations, of so-called peace, mercy, and business have been urged as a justification for the actions which it was hoped I would take.

The only question for me to decide was whether or not those who were legally charged with crime should be turned loose without trial the extra-legal reasons urged. It has been asserted that such a course would put an end to the agitation that is going on in certain quarters, and leave this State in a more peaceful condition. Granting such a result would follow, it is in effect to say that a group of persons can commit a crime and receive immunity if they raise sufficient agitation to disturb our peace of mind. I do not believe your citizens are willing to purchase mental peace at such a price.

In my opinion, capital will never invest in this State until it is demonstrated that attacks upon life and property will not be tolerated.

[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES

Out of the depths:
the story of John R. Lawson, a labor leader
-by Barron B. Beshoar
(First Edition: April 1942)
Denver Area Labor Federation, 1980
https://books.google.com/…

Mount Carmel Item
(Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania)
-Oct 12, 1915
https://www.newspapers.com/…

The Indianapolis Star
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
-Oct 8, 1915
https://www.newspapers.com/…

The Topeka Daily Capital
(Topeka , Kansas)
-Oct 10, 1915
https://www.newspapers.com/…

The Labor World
(Duluth, Minnesota)
-Oct 17, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
John R Lawson, 1915
http://www.loc.gov/…
John Lawson Denied New Trial,
Coshocton Morn Trb, OH, July 14, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
John Lawson with Olive and Fern from Day Book
of April 23, 1915, Last Edition
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Alfred A Carlson, Republican Governor of Colorado,
1915-1917
http://en.wikipedia.org/…

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Hold the Fort-One of Labor’s Oldest Songs

We meet today in Freedom’s cause,
And raise our voices high;
We’ll join our hands in union strong,
To battle or to die.

Chorus:
Hold the fort for we are coming-
Union men, be strong.
Side by side we battle onward,
Victory will come.

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From The Day Book of October 11, 1915:

ROCKEFELLER’S PLAN CALLED A DENIAL OF
DEMOCRACY BY PINCHOTBY AMOS PINCHOT

When Mr. Rockefeller, Jr., went to Colorado there was just one question of public importance for him to answer.This question was not whether the Rockefellers have had a change of heart, or whether young Mr. Rockefeller is a sincere and Christian character. These are matters that chiefly concern the Rockefellers and not the public, though the press has rung the changes on them to the exclusion of all else.

The question the public is interested in is: What is the final stand of the Rockefellers about labor unions? This question is of importance. For recognition of the union is the one irreconcilable issues between capital and labor and the storm center of every great industrial strike.

It is true that Mr. Rockefeller’s decision was veiled, to a large extent, by his announcement that he would permit, in fact, encourage labor to have its own local organization (which would be about as helpless in a clash with the Rockefellers as a child’s toy boat in a battle with a super-dreadnought). It is true also that the real issue has been obscured in a cloud of amazing press-snobbism through which only the young master is revealed grasping the hand of his grateful, grimy man. But nevertheless, the real issue is there, and Mr. Rockefeller himself meets it with as clear-cut a decision as any one could ask for.

Mr. Rockefeller says his employes may bargain with the company through small local unions which may select their own representatives and confer with those of the company. He says they may do this without fear of punishment or dismissal. But to the union, to the real union, to the strong labor organization with national scope and power, he denies both recognition and existence. Mr. Rockefeller’s decision to crush unionism and collective bargaining is not modified in the least degree by his permission to labor to organize locally. No union is a union in anything but name unless it has power to bargain with capital – with combined, highly organized capital such as the Rockefellers represent. And this power to bargain is only conceivably possible when there is a broad, non-local labor union of wide solidarity, through which men who are striking for their rights in one section can get encouragement and support from men still earning wages in another.

As Mr. Rockefeller and every great employer knows, there is an immense and increasing surplus supply of labor in the field of low-skilled industry. As they know, while this surplus exists, labor remains sunk in a position of helplessness that is not far removed from slavery. As they know, as every one knows, the wage-earner’s one hope of possessing even a minimum of economic power with which to fight for some semblance of prosperity and freedom lies in the labor union, and when the union goes that goes with it.

Under these circumstances it is hardly necessary to say that Mr. Rockefeller’s plan to crush unionism will not receive the support of labor. Under this plan, if the employe has a grievance, or finds that he is not receiving a living wage, he has no appeal, except to the benevolent will of his master. If he rebels against that  will or organizes to force a compromise, his employer informs him that he must be good or find work elsewhere. He may also take occasion to inform him that this is a free country and that the wage-earner is not a slave, but a free man-free to live and work on whatever terms his employer decides on; free to quit if he does not like these terms; free to move out with his family; free to join the enormous army of the unemployed, and free to drift about in misery and want until he can find work at any wage that will stave off hunger from his wife and child.

This is the reality, not the theory, of the Rockefeller proposal. It is a denial of democracy, and an insult even to that veneer of Christianity with which our industrial over-lords gloss over the savagery of their economic code.

In addition the plan has not the virtue of sound business basis; for, unless the workers of the United States bow to it, which is unlikely, the result will be a series of strikes that will disorganize industry and keep the country in ferment for years to come. Here is where a heavy responsibility rests on the Rockefellers and the gentlemen who stand on their side of the fence.

And this result will be the more regrettable on account of its needlessness from all points of view. For in the anthracite coal fields, where the union has received recognition (the same union, by the way, that Mr. Rockefeller is fighting in Colorado) there has been an almost complete absence of industrial discord, and, instead, a healthy co-operation between capital and labor during the last decade that has worked out in large advantage to both.

There are few intelligent persons today who do not realize that political machinery alone does not and cannot produce real democracy. Economic power is the only dominant power of the world. Without a fair division of this power between the different classes, democracy is impossible and drops to the level of a mere catch-word for political campaigns.

After all the agitation and education of the last two years; after the strikes with their bloodshed and loss in money and suffering, it is discouraging to find that capital-the great bulk of capital-has learned nothing and is thinking of nothing, except how to reinforce its power. This means that the chief fight for democracy must be made, not against the reactionary politician, who opposes progressive machinery of government, but against the industrial absolutist who dominates society by economic power.

[Photograph added.]

Below the fold our readers can find a few recent reports from The New York Times

on the Rockefeller Plan.

From The New York Times of October 4, 1915:

UNION MINERS ATTACK ROCKEFELLER PLAN
—–
Committee in Denver Declares It Insures
Domination of Situation by Company.
—–
Special to The New York Times.

Now We Will Talk by R. K. Chamberlain,
from The Masses of March 1915
““`

DENVER, Oct. 3.-A committee of the United Mine Workers of America, composed of Robert H. Hartin, Percy Tetlow and J. F. Moran, has issued a statement which practically rejects the plan for industrial peace just proposed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The statement in part says:

The proclamation fails to provide for meetings or conventions of the miners, except locally, and by so doing insures company domination of its workings. All meetings, except local mine meetings, are to be joint meetings, where the company will have equal representation, thus eliminating the danger of the collective action that might result if the men from several mines met together free from company influence.The document arbitrarily fixes living and working conditions until Jan. 1, 1918, with a provision that any increase in wages granted in competitive districts where the company does not conduct operations, a proportional increase shall be made: no doubt with the end in view of safeguarding the competitive advantage the company now has over the Wyoming and other adjacent fields where the union scale is much higher than in Colorado.

[Photograph added.]

From The New York Times of October 5, 1915:

Special to The New York Times.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4.-Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor, today gave out a statement regarding John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s, new industrial plan. In the statement he said:

So Mr. Rockefeller has formed a union-a union of his employes of his Colorado Fuel and Iron Company-and perhaps imagines that he has solved the problem of just relations between himself and his employes. But with all his wealth and all his brains and the brains that he could buy and suborn, he has missed his mark. Imagine an organization of miners formed by the richest man in the world, who employs its members!What influence can such a pseudo union have to insist upon the remedying of a grievous wrong or the attainment of a real right? And what about the representatives of the men sitting around the table with Mr. Rockefeller and his angelic representatives in Colorado, should the miners’ spokesman have the temerity of insistence in the rightful demands of the miners?

The miners employed by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, of which Mr. Rockefeller is the head, have been whipped by means of atrocious brutality and hunger into submission, back to the mines. And these miners have been formed into a union by Mr. Rockefeller’s benevolent altruism. But he has organized them, and for that at any rate labor is truly grateful, for when men come together to discuss, even in the most cursory way, their rights and their interests and their welfare, there is afforded a splendid field for development and opportunity.

—–[Photograph added.]

From The New York Times of October 13, 1915:

 

ROCKEFELLER’S TRIP HAD FEW SURPRISES
—–

Back from Colorado, He Denies Father
Made Him Big Gift of Stock.
—–
CONDITIONS AS EXPECTED
—–
Keeps Pretty Thoroughly in Touch with Mines, He Says-
Still Favors the Open-Shop Policy.
—–

 

John D. Rockefeller, Jr., returned yesterday to his home in Pocantico Hills from his three weeks of investigation of labor conditions in the mines of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, of which he is a Director.He is still for the open shop, but otherwise is in favor of unions. He denied a story to the effect that his father, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., had given to him the control of the Colorado corporation by presenting him $34,000,000 of the common stock…

The younger Mr. Rockefeller arrived on the Broadway Limited over the Pennsylvania Railroad from Chicago at 10 o’clock yesterday morning, and while he was waiting for a train in the Grand Central Terminal for Tarrytown, he was interviewed, as to his impressions of the mining conditions…

Mr. Rockefeller said he was feeling well and had enjoyed his stay among the miners…

He returns confirmed in his intention to do what he can to bring about a “republic of labor” as outlined by him before the Industrial Commission and later at the meetings of the miners in Colorado.

“I found conditions about as I expected.” said he. “You see I keep pretty thoroughly in touch with conditions in our mines.”

“What is your position now toward organized labor?” Mr. Rockefeller was asked.

“My position on that question now is the same as it has always been. I believe in organized labor,” he replied. “I believe that labor should have a voice about the affairs in which it is engaged. I am not, however, and have never been in favor of what is known as the ‘closed door.'”

…He remarked that he had discussed conditions with the miners and their leaders, and that he had talked with “Mother” Jones, but that she had not offered any remedial suggestions of value.

He declared that he could not then go into details. What plans he might have for the Colorado mines would be made public later…

Mr. Rockefeller reached his home at Pocantico Hills in time for luncheon. He sent out word that he had said all that he intended to say for the present. He rested in the afternoon, as he was tired from his railroad journey….

[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCESThe Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Oct 11, 1915
https://www.newspapers.com/…

The New York Times
(New York, New York)
-Oct 4, 1915
http://query.nytimes.com/…
-Oct 5, 1915
http://query.nytimes.com/…
-Oct 13, 1915
http://query.nytimes.com/…

IMAGES
Amos Pinchot
http://spartacus-educational.com/…
Now We Will Talk by R. K. Chamberlain,
from The Masses of March 1915
http://dlib.nyu.edu/…
Samuel Gompers, Oakland Tribune,
May 17, 1905
http://www.newspapers.com/…
John D Rockefeller Sr and Jr,
NYT Oct 3 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Ludlow Remembered, UMWJ Cover, Apr 15, 1915
http://books.google.com/…

See also:

Search: New York Times + Rockefeller Colorado
for Sept 1 – Oct 31, 1915
http://query.nytimes.com/…

The Survey, Volume 39
Survey Associates, 1918
https://books.google.com/…
From The Survey of October 6, 1917:
“Two Years of the Rockefeller Plan”
by John A. Fitch, of Survey staff.
https://books.google.com/…

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
Hazel Dickens-They’ll Never Keep Us Down

We’ve been shot, we’ve been jailed, Lord, it’s a sin
Women and children stood right by the men
We’ve got a union contract that keeps the worker free
They’ll never shoot that union out of me

They’ll never shoot that union out of me
They’ll never shoot that union out of me
Got a contract in our hand signed by the blood of honest men
They’ll never shoot that union out of me.
-Hazel Dickens

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On Saturday October 16th, the Utah Board of Pardons met as per their monthly schedule, and the result of that meeting was the termination of the reprieve granted to Fellow Worker Joe Hill on September 30th, the eve of his previously ordered execution.Accordingly, Joe Hill was brought before Judge Ritchie yesterday and resentenced to die before a firing squad on November 19th. Hill was not allowed to wear his good suit, but was dressed in a prison-issued uniform, baggy and gray, covered by a long black overcoat. Four guards surrounded him as he sat between the Deputy Warden, Andrew Ure, and his attorney, Soren X. Christensen. Seven more guards were scattered about the courtroom. FW Hill kept his eyes focused upon the floor as the judge pronounced the sentence.

As the guards came to re-shackle him at the close of the proceedings, our Rebel Songwriter arose from his seat, pointed at Judge Ritchie, snapped his fingers and stated:

I am here and I want to make a statement.

The warden asked, “Judge, do you wish to hear him?”The judge replied, “No, the case is disposed of.”

Below the fold, our readers will find further reporting from the Deseret Evening News of Salt Lake City.

From the Deseret Evening News of October 18, 1915:

 

COURT FIXES DATE
—–

Joseph Hillstrom is to Be Shot to Death on Nov. 19,
for Murder Of J. G. Morrison and Son
—–
ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS JUDGE M. L. RITCHIE
—–
Prisoner Brought into Court Under Heavy Guard-
Appears Nervous-
Is Rushed Back to State Prison.
—–

 

Joseph Hillstrom, whose reprieve was terminated by the state board of pardons Saturday, will be shot to death between sun rise and sun set Friday, Nov. 19, in expiation of the murder of J. G. Morrison. This was the date fixed this morning by Judge M. L. Ritchie, of the Third district court.Under heavy guard, Hillstrom was taken before Judge Ritchie a few minutes after 10 o’clock this morning. After the court had disposed of his case, Hillstrom caused a mild sensation in the court room by attempting to address the Judge. When Andrew Ure, deputy warden of the state prison, undertook to place the handcuffs on Hillstrom’s wrists, the condemned man raised his right hand and snapped his fingers to take the court’s attention. He had begun uttering in an indistinct tone: “I am here..” when he was silenced by Judge Ritchie. Several officers grasped the defendant by the arms and the handcuffs were applied. He was then marched out of the court room. In the corridor a deputy sheriff heard Hillstrom say, “He does not want to hear what I have to say and I don’t blame him.” Outside the court house he cursed the photographers when they took snap shots of him getting into the state prison auto.

Precautions were taken by court and prison officers to not let the exact time be known when Hillstrom would be brought into court. This was done to prevent the possibility of any unnecessary stir in connection with the resetting of the date of the execution. A number of persons had gathered in the corridor in the city and county building, however, and waited until Hillstrom was taken into the courtroom. These together with jurors who were present and employees in the building filled the spectators’ seats in the courtroom.

Hillstrom was brought into the room by Warden Arthur Pratt, Deputy Warden Ure, C. C. Smith, state parols agent, and Henry Taggart, guard, Sheriff John S Corless, John B. Burbidge, Chief Deputy C. C. Caratensen, chief criminal deputies and half a dozen other deputy sheriffs.

When Hillstrom was taken into the room, the court suspended the trial of the civil case which was in progress. Dist. Atty. E. O. Leatherwood briefly reviewed the record in the Hillstrom case, explaining that the defendant was before the court for the re-setting of the date when the sentence of death by shooting should be executed. He then asked the court to re-fix the date.

HILLSTROM IS NERVOUS.Judge Ritchie addressing the defendant and his attorney, Soren X. Christensen, asked if there was any reason why the court should not fix a date when the former judgment of the court should be executed. Atty. Christensen answered, “I know of no legal reason.”

The court then refixed the date, Hillstrom showing signs of nervousness.

The court then announced that spectators must keep their seats until the defendant had been led from the court room. Deputy Warden Ure then proceeded to handcuff Hillstrom and the defendant sought to address the court after his case had been disposed of. Officers were compelled to exercise some force in leading Hillstrom from the court room. He was immediately taken back to the state prison by Warden Pratt, Deputy Ure and Parole Agent Smith, Sheriff Corless and Deputy Burbidge followed Hillstrom to the state prison in another automobile.

DENIED CLEMENCY.In session at the state prison Saturday afternoon the state board of pardons again declined to grant clemency to Joseph Hillstrom, condemned to die for the murder of J. G. Morrison, who together with his little son, J. Arlin Morrison was shot down Jan. 10, 1914, by highwaymen who entered the Morrison Grocery store, Eighth South and West Temple streets. This means that Hillstrom will be shot to death in expiation of the crime of which he stands convicted.

The board of pardons adopted a formal resolution terminating the reprieve and denying the application for commutation of sentence when it became evident that no one could make any further showing why the condemned man should not pay the penalty provided by law.

Hillstrom declined to appear before the board of pardons. He merely sent word through his attorney, Soren X. Christensen, that he had nothing new or additional to tell the board. A telegram was received from W. A. F. Ekengren, Swedish minister to the United States, asking that Hillstrom’s sentence be commuted, but this failed to advance any good and sufficient reason why clemency should be extended.

EKENGREN’S TELEGRAM.Minister Ekengren expressed the belief that the evidence on which Hillstrom was convicted was insufficient to warrant the penalty of death.

The minister’s telegram follows:

    Washington, D. C., October 15, 1915.
His Excellency, the governor of Utah,
Salt Lake City, Utah:Through your courtesy of granting a postponement of the execution of Joseph Hillstrom, sentenced by the courts of your state to be executed for murder in the first degree, I have had the opportunity to carefully study not only the opinion of the supreme court but also the stenographic records of the proceedings before the lower court, together with other available documents in the case, and through the information thus obtained I have only been further confirmed in my opinion that the evidence against the convicted man does not warrant a capital punishment. I am well aware that from a technical point of view a new trial is out of the question as the matter now stands, but considering the  weakness of the evidence, which, at best, is only circumstantial, I herewith venture not only on my own, but on my government’s behalf to address a most earnest appeal to you, Mr. Governor, and through you to the entire board of pardons, with a view to obtain a commutation of sentence for my unfortunate countryman, if for no other reason at least for the sake of humanity and comity usually practiced between friendly nations.

W. A. F. EKENGREN,
Swedish Minister.

When the board of pardons granted the reprieve it was on the personal request of President Woodrow Wilson, who had been prevailed upon to intervene by the Swedish government. In answering the president’s request Gov. William Spry made it known that the reprieve was granted upon the personal request of the president only and the governor inferred that the chief executive of the nation had been informed of facts of which the members of the board of pardons knew nothing. The governor demanded that Mr. Ekengren come to Utah and investigate the case personally preliminary to the board’s meeting of last Saturday.The minister not only failed to come to Utah, but he likewise failed to advance any information of which the board was not apprised. For this reason the board again denied commutation of sentence and ended the reprieve.

ADOPT RESOLUTION.Following is the formal resolution adopted by the board:

In the matter of the application of Joseph Hillstrom for commutation of the sentence of death to life imprisonment:Whereas, In the above matter, upon request of the president of the United States, a respite of the sentence of execution was granted by the governor, with the advice and approval of the board of pardons, until Oct. 16, 1915, to afford W. A. F. Ekengren, minister from Sweden, opportunity to inquire into the case and ascertain whether the applicant, Joseph Hillstrom, was given a fair and impartial trial, and to afford the said minister and others an opportunity to present any matter of fact or thing, new or additional, in the case; and,

Whereas, At the public hearing held by the board of pardons Oct. 16, 1915, an opportunity was extended to anyone interested to present any new or additional facts bearing whatsoever upon the application: and,

Whereas, The privilege was extended to the applicant, who was represented at such hearing by his counsel, Soren X. Christensen, to appear before the board and to make any statement or explanation desired to be made by him, the said applicant; and,

Whereas, The said minister from Sweden has neither presented nor attempted to show that the applicant did not have a fair or impartial trial and has failed to present, or even attempt to present, anything whatever to support of the application for commutation of sentence, nor did the applicant or his said attorney offer or, attempt to offer anything whatsoever in support of such application, but, to the contrary, the said attorney representing the applicant stated that the applicant had nothing further to present.

Now, therefore, on motion duly made and seconded, it was ordered that the said respite be terminated and the said application for commutation be denied, which accordingly was done, and in this all the members of the board concurred.

ATTORNEY’S STATEMENT.

Atty. Christensen was the only person to appear before the board in behalf of Hillstrom. He made the following statement:

I am before you, gentlemen, on the same ground. I have made my fight for the life of Hillstrom and I have nothing to add or detract. Hillstrom has refused and still refuses to tell me his story of how he was wounded on the night of the Morrison murders and is still of the opinion that it is nobody’s business but his own. He told me that he has nothing further to say to the board and for that reason he is not before you today.

Gov. Spry asked Atty. Christensen if he had any proof that Hillstrom is a Swedish subject. The attorney admitted that he had nothing but the word of the defendant. Members of the board took exception to the statement in the minister’s telegram that he, (Ekengren) had read the transcript of evidence. E. O. Leatherwood, district attorney, said that there were but two copies of the transcript in existence and that one was locked in his office and other on file in the district court.Gov. Spry made a statement that he, assisted by Justice Straup, had ferreted out and investigated to the utmost every bit of possible evidence that had reached his office in the thousands of letters written in connection with the case. He said that they had been unable to find one tangible fact throwing any additional light on the case.

LOOKS INTO RECORD.Judge J. E. Frick commented that the board had obtained facts as to Hillstrom’s record, which are reliable and concrete, but that these facts had nothing to do with the Morrison murder and would not be used or considered by the board in deciding this case.

An Associated Press dispatch from Los Angeles this morning says that Hillstrom is said by Los Angeles police to have been arrested under the name of Joe Hill at San Pedro harbor June 6, 1913, on suspicion of robbery. The dispatch says the police records show that “Joe Hill,” which is the name under which he was originally arrested in this city, was taken into custody on suspicion of being implicated in the robbery of a street car. He was released because of insufficient evidence.

—–[Photographs added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCESThe Man Who Never Died: The Life, Times,
and Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon
-by William M. Adler
Bloomsbury Publishing USA, Aug 30, 2011
https://books.google.com/…
Note: in my opinion, best book yet written
about Joe Hill and the case of Utah v Hillstrom.
A review by our own Richard Myers (RIP):
http://www.dailykos.com/…

Deseret Evening News
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-Oct 18, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

IMAGES
Joe Hill from arrest record, Salt Lake County Jail,
ab Jan 14, 1914
http://local.sltrib.com/…
Joe Hill, Salt Lake Tribune, Sept 19, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…
His Excellency, W. A. F. Ekengren
Swedish Minister to the United States
http://books.google.com/…
Soren X Christensen, 1866-1931
http://www.findagrave.com/…
The Man Who Never Died, Adler, cover
http://www.goodreads.com/…

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From Joe Hill to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn October 14, 1915:

                                                                                                 Utah State Prison,
Oct. 14-15
To Elizabeth Gurley Flynn     Rec’d the photo of little Buster and all I had to do was to take one glance at it and immediately knew the reason why you felt so homesick when you made your trip to the Pacific coast. You certainly have a right to be proud of your boy, he’s got a forehead like old Shakespeare himself.

Yours for the O.B.U.
Joe Hill

P.S. I made “A trip to Honolulu” the other day and set it to music. It’s a March and what’s more “It’s a Bear.” Am sending you same through E.R.

Tune for Bronco Buster Flynn by Joe Hill

SOURCE
The Letters of Joe Hill
-ed by Philip S Foner
Oak Publications, 1965
https://books.google.com/…IMAGE
Bronco Buster Flynn by Joe Hill
http://joehill100.com/…
(see link)

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On October 16th, the day that the Utah Board of Pardons met to once again decide the fate of Fellow Worker Joe Hill, Salt Lake City and area newspapers saw fit to publish lurid details of the supposed criminal record of Joe Hill. Hill was identified by an officer from Layton, Utah, as the man who was held for six weeks in May of 1911 in Davis County on suspicion of the murder of a deputy sheriff in that town.The list of supposed crimes goes on to include taking part in the “I. W. W. invasion of Mexico” from Southern California. This “invasion” also took place in May of 1911. It seems that fellow worker Joe Hill has the remarkable ability to be in two places at one time.

The officer from Layton admitted his mistaken identification the following day, after the reprieve of the death sentence of Joe Hill had been terminated.

The source for other details of Joe Hill’s “alleged record” is an unidentified prisoner who is serving time for robbery. The Salt Lake Telegram reported that that prisoner had been promised a pardon in return for information regarding FW Hill. The prisoner claims to be a former member of the Industrial Workers of the World and an accomplice to some of the crimes reported.

Regarding the coincidental timing of the release of this information on the very day of the meeting of the Pardon Board, Mrs. Virginia Snow Stephen stated:

Why is the board not satisfied with what it already has? It seems to me that the governor and the board of pardons are not entirely satisfied in their minds of this mans guilt.

Below the fold, our readers can find an example of the reporting on Joe Hill’s “alleged record” along with other recent articles of interest regarding FW Hill.

From The Ogden Standard of October 16, 1915:

HILLSTROM SHOT A MAN AT LAYTON, MAY 4, 1911

“Tierra y Libertad” flag flies over Tijuana in May of 1911.
““`

Salt Lake, Oct. 16.-Hillstrom’s alleged record as uncovered by state officials:Arrest at Layton May 1, 1911, and held for six weeks under suspicion of having shot Deputy Sheriff William Lavender while attempting to rob a store.

Arrested at San Pedro, Cal., on a charge of holding up a street car; held for several months on a lesser charge.

Arrested In Butte and held for several months.

Participated in the I. W. W. invasion of Mexico from Southern California, with the rank of lieutenant in the army of invasion.

Helped transport dynamite from San Francisco to Los Angeles and San Diego in connection with dynamite, outrages.

Thought to have been connected with the McNamaras.

When Joseph Hillstrom, convicted murderer of John G. Morrison and Arling Morrison, appears today before tho state board of pardons, he will be confronted with evidence pointing to a long criminal record, leading from Layton, Utah, to the Mexican border and even across it.

One of the most surprising features in connection with the record of the murderer is the fact that he has now been positively identified as a man held in jail at Layton for six weeks on suspicion that he was the criminal who shot an officer while robbing a hardware store at that city.

In addition to this fact the state officials believe they have conclusive evidence that Hillstrom was in jail on several occasions in Butte, Los Angeles and San Diego, and there are [in]dications pointing to his connection with the McNamara plot which resulted in the dynamiting of the Los Angeles Times building and other California buildings.

Hillstrom has never once since his first arrest given any information as to his past record [Not true: see Joe Hill’s statement to Utah Board of Pardon wherein he stated that the only time he served in jail, prior to coming to Utah, was in San Pedro where he was sentenced to 30 days for vagrancy]. He has declined to tell the board of pardons, prison officials or his attorneys anything concerning his life, save that he was born in Sweden and was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Identified by Officer.Hillstrom was identified yesterday by Deputy Sheriff David S. Warren of Clearfield as the suspect who was arrested at Layton and held for six weeks in connection with the shooting of William Lavender a deputy sheriff at Layton, May 4, 1911.

Lavender was shot by robbers, who were attempting to blow the safe of the Layton Hardware company. Warren declares Hillstrom, under the name of James Corbett, was arrested three hours after the shooting, and for six weeks was held in the Davis county jail. He was finally released for lack of evidence. Warren said last night that he and other Davis county officers were convinced that they had the right man, but were unable to prove it.

[Photograph added.]

From Goodwin’s Weekly of October 9, 1915:

Note: Although the name, Industrial Workers of the World, is not mentioned in the following article, the implication is clear that that organization and Fellow Worker Joe Hill are the “Human Fungus” so named therein.

This article is fairly typical of recurring editorials on I. W. W. “agitation” which have appeared in the newspapers of Salt Lake City since Joe Hill’s arrest in January of 1914.

Human Fungus

THIS case of the wretch Hillstrom is really a notice served upon the people and the peace officers of this whole country to keep in mind that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” and the call to every man who loves order and believes in law, to be on the alert. When arrested, the first letter Hillstrom wrote was to that Haywood who was tried for wholesale murders in Idaho, who was necessarily cleared because the evidence against him was the unsupported testimony of a self-confessed assassin, but who at the same time was convicted in the thought of every man familiar with what had been going on for years in Colorado and which culminated in the assassination of Governor Steuenberg of Idaho.Haywood was quiet for a year or two after his neck escaped the noose in Idaho and then commenced to preach anarchy. Why he is permitted to continue that work is a mystery. It would be entirely legal to arrest him on a charge of conspiracy to anarchise the United States, make our country as much worse than Mexico as our people are stronger of brain and determination than Mexicans, and easy to convict him. Were he and a few others like him silenced or sent to the rock pile, it would have a soothing effect upon the whole band of slimy and skulking blatherskites who, stealing the holy name of honest labor for a text, preach contempt for righteous laws and hurl anathemas at needed order.

This case of Hillstrom accentuates the need of our people to put forth more exertions to throttle this menace that is hanging over our land and converting weak-minded men and women to the belief that they are entitled to comforts that they never earned, and to the belief that a government which permits some men who are rich to retain their wealth while so many are poor, is unjust.

Our state of Utah should move in this matter. There are several of these miscreants in this city. If the police cannot be made to act, the sheriff should be on the alert and when one of these creatures starts a harangue against order and law, call him down; when a band of them halt before a business house to intimidate decent people from entering, disperse them; if in private they preach their treason, haul them up and make them show why they should not be punished as vagrants.

They, like wolves at night, make such a noise as to carry the idea that the woods are full of them, but a little sunlight of justice shining down upon them would show them but as a few-vagrant coyotes that who, when left to themselves can fill the night with howls, but skulk shambling away under the light of the dawn.

It is a shame that such creatures should be permitted to vitiate weak brains and make decent people apprehensive of possible coming trouble.

[Photograph added.]

From the Chicago Day Book of October 14, 1915:

 

CHAIN GANG UTAH’S ANSWER TO RADICALS
WHO FLOCK TO SAVE POET “JOE HILL”

 

Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 14.- While the Swedish government is lending itself to a movement to save Joseph Hillstrom from the firing squad in Utah, the itinerant class, many of them members of the Industrial Workers of the World, is flocking to Salt Lake City. It, also, is bent on saving the life of Joseph Hillstrom, and it is that class that first came to Hillstrom’s aid, starting a movement which was brought directly to the attention of the president of the United States.Hillstrom is now breathing the breath of that movement. Through the efforts of the I. W. W. the Swedish minister was interested. That interest led to the state department and national cognizance of a state execution. President Wilson, 24 hours before the time set for the execution, requested a respite. By that request, Hillstrom’s life was prolonged at least 16 days.

On Oct 16 the Utah board of pardons will again consider the case of Joseph Hillstrom, convicted of murder. If no new evidence is produced by the friends or attorneys of Hillstrom, he will again be taken into court to hear the death sentence read. A new date will be set.The condemned man is known to the I. W. W, forces as Joe Hill. Under that name he wrote many songs, parodies on popular airs, sung at I. W. W. meetings. He served 30 days in jail for his part in the I. W. W. riots in San Diego. He participated in the railroad strike at Soldier Summit, Utah, three years ago, when 1,200 men were led from their work by the I. W. W.’s.

That activity, friends of Hillstrom believe, brought him the anger of capitalists, and his conviction on a murder charge.

When the I. W. W. threats were made police met incoming trains and ordered suspected arrivals to keep going. The city was kept comparatively free of radicals. Those who persisted in remaining in town were arrested on charges of vagrancy. They were given long terms on the chain gang, constructing a new boulevard overlooking the city.

—–

From the Appeal to Reason of October 16, 1915:

Appeal Position On Hill CaseThe following letter sent by the editor of the Appeal to Heber Ruffell, Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 2, 1915, is the position of this paper on the Hill case:

The APPEAL presumes that Joe Hill like other persons in similar circumstances is innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The officials of Utah, including the governor, regard Hill as guilty unless he can prove that he is innocent. The very fact that the governor asks him to produce evidence that he is innocent shows that the governor entertains a doubt as to Hill’s guilt. Were he convinced hat Hill was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt he would never have offered to pardon him on the submission of further proof. Still the APPEAL is not claiming that Hill is absolutely innocent-it is claiming that Hill deserves a new trial because of the methods that were used to convict him. The fact that Hill’s past so far as anybody knows was along humanitarian rather than criminal lines makes us naturally more sympathetic toward him and anxious that he be given a fair trial.Aside from our opposition to capital punishment under any circumstances we believe that the state of Utah has not the right to take Joe Hill’s life unless it has demonstrated beyond any doubt that he was in fact the murderer of the person he has been accused of killing.

—–[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES

The Man Who Never Died: The Life, Times,
and Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon
-by William M. Adler
Bloomsbury Publishing USA, Aug 30, 2011
https://books.google.com/…
Note: in my opinion, best book yet written
about Joe Hill and the case of Utah v Hillstrom.
A review by our own Richard Myers (RIP):
http://www.dailykos.com/…

The Ogden Standard
(Ogden, Utah)
-Oct 16, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

Goodwin’s Weekly
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
(Also source for image of text on Goodwins.)
-Oct 9, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for photos within article.)
-Oct 14, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

Appeal to Reason
(Girard, Kansas)
-Oct 16, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Virginia Snow Stephen
http://historytogo.utah.gov/…
Flag, Tierra y Libertad, Tijuana, May 1911
pdf! https://www.sandiegohistory.org/…
The IWW is coming
http://libcom.org/…
Joe Hill, International Socialist Review, Aug 1915
https://books.google.com/…
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Information from Archie Green via Gibbs Smith:

The Industrial Worker of March 6, 1913 announced that the new edition of the I. W. W. songbook (Little Red Songbook) would include eleven new songs. That edition of the songbook was designated as the Fifth Edition on the front cover. Nine of the eleven new songs were by Joe Hill, including “Mr. Block” on page 18.

Mr. Block – Utah Phillips

MR. BLOCK
By Joe Hill
(Air: “It Looks To Me Like a Big Time Tonight”)

Please give me your attention, I’ll introduce to you
A man that is a credit to “Our Red White and Blue,”
His head is made of lumber, and solid as a rock;
He is a common worker and his name is Mr. Block.
And Block he thinks he may
Be President some day.

CHORUS:
Oh Mr. Block, you were born by mistake,
You take the cake, you make me ache.
Tie a rock on your block and then jump in the lake,
Kindly do that for Liberty’s sake.

Yes, Mr. Block is lucky; he found a job, by gee!
The sharks got seven dollars, for job and fare and fee.
They shipped him to a desert and dumped him with his truck,
But when he tried to find his job, he sure was out of luck,
He shouted, “That’s too raw,
I’ll fix them with the law.”

Block hiked back to the city, but wasn’t doing well.
He said “I’ll join the union — the great A. F. of L.”
He got a job next morning, got fired in the night,
He said, “I’ll see Sam Gompers and he’ll fix that foreman right.”
Sam Gompers said, “You see,
You’ve got our sympathy.”

Election day he shouted, “A Socialist for Mayor!”
The “comrade” got elected, he happy was for fair,
But after the election he got an awful shock,
A great big socialistic Bull did rap him on the block.
And Comrade Block did sob,
“I helped him to his job.”

The money kings in Cuba blew up the gunboat Maine,
But Block got awful angry and blamed it all on Spain.
He went right in the battle and there he lost his leg.
And now he’s peddling shoestrings and is walking on a peg.
He shouts, “Remember Maine,
Hurrah! To hell with Spain!”

Poor Block he died one evening, I’m very glad to state,
He climbed the golden ladder up to the pearly gate.
He said, “Oh Mister Peter, one word I’d like to tell,
I’d like to meet the Astorbilts and John D Rockefell.”
Old Pete said, “Is that so?
You’ll meet them down below.”

Mother Jones arrived in Chicago on Saturday to lend her aid to the striking garment workers in their struggle for a living wage and shorter hours. She was found on Tuesday testifying before Ald. Utpatel’s special council committee where she made the following statement:

If I were mayor…I’d find a way to close down the factories of the men who won’t pay living wages.I do know from these girls that they get only 8 cents an hour, and that don’t even pay car fare. If they hire gunmen to beat up these girls, who are the mothers of the future, then I say to them we’ll have to defend ourselves. We wouldn’t be good Americans if we didn’t. I say, “Go to it. We’ll fight.”

I’ve prevented violence again and again. I’ve gone into saloons to tell the men to go on home, but violence is necessary sometimes.

If they’d give the salaries of the military and the gunmen to the workers they might avoid a strike. We don’t want any of their miserable charity; what we want is just plain American Justice.

From the Decatur Daily Review of October 17, 1915:

“MOTHER” JONES
CHICAGO STRIKERS
—–
Noted Labor Advocate to
Help Garment Workers.
—–

Chicago, Oct. 16.-“Mother” Jones, noted labor advocate, was expected to arrive in Chicago tonight to assume charge of the campaign on behalf of the 15,000 or more garment workers, who have been on strike for three weeks, demanding more pay and recognition of the union. She was to address a half score of midnight cabarets Sunday night in the interests of the strike fund.The Aldermanic committee which has been investigating the strike and its cause and solution today announced that they had failed in their efforts to persuade the manufacturers to discuss arbitration.

There were a number of arrests today and several small riots, but no one was seriously hurt.

—–[Photograph added.]

From the Chicago Daily Tribune of October 20, 1915:

 

GARMENT GIRLS TELL ALDERMEN
OF MEAGER PAY
—–

Some Workers Show Envelopes to Prove
They Get 7 to 8 Cents and Hour.
—–

The pay envelopes which some of the striking clothing workers received were introduced in evidence before Ald. Utpatel’s special council committee yesterday to prove that in certain cases girls receive from 7 to 8 cents an hour for their work. Sidney Hillman, leader of the strikers, produced 150 of the envelopes issued at the East Chicago shop of Rosenwald & Weil.

[He said:]This evidence cannot be controverted…on these envelopes is printed the number of hours worked and the pay received. The envelopes are made up by the time keeper for the company. They are not from one department or for one kind of work, but for many sorts of work. This pay was not given for work by the day but indicates the actual per hour scale in force the year round.

Girl Insulted by Foreman.One of the girls from the Rosenwald & Weil shop, Mandy Spilen of 1203 One Hundred and Forty-ninth street, testified she had been improperly approached by a foreman of the shop. Her testimony was given in answer to Ald. Utpatel’s question regarding the moral effect of low wages.

[She testified:]He tried to make dates with the girls for himself and his friends in Chicago.

Her testimony was borne out by Kate Gozder, a worker in the same shop, who said she was obliged to pay 5 cents a week for drinking water. In the busy season, she said, her wages were $8 a week; in slack time, $3. She worked from 6 a. m. to 7 p. m. in the busy season, she said, though she was not permitted to punch the clock till 7:30 a. m.

Mother Jones Protests.

Mother Jones was another witness. She protested against a growing militarism directed against working men. She admitted having come to Chicago so recently as Saturday, and consequently, she said, she had no ground for discussing the present situation.

[She said:]If I were mayor…I’d find a way to close down the factories of the men who won’t pay living wages.

I do know from these girls that they get only 8 cents an hour, and that don’t even pay car fare. If they hire gunmen to beat up these girls, who are the mothers of the future, then I say to them we’ll have to defend ourselves. We wouldn’t be good Americans if we didn’t. I say, “Go to it. We’ll fight.”

I’ve prevented violence again and again. I’ve gone into saloons to tell the men to go on home, but violence is necessary sometimes.

If they’d give the salaries of the military and the gunmen to the workers they might avoid a strike. We don’t want any of their miserable charity; what we want is just plain American Justice.

No representatives of the employers attended the hearing.The strike situation also occupied the attention of the committee on schools, fire, police, and civil service. Reports submitted by Ald. Buck and Ald. Kennedy pointed out that an undefined hatreds exists between police and strikers as the result of traditional mismanagement of strikes by the police department. Neither report was adopted by the committee, despite protests from Ald. McCormick, Buck, and Kennedy, on the ground that the committee could only consider the report of a proposed subcommittee which had never been appointed.

—–[Photographs added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCESThe Daily Review
(Decatur, Illinois)
-Oct 17, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

Chicago Daily Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Oct 20, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Chicago Garment Workers Strike,
Parade on Oct 12, ISR of Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Mother Jones, Boston Glob, Jan 30, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Chicago Garment Workers Strike,
proof of starvation wages, ISR, Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
We Shall Fight Until We Win, ISR,
Nov 1915, Chicago ACW Strike
https://books.google.com/…
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, emblem
https://books.google.com/…

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I Am A Union Woman-Deborah Holland

I am a Union Woman
As brave as I can be.
I do not like the bosses
And the bosses don’t like me.
Aunt Molly Jackson

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Today’s Chicago Daily Tribune is reporting that Mother Jones took some time out from her mission of support for the Great Garment Strike in this city in order to accompany a group of young boys to a protest meeting before Judge Olson.

BOYS’ ‘MAYOR’ PROTESTS TO
OLSON ON FINGERPRINTS.
—–
Calls on Judge, Hears Latter’s View,
and Decides It’s All Right-
“Mother” Jones Along.
—–A dozen boys filed gravely into the chambers of Chief Justice Olson of the Municipal court yesterday and lined up in front of the judge’s desk. Just behind them stood “Mother” Jones, who beamed through her spectacles and explained that she had come along to lend her moral support.

“We are from the Boys’ Brotherhood Republic,” said one sturdy youngster, “I’m Ralph Goodman, mayor, and we want to protest against this plan of yours to put the finger print system in the Boys’ court. We don’t believe a rogues’ gallery for boys is the proper thing.”

“I’m with you there,” returned Judge Olson, “but we are not establishing any rogues’ gallery. You boys have the wrong idea. We simply want to protect society from the vicious boy and the subnormal boy from himself. You ought not to be afraid to leave your finger prints anywhere, I’m not.”

“Maybe that’s right, huh?” observed Mayor Goodman, turning to his followers. They assented, agreed to help Judge Olson establish the proposed farm colony for vicious and subnormal boys, and departed well content.

—–

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
Chicago Daily Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Oct 22, 1915
https://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGE
Mother Jones, Boston Globe,
Jan 30, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

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On the Whereabouts of Mother Jones before Coming to ChicagoWhere was Mother before arriving in Chicago on Saturday October 16th? This is a question I have attempted to answer with limited success. My best guess is that she came either from New York City or from Washington, D. C.

On October 1, 1915, she was in Washington D. C. according to
the Chicago Day Book:

http://www.newspapers.com/…On October 8th, the President of the United Mine Workers mailed a letter to her at Washington.

                                                                                                       Kansas City, Mo.,
Coates House,
October 8 1915.
Mother Jones,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mother Jones:
I am in receipt of your favor of the 4th inst., containing money order for $37.45 from Warren Ohio meeting. I am forwarding it to Secretary Green’s office with the necessary instructions.
I will give the matter referred to in your letter my thoughtful consideration. I have a committee in Colorado now dealing with the internal matters that have been so annoying to us for some time.
I see by press reports that Lawson has been given his liberty. I suppose this means that he will not be tried again.
In my judgment, it would be unwise for you to go to Cumberland, B.C. at this time, as things generally throughout Canada are in bad shape and I do not believe you could do much to help the situation there just now.
With best wishes, I am
Yours very truly,
John P. White
President.

She often stopped over in Washington where Terence V. Powderly and his wife kept a room for her

in their home in Washington D. C. in WDC.

On October 10th the New York Times has her in New York City working with the local Socialists:
http://www.newspapers.com/…While in Chicago, it appears that she stayed at the Morrison Hotel, for that is where William B. Wilson sent the following reply to her regarding a request for the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate the garment workers’ strike:

                                                                                                    October 19, 1915
Mother Jones
Morrison Hotel
Chicago, Illinois
Do not deem it wise for the Department of Labor to investigate garment makers’ strike at the same time that the City Council committee is making investigation. We have representatives of the Department quietly watching the situation in order that we may keep in touch with the developments.
W. B. Wilson

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Correspondence of Mother Jones
-ed by Edward M. Steel
University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
https://books.google.com/…

IMAGES
John P White, UMWA
http://en.wikipedia.org/…_(unionist)
William B Wilson, UMWA,
Secretary of Labor
http://www.blossburg.org/

See also:

Mother Jones Invades Canada in June 1914
http://www.dailykos.com/…
http://www.dailykos.com/…

From the Vanguard of October 1915:
“Vancouver Island Strike Story” by George Pettigrew
https://www.marxists.org/…

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Mother Jones, Suffrage, Feminism, & the Struggles of Working Class Women

The following comment was left at yesterdays Hellraisers:

And women could not vote yetBut Mother Jones may have had controversial views on the suffragette movement.

She was right when she said; “you don’t need a vote to raise hell.”  But voting was key.

[emphasis added]

A paragraph from the linked article states:

“Only in auxiliary statues? !!!

Yet, despite her radicalism, Mother Jones was no feminist.   She did not support the suffrage movement, arguing that “you don’t need a vote to raise hell.”  Though she was correct when she pointed out that the women of Colorado had the vote and failed to use it to prevent the appalling conditions that led to labor violence, this should not have negated women’s inherent right to a voice in government from one who had also frequently quoted the Declaration of Independence.  Indeed, Mother Jones even argued that suffragists were naïve women who unwittingly acted as duplicitous agents of class warfare; she wrote in 1925 (after national suffrage had been achieved) that “the plutocrats have organized their women.  They keep them busy with suffrage and prohibition and charity.”More significantly, Mother Jones organized working class women only in auxiliary statues and adamantly maintained that—except when the union called—a woman’s place was in the home.  Her ideals reflected her Catholic heritage, for she believed that working men should be paid well enough so that women could devote themselves exclusively to motherhood.  It is not surprising, therefore, that Mother Jones was conspicuously absent from the leadership of the great strikes that involved large numbers of women, for example, the 1909 Garment Industry Strike and the Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912.

[Photograph added.]

Some of my thoughts on those two paragraphs:

“Only in auxiliary statues” ? !!! Tell that to Big Annie Clemenc or the women at Ludlow!
The disrespect shown by that one word, “ONLY,” to these courages working class women belies the class prejudice of the writer of these paragraphs!And to pull out two strikes where Mother was not active as proof that she did not care about working class women, is so ridiculous that no rebuttal should be necessary. The writer seems never to have heard of the Chicago Garment Workers Strike of 1915 or other such strikes of women workers where mother came to lend her voice to the cause.

In 1909, Mother was fighting for the cause of Mexican Revolutionaries imprisoned in the U. S.

In 1912, she was, at great risk to herself, organizing for the Western Federation of Miners in Montana and for the United Mine Workers of America. She was beloved by the wives, sisters, and daughters of the miners wherever she went as she rallied them to stand up and fight beside their men.

As to women’s participation in the workplace-to retroactively apply modern values to the women of 100 years ago is simply ridiculous in the extreme. And furthermore, Mother Jones never said that women belonged exclusively at home raising children. She worked with other professional women organizers and journalist such Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (a working mother), Mary Heaton Vorse (another working mother), Emma F Langdon, etc.

But the reality for the vast majority of working class women was that the jobs available to them were miserable jobs at low pay, that they still had their housework waiting for them when they came home exhausted, that most of them preferred not to be forced by economic pressure into these miserable jobs, and that they would not be so forced into these miserable jobs if the husband and father made enough to support the family.

Then again, perhaps she was thinking of the husband and four little children that she lost, all within one month’s time. Perhaps she would have loved nothing more than the job of caring for them had they not perished of yellow fever.

And yes, she was a strong Catholic. Unions, then and now, were/are open to people of all different faiths who have many different views on family life. Within the labor movement there should be nothing surprising about that.

My response to the comment:

Yes I do disagree with Mother on the subject of women’s suffrage.But to discuss her remarks apart from the context in which they were made is to miss a large part of the point that she was making.

She had come to New York fresh from the field of death and destruction in Colorado and when she went to talk to a group of upper class women, all that these upper class women wanted to talk to her about was Women’s Suffrage.

Voting certainly was not key to the women and children of the Southern Colorado Coalfields.

The women already had the vote in Colorado, women were high up in the Democratic Party of Colorado. And what did it get them? They were massacred by the state militia under the control of Governor Ammons, Democrat of Colorado. Then their husbands, brothers and sons were persecuted under the rule of Governor Carlson, Republican of Colorado.

Under both Democrats and Republicans, the very good labor laws of Colorado were simply ignored by the coal operators for which the coal operators were not prosecuted, neither by the Republicans nor by Democrats.

Most of the strikers demands were already state law in Colorado, but unenforced. Had those laws simply been enforced, there would never have been a strike in the first place.

But rather than insisting that the coal operators follow the law and prosecuting and jailing those who refused to do so, Governor Ammons, Democrat of Colorado, had hundreds of striking miners rounded up and thrown into filthy jails by a militia that had become infested with company gunthugs.

Under the circumstances, to say that “voting was key” is an extremely simplistic analysis which ignores the realities that existed for the miners and their families in Southern Colorado Coalfields at the time that Mother made those statements.

The miners had for years, through their labor organizations, lobbied for justice. They had voted in elections for candidates they thot would support them, only to be betrayed by both parties. Is it any wonder then that Mother Jones was less than enthusiastic about voting as a means of remedy for inhumane conditions under which the miners, their wives and their children actually lived.

The upper class women of New York showed little interest in what Mother actually came to talk about, and instead, hounded her on the subject of suffrage. Considering where she came from and what she had witness of the lives of the miners’ wives and children, is it any wonder that she lashed out at these women who were unwilling to even attempt to view the subject through the eyes of the miners and their families from the blood-soaked ground of Southern Colorado?

See also:
http://www.dailykos.com/…

To sum up:

Why should we care whether or not Mother Jones identified as a feminist 100 years ago? Feminism then and now, does not mean the same thing to all women. To the millionaire women feminism might look like one thing, to the working class women something else. The millionaire woman might be concerned with the “glass ceiling,” while the working class woman might want the right to wear a hard hat and operate heavy equipment, and break down the doors blocking her entry into a construction union.

As to a working class woman’s place- it was the view of Mother Jones that working class women belonged on the front lines of the the class struggle right beside their men:

No matter what your fight don’t be ladylike! God Almighty made women and the Rockefeller gang of thieves made the ladies.

One’s On The Way – The Muppets & Loretta Lynn

The girls in New York City they all march for women’s lib
And Better Homes and Gardens shows the modern way to live
And the pill may change the world tomorrow but meanwhile today
Here in Topeka the flies are a buzzin’
The dog is a barkin’ and the floor needs a scrubbin’
One needs a spankin’ and one needs a huggin’
Lord, one’s on the way
-Shel Silverstein

Bonus Song:

Coal Miners Daughter – Loretta Lynn

Well, I was born a coal miner’s daughter,
In a cabin, on a hill in Butcher Holler,
We were poor, but we had love,
That’s the one thing my daddy made sure of,
He shoveled coal to make a poor man’s dollar.
-Lorretta Lynn

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From “The Cry for Justice,” edited by Upton Sinclair:

Introduction by Jack London

Jack London

THIS anthology, I take it, is the first edition, the first gathering together of the body of the literature and art of the humanist thinkers of the world. As well done as it has been done, it will be better done in the future. There will be much adding, there will be a little subtracting, in the succeeding editions that are bound to come. The result will be a monument of the ages, and there will be none fairer.Since reading of the Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud has enabled countless devout and earnest right-seeking souls to be stirred and uplifted to higher and finer planes of thought and action, then the reading of this humanist Holy Book cannot fail similarly to serve the needs of groping, yearning humans who seek to discern truth and justice amid the dazzle and murk of the thought-chaos of the present-day world.

No person, no matter how soft and secluded his own life has been, can read this Holy Book and not be aware that the world is filled with a vast mass of unfairness, cruelty, and suffering. He will find that it has been observed, during all the ages, by the thinkers, the seers, the poets, and the philosophers.

And such person will learn, possibly, that this fair world so brutally unfair, is not decreed by the will of God nor by any iron law of Nature. He will learn that the world can be fashioned a fair world indeed by the humans who inhabit it, by the very simple, and yet most difficult process of coming to an understanding of the world. Understanding, after all, is merely sympathy in its fine correct sense. And such sympathy, in its genuineness, makes toward unselfishness. Unselfishness inevitably connotes service. And service is the solution of the entire vexatious problem of man.

He, who by understanding becomes converted to the gospel of service, will serve truth to confute liars and make of them truth-tellers; will serve kindness so that brutality will perish; will serve beauty to the erasement of all that is not beautiful. And he who is strong will serve the weak that they may become strong. He will devote his strength, not to the debasement and defilement of his weaker fellows, but to the making of opportunity for them to make themselves into men rather than into slaves and beasts.

One has but to read the names of the men and women whose words burn in these pages, and to recall that by far more than average intelligence have they won to their place in the world’s eye and in the world’s brain long after the dust of them has vanished, to realize that due credence must be placed in their report of the world herein recorded. They were not tyrants and wastrels, hypocrites and liars, brewers and gamblers, market-riggers and stock-brokers. They were givers and servers, and seers and humanists. They were unselfish. They conceived of life, not in terms of profit, but of service.

Life tore at them with its heart-break. They could not escape the hurt of it by selfish refuge in the gluttonies of brain and body. They saw, and steeled themselves to see, clear-eyed and unafraid. Nor were they afflicted by some strange myopia. They all saw the same thing. They are all agreed upon what they saw. The totality of their evidence proves this with unswerving consistency. They have brought the report, these commissioners of humanity. It is here in these pages. It is a true report.

But not merely have they reported the human ills. They have proposed the remedy. And their remedy is of no part of all the jangling sects. It has nothing to do with the complicated metaphysical processes by which one may win to other worlds and imagined gains beyond the sky. It is a remedy for this world, since worlds must be taken one at a time. And yet, that not even the jangling sects should receive hurt by the making fairer of this world for this own world’s sake, it is well, for all future worlds of them that need future worlds, that their splendor be not tarnished by the vileness and ugliness of this world.

It is so simple a remedy, merely service. Not one ignoble thought or act is demanded of any one of all men and women in the world to make fair the world. The call is for nobility of thinking, nobility of doing. The call is for service, and, such is the wholesomeness of it, he who serves all, best serves himself.

Times change, and men’s minds with them. Down the past, civilizations have exposited themselves in terms of power, of world-power or of other-world power. No civilization has yet exposited itself in terms of love-of-man. The humanists have no quarrel with the previous civilizations. They were necessary in the development of man. But their purpose is fulfilled, and they may well pass, leaving man to build the new and higher civilization that will exposit itself in terms of love and service and brotherhood.

To see gathered here together this great body of human beauty and fineness and nobleness is to realize what glorious humans have already existed, do exist, and will continue increasingly to exist until all the world beautiful be made over in their image. We know how gods are made. Comes now the time to make a world.

HONOLULU, March 6, 1915.

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCES

The Northwest Worker
(Everett, Washington)
-Oct 21, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…

The Cry for Justice:
An Anthology of the Literature of Social Protest
-ed by Upton Sinclair
Sinclair, 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Introduction by Jack London
https://books.google.com/…

IMAGES
Ad, Cry For Justice, Upton Sinclair, Jack London,
Northwest Worker of Oct 21, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
The Cry for Justice, article,
Northwest Worker, Oct 21, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Jack London 1902
http://jacklondonfdn.org/…

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From page 707 of The Cry for Justice, on “The Preacher and the Slave” by J. Hill:

(A sample of many parodies upon Christian hymns which are published by the Industrial Workers of the World, and sung by the migratory workers of the Far West in their camping-places, known as “jungles.” While this selection and the one following can hardly be classed as literature, they have their interest as social documents. It was Napoleon who said that if he could write a country’s songs, he would not care who wrote its laws.)

Sung by Utah Phillips

From the Salt Lake City Deseret Evening News
of October 20, 1915:

Denial that Joseph Hillstrom has a criminal record is made in a letter addressed to the state board of pardons by O. N. Hilton, of Denver, one of Hillstrom’s attorneys. Hilton makes an offer in his letter to publicly discuss the facts at any time in any city of the United States with any member of the board of pardons

Judge Orrin N Hilton stated in part:

I make this request to afford an opportunity to refute, as I feel I can, among other things, the false, wicked and cowardly aspersion on his character-that Hillstrom has heretofore committed any crime or that he has now, or ever has had, any criminal record-now for the first time so bravely urged as a sufficient justification for taking his life.This matter, as you all must realize, is one now of national, if not international importance, and has excited in tense interest from New York to San Francisco; and I would be, as the attorney for this condemned man, of meaner stuff than men are made of if I did not, in the brief time of life now allotted him, challenge you and each of you to the proofs!

The full article from the News

along with further reports on the case of Fellow Worker Joe Hill can be found below the fold.

From the Deseret Evening News of October 20, 1915:

 

HILTON WRITES PARDON BOARD
—–

Denver Attorney Wants to be Heard Again
in Behalf of Joseph Hillstrom
—–
NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN
—–
Gov. Spry and Justice Frick Decline to Discuss
Action of Hillstrom Counsel.
—–

Denial that Joseph Hillstrom has a criminal record is made in a letter addressed to the state board of pardons by O. N. Hilton, of Denver, one of Hillstrom’s attorneys. Hilton makes an offer in his letter to publicly discuss the facts at any time in any city of the United States with any member of the board of pardons.Judges of the supreme court have made no statement on the matter but attention is called to the fact that at the meeting of the board of pardons last Saturday Justice J. E. Frick announced that some facts had been found out regarding Hillstrom’s past, “but that they had no bearing on this case and, therefore, would not be considered by the board.”

TEXT OF LETTER.Hilton’s letter which follows, infers that clemency was denied Hillstrom because of an alleged record of crime.

In his letter Attorney Hilton says:

To the Board of Pardons of the State of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah:Gentlemen-Assuming that your reasons for denying clemency to Joseph Hillstrom are correctly set forth in the public press this morning, and for the purpose of showing that they are not founded on either the law or facts in the case, but are intended to and do delude and deceive the public, I respectfully make the offer to publicly discuss the facts at any time in any city in the United States with any member of your board, or all of them; such discussion to be before the date assigned for his execution.

I make this request to afford an opportunity to refute, as I feel I can, among other things, the false, wicked and cowardly aspersion on his character-that Hillstrom has heretofore committed any crime or that he has now, or ever has had, any criminal record-now for the first time so bravely urged as a sufficient justification for taking his life.

This matter, as you all must realize, is one now of national, if not international importance, and has excited in tense interest from New York to San Francisco; and I would be, as the attorney for this condemned man, of meaner stuff than men are made of if I did not, in the brief time of life now allotted him, challenge you and each of you to the proofs!

I am only anxious and determined that if Hillstrom is judicially murdered, the people of this country-the great jury to whom we must all go at last-shall fully understand just where rests the full measure of responsibility for the deep damnation of his taking off.

Any communication will reach me addressed to this city.
Very respectfully,
O. N.  HILTON.
Denver, Colo., Oct. 17, 1915

DECLINE TO COMMENT.Gov. William Spry this morning read Judge Hilton’s communication, and he said that he had no statement whatever to make concerning it. Chief Justice D. N. Straup, of the supreme court, and other members of the board of pardons said likewise.

Warden Arthur Pratt, of the state prison, received a copy of Hilton’s communication this morning. He immediately turned it over to the board of pardons and conferred with members of that body on the matter.

A number of letters pleading and demanding clemency for Hillstrom were received at the governor’s office today. None of them contained threats, however.

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Ogden Standard of October 20, 1915:

HILLSTROM IS TO BE EXECUTED
President Woodrow Wilson Declines to Act
in the Utah Case.
—–Washington, Oct. 20.-President Wilson today advised W. A. F. Ekengren, Swedish minister here, that he could do nothing further for Joseph Hillstrom, a Swedish citizen under sentence of death in Utah for murder.

—–

From the Salt Lake Tribune of October 24, 1915:

 

SHERIFF IS PROBING ATTEMPTS AT ARSON
—–

Officer Believes Gerry Concern Is Responsible
for Hillstrom Furore.
—–
PAGET IS APPROACHED
—–
Manager of Newhouse Hotel Offered “Protection”
for “Marked” House.
—–

John S Corless

Further investigations of the mysterious fires in the Newhouse hotel the night of September 23, supposedly of incendiary origin, were begun by Sheriff John S. Corless and his deputies yesterday.The sheriff returned to the Newhouse episode as a result of disclosures made in probing the activities of H. F. Gerry and his so-called Intermountain Protective service, whom and which the sheriff believes may be responsible for some of the furore raised in the Hillstrom case.

He learned yesterday that Gerry had sought to induce Manager F. W. Paget of the Newhouse to accept his offer of protection against the machinations of the I. W. W. Paget informed the sheriff that Gerry had told him all about the supposed plans of the I. W. W. to destroy the hotel and had claimed to have an inside knowledge of all the methods of the organization.

Telegram of Inquiry.

It is alleged that Gerry declared he had positive knowledge that the hoatelry was marked for destruction. His knowledge was gained, he said, from Joe Downer, an I. W. W. orator now in the city.

The Newhouse fires occurred on a Thursday night. On the following Sunday, the sheriff has learned, a telegram came to the manager of the Western Union Telegraph company here, signed K. E. Dodge, Paterson, N. J., and asking whether the attempt to burn the hotel had been repeated the previous Saturday night. The message roused the suspicions of the telegraph official and he turned it over to the sheriff.

Results May Startle.

A wire from the sheriff to Paterson inquiring as to Dodge brought the following response:

We find K E. Dodge a lawyer of repute in this city. He expected friends to arrive in Salt Lake yesterday and wanted to find out if reported attempts to burn the hotel were true.
JOHN BRIMSON,
Chief of Police.

The sheriff learned further that Arthur Giovinitti [Arturo Giovannitti] and Joe Etta [Joe Ettor], the notorious I. W. W. leaders whom Gerry claimed to have arrested at the time of the strike at Lawrence, Mass., are now [?! they were acquitted of murder in November of 1912] in jail in Paterson, N. J.These coincidences and others which the sheriff declines to divulge for the present have opened up an avenue of investigation that may have startling results, it is declared.

[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCESDeseret Evening News
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-Oct 20, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

The Ogden Standard
(Ogden, Utah)
-Oct 20, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

Salt Lake Tribune
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
-Oct 24, 1915
http://newspaperarchive.com/…

IMAGES
Joe Hill, Day Book, Oct 14, 1915,
“latest picture”
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Orrin N Hilton
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/…
Woodrow Wilson, 28th President
http://en.wikipedia.org/…
John S Corless,
Elected Sheriff Salt Lake County in 1914
https://books.google.com/…
IWW Membership Card
http://www.iww.org/…

A few notes:

On October 21st, according to that day’s issue of the Bernardsville (NJ) News, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Joe Ettor were in Haledon, near Paterson, advocating for I. W. W. organizing efforts among the Paterson silk workers, but I find no evidence that either were arrested for their activities at that time:
http://www.newspapers.com/…

By October of 1915, Giovannitti had turned his attention to writing poetry. Arrows in the Gale was published in 1914:
http://www.dailykos.com/…
https://archive.org/…

Concerning the threats supposedly made by members of the I. W. W., Hilton believed that Utah authorities were writing the threatening letters themselves or hiring others to write them:
https://books.google.com/…

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
Information from Archie Green via Gibbs Smith:

The Industrial Worker of March 6, 1913 announced that the new edition of the I. W. W. songbook (Little Red Songbook) would include eleven new songs. That edition of the songbook was designated as the Fifth Edition on the front cover. Nine of the eleven new songs were by Joe Hill, including “Stung Right” on page 23.

Stung Right – W.R. Draper

STUNG RIGHT
By Joe Hill
(Air: “Sunlight, Sunlight”)

When I was hiking ’round the town to find a job one day,
I saw a sign that thousand men were wanted right away,
To take a trip around the world in Uncle Sammy’s fleet,
I signed my name a dozen times upon a great big sheet.

CHORUS:
I was stung right, stung right, S-T-U-N-G,
Stung right, stung right, E. Z. Mark, that’s me
When my term is over, and again I’m free,
There’ll be no more trips around the world for me.

The man he said, “The U. S. Fleet, that is no place for slaves,
The only thing you have to do is stand and watch the waves.”
But in the morning, five o’clock, they woke me from my snooze,
To scrub the deck and polish brass, and shine the captain’s shoes.

One day a dude in uniform to me commenced to shout,
I simply plugged him in the jaw, and knocked him down and out;
They slammed me right in irons then and said, “You are a case.”
On bread and water then I lived for twenty-seven days.

One day the captain said, “Today I’ll show you something nice,
All hands line up, we’ll go ashore and have some exercise.”
He made us run for seven miles as fast as we could run,
And with a packing on our back that weighed a half a ton.

Some time ago when Uncle Sam he had a war with Spain,
And many of the boys in blue were in the battle slain,
Not all were killed by bullets, though; no, not by any means,
The biggest part that were killed by Armour’s Pork and Beans.

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

WOMAN CRAVES DEATH AS RESULT OF LOW WAGES
PAID BY MERCHANT PRINCESBY JANE WHITAKER

The antidote to dispair.
““`

“There’ll be pie in the sky bye and bye,” sang Hillstrom, the I. W. W. poet who will be shot to death in Utah in the near future, and in the past two weeks I have been thinking of that satire a great deal more than I have thought of other things, as on each visiting night I have called on a woman who is recovering from an operation at one of the leading hospitals, where she is in a charity bed.Less than two years ago I met her shortly after she had lost her husband and adopted baby by death, one within a very short time of the other. She was saddened but she wasn’t hopeless. Still fairly young, with a nature that craved happiness and demanded of life that it should give her what she craved, she faced the future firm in the belief that though she was frail and not very strong as a result of several operations, she was going to find a rising sun some day instead of the sun that had gone down.

Rarely in the interval I heard of her again. She left the city to visit her husband’s people for quite a while; later she had come back and started a rooming house; later, finding this would not more than pay her rent and still left her without a living, she gave that up and tried to hold positions-jobs, she called them. Then I was told she was in the hospital to be operated on, and so I went to visit her.

It was on Saturday night two weeks ago. She was to be operated on early Tuesday morning. She was pleased to see me, but while I babbled the usual things we say when we do not know just what to say, she remained silent, looking at me with her large brown eyes very sober.

Then she did a curious thing. From her purse that hung by the side of the little white table she extracted some sheets of paper.

“Here is my obituary, Jane Whitaker,” she said. “I’m not coming back.”

I smiled at her because I thought it merely nervous depression. “The operation isn’t such a serious one,” I assured her. “You’ll wake up to find the same old sun shining down, honey, you won’t need to be afraid.”

“Afraid?” Her brown eyes were afire. “Afraid? I’m not afraid to die, but I’m not going to keep on living. I tell you I won’t. I must be finished. There isn’t anything for me to live for.”

“You’re a little hysterical,” I said.

She laughed it wasn’t a bitter laugh, but it was hopeless.

Know what I did before I came here? Not much different from what I’ve been doing right along, but I went to work in one of the big department stores-Siegel-Cooper’s-up in the grocery department. They paid me $3 a week and I was supposed to get 4 cents on the dollar on what I sold. I was at a center counter. I sold oranges at 22 and 29 cents a dozen; lemons at 1 cent each; apples 4 lbs. for 10 cents. I worked from 8:15 to 6:10, with from 25 to 45 minutes for lunch, according to how busy I was at the lunch time, and I worked one week. For the one week I received, including my commission, $4.57.

She was silent a while and I was silent, too. Then she resumed:

Jane Whitaker, you write a lot about how little women are paid, but you don’t get down to the thing behind it the fact that a woman gets where she’d rather be dead than alive and keep it up. I don’t want to live! When I came here to be examined and they told me it meant another operation I said: “This is a piece of luck; I’ll be better off here. They take me in charity and I won’t have any expense while I’m here, and if I’m lucky enough to die I won’t have to worry any more about anything.

She lived. She hasn’t been discharged from the hospital yet, but I told her I was going to write the story.

[She said:]Please don’t use my name..They told me I could come back again at Siegel-Cooper’s and that is better than nothing since I’m still here.

She smiled wanly.

If I had died I wouldn’t have had to think about earning $4.57 in 6 days, would I?” she asked. “Dying seems rather good when you’re tired. You know you’ll get a rest and you won’t have to worry about living and eating and paying your room rent. It’s a rest, anyway, isn’t it?

I didn’t repeat to her the words Hillstrom has written in such biting satire, but I thought of them for perhaps the fiftieth time:

There’ll be pie in the sky bye and bye.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

Below the fold, our readers can find a few recent reports from The Day Book

on the Great Chicago Garment Workers’ Strike.

From The Day Book of October 25, 1915:

Big features of garment strike today:Chairman Utpatel, council mediation committee, goes to Mayor Thompson, saying all city protection should be taken away from garment millionaires till they arbitrate.

Facts of sluggings by private police laid before mayor, but he says he’s got to “take it under advisement.”

Buck anti-slugger ordinance will win when voted on a week from tonight, say aldermen.

Sidney Hillman, president garment workers’ union, says forces in better shape today than any time since strike started.

Three newspapers, Herald, Tribune and Post, have all rebuked manufacturers and said there ought to be arbitration. Hearst’s Examiner only one playing manufacturers’ game.

Judge LaBuy says he exercised “discretionary power” when he wouldn’t give strikers jury trial. Doesn’t answer charge of Att’y Cohen that he was “biased and prejudiced.”

Hundreds of strikers along with Chicago Political Equality league women sell National News, money to go to strike fund.

Manufacturers fined before Judge Flannigan for breaking child labor and 10-hour laws.

“Million dollar fortunes of Kuppenheimers, Rosenwalds and others have been made out of the sweat and blood of these women and girls who have been coming before our committee the past week, and the next step for us will be to show the people of Chicago what an enormous amount of bloody dollars have been made out of the people like those on strike,” declared Ald. Henry Utpatel, as he went into Mayor Thompson’s office at noon today.

Ten women from the Women’s Political Equality league, headed by Mrs. Margaret Dobyns, walked in on Mayor Thompson this noon and demanded, in the name of humanity that he do something toward bringing arbitration in the garment workers’ strike or else, take all of Chicago’s police protection away from the clothing bosses.

“There is something wrong with the strikers attitude,” replied Thompson, “or the chief of police would not need to detail four hundred officers on the strike. When their attitude changes, then I may be able to do something.”

Then Alderman Utpatel walked in while Thompson and the ten women were still standing in the mayor’s office.

“Do you know, Mayor Thompson,” he said, “that the mayor of New York did during a recent garment strike, just what we are asking you to do and that the result was arbitration and a final settlement?”

Mayor Thompson dismissed the meeting with “I will try and do something.”

As Jimmy Simpson, vice president Marshall Field & Co., rode past his store corner at State and Washington this noon, women called to him, “Paper, mister.”. The women were Ellen Gates Starr of Hull house and Mrs. J. Paul Welling. They were selling National News strike edition. On other corners around the loop were these Chicago Political Equality league women: Mrs. L. E. Gordon, Mrs. Charles Negley, Mrs. G. Washington Hall, Mrs. Julius Loeb, Mrs. E. D. Loewenthal, Mrs. McMahon.

Wm. M. Muchnick, manager of the U. S. Woolen Mills, 538 S. Clark st, was fined $5 and costs each on two charges brought against him by Oscar Nelson, factory inspector. The company had violated the child labor law and failed to keep a proper time record. Other cases are being tried before Judge Flannigan.

From The Day Book of October 25, 1915:

NOTHIN’ DOOIN’ ON THE FREE SPEECH STUFF-8 ARRESTED

Streets are public property.This is supposed to be a free country.

All of which has to do with Mandel Bros, and Holden ct.

Believing that city police would not dare interfere with the constitution of the United States which grants free speech to all American people, 2,000 Chicagoans gathered in Holden ct Sunday night to listen to a series of political economy addresses. But Mandel Bros, claim Holden ct, over which they have built their department store, is a private driveway.

Marshall Field’s, Carson-Pirie-Scott and Stevens probably agree with Mandel Bros., for  they have all built their stores over what was a public street open to the free use of all the people, and now claim the street as private property. They use Holden ct as a private loading yard for delivery wagons and won’t even let a wagon drive in it unless, the wagon is on their business.

Forty speakers were on the job. Soon the police appeared. There were not many police and there was no trouble. The police simply disagreed with the right of the people to be there and the audience did not argue. In a few minutes the courts was cleared.

On a street that not even the department stores claim is private property eight speakers again tried to tell their message. They were arrested. They are: L. W. Hardy, 1645 Belmont av.; Geo. Koop, 4023 N. Leamington av.; Jos. Frank Hallatt, 21 N. Morgan; Redwood Bailey, 809 N. State; Morris Becker, 807 S. State; Michael Walsh, 122 N. Sheldon; Chas. Kruse, 809 S. State.

[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 25, 1915:

STRIKERS ON THE JOB SELLING PAPER FOR THEIR BENEFIT

The only free copy of the National News was handed to Mayor Thompson by a group of striking garment workers who awaited him outside of his office for two hours this morning. The mayor thanked them. The girls went downstairs to sell copies of the paper in the corridors of the city hall and county building.Twenty-five thousand copies of the paper have been printed for the garment workers to sell. The money collected will be turned in to the strike fund.

The girls were on the job early this morning in the loops to sell the paper. The majority of them were at their corners at 6 o’clock. Union leaders expect to sell the entire edition.

Bevies of clubwomen were also on the job, led by Mrs. Medill McCormick, Mrs. James Morrison, Miss Ellen Starr, Miss Grace Abbott, Miss Nettie Richardson and Miss S. P. Breckinridge.

Yesterday Miss Starr of Hull house told the current events class of Evanston at the Congregational church of the garment workers’ strike.

If anything is done by the police you never hear of it, but let a striker do something and you are informed by every newspaper,” she said. “Several society women and myself called upon the mayor twice by appointment and were refused an interview. But Martin Isaacs, president of the Manufacturers’ ass’n, had no trouble in seeing the mayor and the chief of police.

[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 25, 1915:

JUDGE LABUY DISCUSSES HIS STAND IN STRIKERS’ CASE

“I used my discretion as I had the power and right in law to do.” This is Judge LaBuy’s explanation of his action in Maxwell police station last Friday when he refused demand of 6 arrested strikers for a jury trial and ordered the case set for a future hearing.”But when it comes up again you will have to grant transfer the case for a jury trial, will you not?” the judge was asked today.

“That is true,” he replied, “but my course will expedite the process of law and will save trouble.”

“Did you know that a letter condemning your action has been written to Chief Justice Olson by the attorneys of the strikers?” he was asked.

“Yes,” he said, “but I have jurisdiction in the court where I sit. I do not believe anyone conversant with law will deny the right of my action and I know that no one has a right to dictate what I shall do in my own court”

[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 26, 1915:

ATTY FOR STRIKERS WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT TRIALS

How far can a judge go in putting off jury trial? Judge LaBuy’s action in strike cases has raised the question now. Lawyers are going to ask Chief Justice Olson of municipal courts what can be done.Judge LaBuy not only refused to enter order for jury trial, but, according to Benjamin E. Cohen, attorney for six strikers, shut off the garment workers’ lawyer by saying: “You have said enough; hereafter shut up; I know what I am doing.” Cohen’s letter to Chief Justice Olson reads:

                                                                                             October 23, 1915
Sir: On Oct 21, 1915, the cases of Samuel Silverman, Sam Simon, Charlie Myer, Beckie Friedman, Abe Levin and L. Levey appeared on the call at the Maxwell street station before his honor, Judge LaBuy. In the above matters Mr. William A. Cunnea, my associate, represents the defendants, all of whom were arrested the day before for alleged disorder in connection with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ strike, charges of disorderly conduct, commonly known as 2012, having been placed against them.When said cases were called I demanded jury trials on behalf of the defendants and asked that the cases be transferred for jury trial. Instead of entering such an order Judge Joseph LaBuy proceeded to hear the testimony of two police officers and then, from the bench, announced: “I overrule your motion for jury trial at this time; the city is not ready in the above cases; the cases are continued for trial before me on Nov. 2; I will see that peace is preserved in the Maxwell street district.”

When I again reminded him that no jury waivers had been signed and that the defendants still insisted upon their rights to trial by jury, I was politely but firmly informed by the court: “You have said enough; here after shut up; I know what I am doing.”

While I realize that the Hon. Joseph LaBuy is supreme in his conduct of the court in the Maxwell street station I think a suggestion from you, as chief justice, that the ordinary rules of court should be complied with, and that statements from the bench indicating a bias and prejudice against a certain class of defendants be eliminated, will tend to keep peace in the Maxwell street district far better than the statements from the bench above quoted.
Very respectfully yours. (Signed)
Benj. E. Cohen.

[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for image of headline.)
-Oct 25, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
-Oct 26, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Chicago Garment Workers Strike,
Parade on Oct 12, ISR of Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Chicago Garment Strikers attacked by police
on horses (X2), ISR, Nov 1915
https://books.google.com/…
We Shall Fight Until We Win,
ISR, Nov 1915, Chicago ACW Strike
https://books.google.com/…
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America,
emblem:
https://books.google.com/…

See also-
For more on National News,
published in Chicago by Carl E Person:
https://books.google.com/…
https://books.google.com/…

For more on Carl E Person:
http://www.dailykos.com/…

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
I Hate the Capitalist System-Barbara Dane

I hate the company bosses,
I’ll tell you the reason why:
They cause me so much suffering
And my dearest friends to die.
-Sarah Ogan Gunning

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`

Samuel Kapper
““`

STRIKER IS DEAD-
TWO ARE INJURED-GUN FIGHTStaccato barks of a gun; the surge of a mob that excitement creates; a pool of blood in a sink in the sidewalk; a man lying face in pool, dead. The first murder of the garment workers’ strike was done last night.

Sam’l Kapper, 35, 2147 Crystal pi., deaf and dumb striking tailor, was killed. Three were wounded: Sam’l Siegel, 23, 1115 S. Loomis st., shot below right ear; Wm. Whelen, 49, 2124 W. Harrison st., innocent bystander, bullet in breast; unidentified man.

With a smoking gun in his hand, Tony Panichi, strikebreaker. Scotch Woolen Mills, was arrested. He admitted firing one shot. Many witnesses say they saw or heard him fire at least five shots.

Panichi and his wife, with perhaps two others, were walking on Halsted near Harrison. Trouble started. Witnesses say Panichi’s wife handed him a gun and he began shooting. Panichi’s wife told police she did hand husband a gun.

First Deputy Schuettler is trying to alibi the police department by blaming, first, city council for ruling against hired sluggers, and then the strikers, whom he intimates are liars.

Schuettler is so confident of the untruthfulness of testimony presented to the council committee which investigated the strike that he has ordered his department to visit garment factories and homes of strikebreakers in an endeavor to rake up some testimony of strikebreakers being mistreated by strikers.

Schuettler issued this general order:

To commanding officers: You will canvass each garment factory and ascertain the employes who have been assaulted; also those who have been threatened. You will verify same by calling at homes of persons alleged to have been assaulted.

Schuettler, wants this dope quick. The order calls for a complete report by 9 a. m. tomorrow. It is believed he wants to get stories of strikebreakers being beaten in order to offset the gigantic list of brutalities the police have committed upon frail bodies of women strikers. The council investigating committee did not find a single instance of a strikebreaker having been molested by strikers.While Schuettler was at Desplaines station Sidney Hillman, president of striking garment workers, came into the room. “If you don’t get out in a hurry I will kick you out,” Schuettler shouted at him.

The police department is paid by the city. An impression has gained that police think they are paid by and beholden to employers.

—–[Photograph added.]

Further reporting from The Day Book

can be found below the fold.

From The Day Book of October 27, 1915:

UTPATEL BLAMES POLICEThe police are responsible for strike murder last night. If Schuettler had enforced the council order to put all private police and sluggers off the job there probably wouldn’t have been killing. I saw conditions around garment shops last night which ought not to be allowed. I am going to see Mayor Thompson today and urge him to take the same action by which Mayor Mitchell of New York settled garment strike. Get bosses and strikers together some way. [-Ald. Henry Utpatel].

Why were there no policemen at the corner of Halsted and Harrison streets last night at 7 o’clock? Why have police, mounted and foot, been ON this corner night and day for three weeks since the garment strike started?And why was every uniformed cop in the district OFF the job just when the murder of a striker, took place? And were there any plain clothes men, special police or known sluggers in the mob that swirled around the one man killed and three wounded by revolver, shots?

These are questions aldermen of the council police committee want answered. They are going to ask these questions of Herman Schuettler, acting police chief, when he obeys  summons to appear before the committee Saturday morning.

There were many stories today at city hall and strike headquarters explaining the killing of Kapper, a striker, by a strikebreaker. The stories ran like this:

The police had it fixed. There was a frame. But it didn’t work. Somebody fell down on the job. They were going to kill a scab and not a striker. That would help the police make a cry that all, the violence comes from the strikers. It would help Acting Chief Schuettler back up his call for more extra police to be made before city council next Monday night.

With the killing of Kapper last night the record of police and strikebreakers for gunplay goes higher. Three strikers now have been shot. Two are in hospital nursing holes torn in their legs and shoulders by the lead slugs from police revolvers.

Sidney Hillman, President
Amalgamated Clothing Workers
““`

[Said Pres. Sidney Hillman of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers today:]The strikebreakers are not only armed but are accompanied by sluggers also armed..In the riot of last night there was not a single shot fired from the strikers, nor have any weapons been discovered on any of our strikers since the strike began. Two strikers have been in hospital the last two weeks, shot by sluggers while on picket duty.

Schuettler’s statement to newspapers that the Kapper murder “is the result of the intervention of the city council into the strike situation” is taken by aldermen as a political play to back up Schuettler’s call for more police. If the Herald got Schuettler’s words straight he lays blame for the killing on the council police committee saying:

The fatal riot was partly due to the council committee’s action. They put witnesses on the stand to tell how policemen beat them up and mistreated them, but did not allow policemen to tell their side of the story or any persons who were beaten up by strikers to tell what happened to them.

Ald. John C. Kennedy says he will go through to a finish on these statements of Schuettler.

[Said Kennedy:]If the acting chief is correctly quoted I would say his statements are those of a police official using his job in the interests of the millionaire clothing manufacturers..Not only are these statements false. They are stupid and they are treacherous to the best interests of peace and safety on the streets of Chicago. If the acting chief made those statements we want to know why. The police committee aldermen I have talked with seem to feel the same way about it. We have summoned Schuettler to appear Saturday and answer.

Aid. Buck was shown the Kennedy comment on Schuettler and said:

Well, those are about my sentiments.

Mayor Thompson said to newspaper men today:

I am sorry to see Chicago’s record for industrial peace spoiled. I am going to call Acting Chief Schuettler to my office this afternoon and go over the situation with him. It appears to me that aldermen have taken it upon themselves to run this strike situation. They have used public hearings in an attempt to discredit my police force. I think Schuettler was right in his statements made to the morning papers. To take away private police from garment shops might encourage violence.

Only police officials close to Schuettler were able today to reach Tony Panichi, the strikebreaker known to have fired at least one shot at Kapper. Whether he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, whether he wore a start [star?], all information on whether or not he might be a stool pigeon, was kept dark by Schuettler.

—–STATE’S ATT’Y’S OFFICE MAY PROBE KAPPER KILLING

Possibilities of an investigation by the state’s att’y’s office into the killing of Sam Kapper were seen today in the assigning of Ass’t State’s Att’y Case to the Kapper inquest this afternoon.Case was detailed by State’s Att’y Hoyne to be in on the doings before Coroner Hoffman.

Police are looking for Sam and Joseph Panichi, who, it is believed, fired some shots. They are brothers of Tony. The story runs that these two were behind Sam Kapper when he approached Green street, on Harrison, and were handy with their guns when trouble started.

Sam, it is claimed, is the man who went into a saloon to have his arm bandaged after being shot. Neither of the two men could be reached at home or at work today. Cap’t McWeeny claimed that the two men had offered to give themselves up today. They are still out, however.

Pres. Sidney Hillman said this morning that he was going to take the whole shooting affair up with State’s Att’y Hoyne, as he could get no satisfaction from the police.

Eight men and three women were arrested at Jackson blvd. and Peoria today for “loitering.”‘

—–NO MORE PARADES?

Will Acting Police Chief Schuettler put the ban on any more garment workers’ parades? He so indicated this morning when he told Sydney Hillman, head of the garment forces, that he would not allow any more gatherings of the garment workers on the streets.

[Said Schuettler:]The speakers have got to curb their lingo..Peaceful picketing can go on, but nothing doing on the gatherings.

The acting chief laid blame for the Harrison street shooting affair on speeches made by Hillman and others and to strikers’ gatherings.Schuettlers’ little spiel was an attempted ball-out of Hillman

—–[Photographs added.]

From The Day Book of October 27, 1915:

WHY WAS THAT STRIKER SHOT TO DEATH?-
IT’S ONE ACT OF BIG WAGE BATTLE

Why was that man killed at Halsted and Harrison last night? Why was this blood spilled in a red blotch over the sidewalk? Why is Sam Kapper dead on a slab out in the Cook county morgue today-Sam Kapper, a deaf and dumb tailor, 35 years old who never in his life wanted anything much more than a chance to earn a living as a clothes maker?There is a war on Chicago. On one side are the Kuppenheimers, Rosenwald’s and Lindenthals, a group of manufacturers with 16 millionaires and multi-millionaires among them. These big garment manufacturers own and run the men’s clothes industry of Chicago and the total output of their factories last year was over $140,000,000. These millionaires live in big rambling mansions out in Lake Forest and on the South Shore. They have servants, motor cars and steam yachts to play with, and for their women jewels, silks, and everything that money can buy. They are fixed and fastened in what are called the luxuries of life.

On the other side in this war are 20,000 workers, 60 per cent women and girls. Thousands of these people live in the rottenest slums on the West Side of Chicago, large families crowded into small rooms. The death rate from consumption among the grown-ups is high. And among their babies the death rate is seven times as high as among babies in the districts where the Kuppenheimers’ and the Rosenwalds’ houses are. The bodies of these people are kindling wood fed to the pressing fire of slum life. That they feed on husks is one of the platitudes of health department charts and statistics.

Now for over three weeks they have been out of the shops where they worked. They are on strike to get a raise in wages and to get recognition for a union by which they can challenge shop tyrannies exercised by foremen and superintendents appointed by the Kuppenheimers, Rosenwalds, et al.

Those on strike are members of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and their demands are:

1. Standardization of wages and earnings, increases running from 7 to 25 per cent.

2. All overtime to be paid for as time and one-half.

3. A week’s work shall be 48 hours, divided into 8 3/4 hours each week day except Saturday, which shall be 4 1/2 hours, ending at noon.

4. In slack season work to be given out as equally as possible among all workers.

5. No employe to work on legal holiday and no deduction from pay of week workers for such holidays.

6. Recognition of the union with collective bargaining established and maintained in the industry.

7. No employe shall be discharged without cause and all fining systems shall be abolished as well as blacklisting and sub-contracting.

8. Grievance committees shall have the open door to the bosses’ office.

“We won’t arbitrate,” has been the bosses’ answer from last summer until now. They have two unions. One is the National Wholesale Tailors’ ass’n, mail order. The other is the Wholesale Clothiers’ ass’n, ready-to-wear. The two control three-fifths of the clothing industry of Chicago. Of wholesale clothiers these are the big ones and their approximate number of workers:

Alfred, Decker & Cohn, 416 S. Franklin st, 2,000; Hirsch, Wickwire Co., 345 S. Franklin st, 1,500; Kuh, Nathan & Fischer, 330 S. Franklin st, 1,500; B. Kuppenheimer & Co., 423 S. Franklin st, 2,500; Rosenwald & Weil, 500 S, Franklin st., 1,000; Strouss, Eisendrath & Co., 300 S. Franklin st., 1,000; Leopold, Solomon & Eisendrath, 519 South Franklin, 1,000.

These are the ready-to-wear houses:

The Royal Tailors, 5th av. and Polk st., 1,200; M. Born & Co., 540 S. 5th av., 800; Edward E. Strauss & Co., 400 S. Market st., 800; Lamm & Co., 886 W. Jackson blvd., 1,500, International Tailoring Co., 212 S. Market st., 1,000; Continental Tailoring Co., 700 W. Jackson blvd., 1,000; Edward Rose & Co., 628 W. Jackson blvd., 800; Fred Kauffman, 564 W. Monroe st; Majestic Tailors, 509 S. Franklin st., 300; J. L. Taylor & Co., 535 S. Franklin st.

[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
(Also source for image of headline.)
-Oct 27, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…IMAGES
Samuel Kapper, Martyr of
Chicago Garment Workers Strike of 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Sidney Hillman
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/…
Picket Signs X2, ISR,
Nov 1915, Chicago ACW Strike
https://books.google.com/…
Garment Workers Make Strike,
Chicago Daily Tribune, Sept 29, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, emblem
https://books.google.com/…

See also:

From Harpers Weekly of Dec 11, 1915
“The Chicago Clothing Strike” by Edith Wyatt
https://books.google.com/…

Chicago City Council, 1915-16
https://books.google.com/…

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
Dortn iz mayn rue plats – Aquabella

Nit zukh mikh vu di feygl zingen.
Gefinst mikh dortn nit, mayn shats.
A shklaf bin ikh vu keytn klingen,
Dortn iz mayn rue plats.
-Morris Rosenfeld

English translation:
Don’t look for me where birds sing.
You will not find me there, my beloved.
I am a slave where chains ring,
There is my resting place.

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Samuel Kapper
“““““

THOUSANDS MARCH BEHIND
KAPPER FUNERALFive thousand garment workers marched from the synagogue at Division and Lincoln av. today behind the body of Samuel Kapper, striker, who was murdered on Halsted st. Monday. The marchers disbanded at Madison st. Burial of Kapper was made in Forest Home cemetery.

It was planned to continue the march to the Cubs’ ball park and hold a mass meeting there, but the park could not be secured. The big vacant lot outside the ball park was available, but Sidney Hillman refused to allow his strikers to meet there, fearing police and hired sluggers would instigate trouble in order to turn public sympathy against the strikers.

Hillman arose from a sick bed to participate in the march.

—–[Photograph added.]

Below the fold, our readers can find further reporting on the Great Chicago Garment Workers Strike.

From The Day Book of October 28, 1915:

IS THE WHOLE AFFAIR A CASE HALF SIZES?A lot of good hard cash is going into the newspaper offices for Kuppenheimer clothes ads. A half-page ad in the Tribune and Herald is signed:

The House of Kuppenheimer, Chicago.
(Originators of Half–Sizes in Men’s Clothing.)

That’s where the kick comes from the men and women on strike at Kuppenheimer’s. The Kuppenheimers want half-size men and half-size women to make half-size clothing.From the testimony before the Utpatel committee of Grace Gross, a striker, who was a finisher in a Kuppenheimer shop, is this:

I go to work at 6 o’clock in the morning, but do not punch the time clock until 7:30 o’clock. We are told to do that by the forelady. I work until 5:45 o’clock in the evening.

Which led Ald. W. J. Healy to say it looked as though the Kuppenheimers were breaking the 10-hour law.

From the Chicago Daily Tribune of October 14, 1915:

From The Day Book of October 28, 1915:

THE POLICE SQUINT-EYE– Has the Chicago police department got a bad case of squint-eye? Shall the police look on and laugh when hired sluggers of the clothing manufacturers beat up strikers? How long will this city allow sluggers, prizefighters, to carry guns and wear stars as special policemen authorized by permits from the city of Chicago?”It is obvious that order must be maintained, that the law must be enforced,” says the Tribune. Sure. Then why don’t Schuettler order policemen to arrest sluggers beating strikers?

“Violence is intolerable, whether it be that of the striker or the strikebreaker,” again says the Tribune. That isn’t the big kick. Here’s the wrong:

The city police force under Schuettler and Mayor Thompson is one-sided in viewpoint and action. It is not neutral. It is not midway. The only complaints against it are from strikers. The employers, the Illinois Manufacturers’ ass’n, the Association of Commerce, and the Kuppenheimers, Rosenwalds, Lindenthals, all the big sweatshop millionaires, are satisfied with the city police. It is one-sided. It is against labor. It is for capital. It is prejudiced, non-judicial, in its execution of the law. In the single fact that policemen have wounded three strikers with revolver shots while not a cop has got a bullet from a striker is a dirty red record of violence that shows the moral squint-eye of the police.

From The Day Book of October 28, 1915:

A. F. OF L. TO HEAR ARGUMENTS OF GARMENT BODIES

At the convention of the American Federation of Labor which will be held in San Francisco next month the charges against the United Garment Workers’ union will be brought out by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers who have been unable to obtain membership in that body because they seceded from the former body.The charges are of such a nature that officials of the Amalgamated union are sure that they will be recognized when they bring out their proof of certain actions of officials of the U. G. W. union.

[Said Hillman:]The attacks on our union, are prompted by no other motives except to descredit us in the eyes of the labor world..We have proof that certain actions of the officials of the United Garment Workers were treasonable to the labor movement. At present their organization has the treasury and the officials and ours has the members. They have less than 15,000 members in the United States while we have more than 100,000.

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 28, 1915:

HILLMAN DISCUSSES POLICE METHODS FROM ALL-IN BED

Sidney Hillman’s reserve fund of vitality came to an end last night. Today, from a sick bed in the Hotel La Salle, he is directing the strike. Since the struggle began he has made an average of six speeches a day and has never slept more than six hours a night.Last night he was near collapse. His aids hurried him to the hotel and put him to bed. This morning, after a nap, he said to reporters: “I feel fine. You’ll see me back on the firing line this afternoon. Let me know if anything else happens.”

In a statement issued last night Second Deputy Superintendent of Police Schuettler blames the strikers for all the trouble. He tells them to “obey the law and stop putting strong arm men on the job.”

The chief has no evidence that the strikers have sluggers. If so he would have produced it before the council committee which found the methods employed by the police in handling the strike as “unnecessarily brutal.”

[Hillman said:]This is practically proof that Schuettler’s methods in handling a strike are wrong..He believes in sluggers on the employer’s side, but not on the union side. He goes so far as to accuse us of employing them. Twenty of our people were arrested for peaceful picketing yesterday.

—–[Photograph added.]

From The Day Book of October 28, 1915:

PLENTY OF CHANCE TO DO SOME BOOSTING IN THE STRIKE

Mayor Big Bill Thompson
““`

“Boost Chicago!”The mayor gave prosperity interview today. He predicted another business boom and talked of the big improvements the burg needed and was going to get if he had his way, including a Town Hall on the list.

But what did he say he was going to do to help the garment workers get enough from the prosperity to let them live without slavery of mothers and prostitution of daughters.

Oh! He said the striking garment workers were outlaw unionists. He doesn’t seem to care what happens to the mothers and daughters in the families of some 20,000 citizens.

“I agree with Corporation Counsel Folsom’s opinion regarding private police,” said the mayor.

Folsom’s opinion invalidated the order of city council that private police and sluggers must not be employed by garment makers. Folsom and the mayor believe it is all right for factory owners to pay strong-arm men to do duty against the strikers.

Ald. Buck says Folsom’s opinion is based on a trivial technicality. “The council will put through another order against the private police and word it so that Folsom’s opinions cannot harm it,” said Buck.

“I can’t see how any one can want to reduce protection,” said the mayor in criticising council’s action.

Pass the prosperity pie!

—–[Photograph added.]

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
The Day Book
[Chicago, Illinois]
-Oct 28, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…
http://www.newspapers.com/…

IMAGES
Samuel Kapper,
Martyr Chicago Garment Workers Strike of 1915
https://books.google.com/…
Ad for Kuppenheimer, Chicago Daily Tribune,
During Garment Strike, Oct 14, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
The Day Book, N. D. Cochran, Editor,
Oct 28, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, emblem
https://books.google.com/…
Sidney Hillman
http://darrow.law.umn.edu/…
Mayor Big Bill Thompson,
Chicago Daily Tribune, Oct 20, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…

See also:
“The Break From the United Garment Workers in 1914”
https://books.google.com/…

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The Red Flag from the Songs of Irish Labour

Look round, the Frenchman loves its blaze,
The sturdy German chants its praise,
In Moscow’s vaults its hymns were sung
Chicago swells the surging throng.

So raise the scarlet standard high.
Beneath its folds we’ll live and die,
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,
We’ll keep the red flag flying here.
-Jim Connell

Songs of Irish Labour
http://webpages.dcu.ie/…

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“ANGEL OF STRIKERS” BEARS NEWS OF KILLING TO HULL HOUSEMiss Ellen Gates Starr tells Miss Jane Addams of pool of blood she saw,
and how calm and quiet seemed both strikers and police.

 

Ellen Gates Starr under arrest
during Henrici waitresses strike, March 5, 1914
““`

Miss Jane Addams
““`

It was some time after the shooting that Miss Ellen Gates Starr, “angel of the strikers,” reached Hull house, where she lives. Miss Jane Addams was waiting in the large parlor near the main entrance. She had heard of the affair only a few minutes before.”Did you see the shooting?” Miss Addams asked, breathlessly.

“I saw a pool of gore,” replied Miss Starr.

“I had been at the Royal Tailors,” Miss Starr continued. “I got off the car and saw the policemen and the crowd. The policemen tried to push me on, but I said: “I won’t go until I find out about this. I am Miss Starr of Hull house.” They didn’t interfere after that.” A group of young men gathered to hear the story.

“Who did the shooting? ” asked Miss Addams.

“God knows,” was the reply.

“Was it a striker who was killed?”

“Yes, it was,” replied Miss Starr. “We tried to find his home, but failed. They gave us an address first and we went there in an automobile. It was the address of a Jewish preacher who dealt with deaf mutes. The man who was killed was a deaf mute, you know.”

“Did he have a family?” asked Miss Addams.

“He had a mother. We were glad there was no one else. We went to the second address but that was wrong too, and we had to give it up. I don’t know where they have taken the body.”

[Continued below.]

[Continued from above.]

Bessie Abramowitz
““`

“Was there a riot?” asked Miss Addams.”It was calm, remarkably calm,” said Miss Starr. “Every one seemed calm, the strikers and the police. I went to the hall to find out what they knew about the affair. They didn’t know who did the shooting. They were overwhelmed. Bessie Abramson [Abramowitz] took me by the hand and said, ‘Miss Starr, you save our souls.'”

“Bless her little heart,” said Miss Addams.

[Continued Miss Starr:]They were quiet all through..They have been from the start. But it isn’t safe-no safer for you than for me. They send down their sluggers and say there is a riot. They had a slugger at the Royal Tailors, and I’m certain there would have been trouble if I had not been there. I heard the slugger say he would scatter some of the strikers over the street. I told them I couldn’t protect them all. There were eighty of them. I decided to go with the slugger and I told him I intended to spend the evening with him.

“What do they think of the shooting at headquarters?” asked Miss Addams.”Bessie says it is a put up job,” replied the other.

“It is strange there was so much blood,” said Miss Addams. “A shot in the head usually doesn’t make much blood.”

“There was a pool this big (indicating a four foot diameter). They may have poured water on it. I don’t know. They say there were five bullets in him. The bullets were flying around and the people were ducking their heads. I tell you, it isn’t safe.”

“I heard three shots,” said a young man in the group, “and I saw a man run down Halsted street toward Hull House. The revolver was in his hand. I was in the barber shop,  and I couldn’t see what became of him.”

“You were so calm when I first saw you,” Miss Addams told Miss Starr, “that I was sure you did not know of the shooting.”

“It may be that I have caught the spirit of the strikers,” she replied. “They are calm, too.”

“A strike is terrible when there is violence,” said Miss Addams.

“I’m going back to headquarters,” said Miss Starr,”to find out what they have learned since. I don’t feel like sleeping.”

She arranged her long cape over her coat and left Hull House with one of the young men. Miss Addams went up the stairs to her rooms.

~~~~~~~~~~

SOURCE
Chicago Daily Tribune
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Oct 27, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/…IMAGES
Ellen Gates Starr under arrest during
Henrici waitresses strike, March 5, 1914
http://blog.chicagohistory.org/…
Jane Addams, 1915
http://en.wikipedia.org/…
Bessie Abramowitz, ab 1910
http://jwa.org/…
Hull House, 1910
http://blog.chicagohistory.org/…

See also:
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
http://www.hullhousemuseum.org/

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““`
Pretty Bird – Hazel Dickens

Fly away little pretty bird
Fly, fly away. Fly away little pretty bird
And pretty you’d always stay
Fly far beyond the dark mountain
To where you’ll be free ever more
-Hazel Dickens

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