In justice to the other boys accused,
I feel that I should share their lot
as well as the accusation.
-FW J. H. Beyer
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday December 21, 1916
Seattle, Washington – Forgotten Prisoner Turns Himself In
One of the 74 members of the Industrial Workers of the World, now accused of first degree murder for the crime of being among those who did not perish in the Everett Massacre, was mistakenly turned loose when his fellow workers were transferred from the Seattle jail to the Everett bastile. After announcing that he was available for arrest in Seattle and waiting patiently for the authorities to provide him with transportation to the city of death, he has now paid his own expenses to Everett and presented himself for arrest there. The Snohomish County authorities have granted his request to join his fellow workers behind bars but have refused to refund his travel expenses to Everett. (See more on this story below.)
From the Everett Labor Journal of December 15th we learn of attempts by the Commercial Club to suppress the Northwest Worker, organ of the Socialist Party of Snohomish County:
TRIED TO SUPPRESS NORTHWEST WORKER
—–
The fact that an attempt was made to suppress the Northwest Worker, the socialist paper, published in the interest of the socialist party of Snohomish County, was about the smallest piece of meanness of which the Commercial Club’s mob of conspirators has been guilty.
No thinking man or woman would expect of those persons who have turned loose their wolfish wrath upon all who dared to discuss or call public attention to their misdeeds and lawlessness to tolerate publicity. If they can suppress one newspaper, they can suppress any publication which is not financially strong enough to resist, which dares to print the truth about their illegal acts.
No, no; they could find no law to suppress the publication, so they tried to choke it to death by threatening to boycott the printing concern in whose shop the paper was printed. But thus far they have failed. There are other shops.
It seems that the head and front of the Worker’s offending was the publication of a list of Commercial Club gunmen. When that legalized mob was mobilized a list of its members was printed in the Herald. But since the Beverly Park incident, and other “night rides ” antedating it, and the Verona battle following it, these gentry do not wish to see their names in print in connection with the many acts of violence which have disgraced Everett.
Let it be known that a number of citizens quit the Commercial Club’s army when they “got on” to the true inwardness of the scheme.
Nobody can be blamed for being ashamed of the whole damnable affair.
If it had been a republican, or democratic, or organ of any other political party, that attempted suppression could not have been worse. Other newspapers are continually publishing matter much more abusive and much less truthful than that which appeared in the Worker, and they “get by” without suppression or libel suits (sometimes), and the guess is ventured that this attack on the Worker will redound to its benefit.
If that newspaper prints the truth it deserves the respect of those citizens who hold opposite opinions to those of its publishers.
Those who attempted to suppress the Northwest Worker are enemies to the constitutionally guaranteed right of free speech and a free press. They prefer darkness to light because their deeds are evil.
———-
[Photograph added.]
From the Everett Defense News Letter No. 3:
Saturday, December 16th, 1916.
RELEASE ON BOND OF 38 FROM SEATTLE JAIL
On Thursday, the 14th, 38 men who have charges pending against them by King County were released on bonds of $50 each. These men are charged with unlawful assembly. Some of them were on board of the “Calista,” the ship that never reached Everett; but the majority, it is understood, were “Verona” passengers. The date of trial has not yet been fixed for these men and it is probable that they will not be brought up for some months. These boys have been in the King county Jail since November 5th, and were mighty glad to escape from the restrictions of the “tank.” They are all determined to employ the time until their trial in getting on the job and raising funds for the assistance of their 74 fellow workers who are in jail in Everett, charged with murder.
The following are the men out on bail: W. O. Lily, C. L. Johnson, F. Lansing, Steve Heletour, James Callahan, Sam Scott, Jas. E. Hadley, Willis Johnston, A. O. Hooper, R. W. Jones, C. C. Hulbert, Chas. Ellis, Thos. Smye, Harry Chase, E. Bellmat, Hy Gluckstadt, J. Thorpe, Wm. McGregor, Frank Butcher, O. Genty, Hy. Parker, J. Ryan, Joe Kelley, C. Burke, E. McBride, M. Skomo, H. P. Hunsberger and R. Nicholson.
The bail for the boys was put up by James Duncan, Secretary of the Central Labor Council of Seattle, and E. B. Ault, Editor of the Union Record, organ of the Labor Council, who went good for the necessary $1900 to release the Everett victims. There is quite a little manual work attached to this bail business; both Ault and Duncan and their wives had to sign the bonds 76 times, in order to comply with the legal requirements.
LAUGHABLE ERROR OF PROSECUTION
A most absurd error of the Snohomish County prosecution came to light this week. The newspapers have been giving some space to the case of J. H. Beyer, who has voluntarily given himself up to the Everett authorities. Beyer was one of the men taken off the steamer on Nov. 5th, and taken to jail. He was charged with first-degree murder. Later on he was released with some men whose cases had been dismissed. The authorities were thus guilty of the laughable error of allowing a man charged with first-degree murder to roam abroad.
Beyer immediately sought out Attorney Moore for the defense and told him his story. It was then publicly announced that Beyer awaited re-arrest and was willing to go to jail in Everett with the rest of his comrades. He waited for some time and on Thursday, Dec. 14th, resolved to go to Everett and ask the authorities to lock him up.
Beyer is 53 years old and has been for many years a prominent member of the International Brotherhood of Painters Paperhangers and Decorators. He is also a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and an ardent advocate of Free Speech. He has held the position of alderman in Flint, Mich, during which time he was also defeated for Congress. Before leaving Seattle for Everett, Beyer said:
I have waited here nearly a month since my release from the Seattle jail, yet no officer from Everett has come for me. In justice to the other boys accused, I feel that I should share their lot as well as the accusation.
I do not fear returning to Everett and giving myself up, for I am confident that we shall be all exculpated. I am 53 years of age and have had many and varied experiences in my career, but I never expected to be accused of crime because I endeavored to assert my constitutional right of Free Speech.
THE JOHNSON CASE
The preliminary hearing of J. Johnson, longshoreman, accused in Everett of incendiarism, is now continued. The prosecution could not before substantiate their charge against him. This is the man who was held in jail in Everett for three weeks with no charge against him and with no chance to communicate with the outside,. The prosecution is now trying to get some dictagraph evidence against him. It looks very much like the average attempt to railroad a labor man just because he has been active in a struggle for better conditions. Attorneys Fred H. Moore and George Vanderveer are defending Johnson.
ACTION IS NEEDED
The date of the trial of the 74 men now in jail has not yet been set. The prosecution is enlisting the services of all the outside talent obtainable in order to put these men behind the bars for life. The fact that men should be shot down in cold blood in America, just because they demand the rights of Free Speech and organization should make the blood of every workingman boil. The labor organizations of the country should rally to a man in the Defense of our fellow workers. It is for Labor to decide whether our spirit shall be stifled in the noisome dungeons of the master-class. The employers are determined to strike a strong blow against the might of Labor by condemning 74 of our best and most active brothers. Only one thing can prevent this and that is THE SOLIDARITY OF LABOR!
Money is badly needed for the Defense. Send all donations to Herbert Mahler, Sec’y-Treas., Everett Prisoners’ Defense Committee, Box 1878, Seattle, Wash,
Protests and resolutions should be sent to President Wilson and to Governor Lister, Olympia, Wash. Send demands to your congressmen and senators for a congressional probe into the murders of Everett, Nov. 5th, 1916.
SOURCES
The Labor Journal
(Everett, Washington)
-Dec 15, 1916
https://www.newspapers.com/image/83618273
Everett Defense News Letter No. 3
(Seattle, Washington)
-Dec 16, 1916, (042)
http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/search/collection/pnwlabor/page/1
The Everett Massacre
-by Walker C. Smith
IWW, 1918
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001106557
page 113, J. H. Beyer
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015002672635;view=1up;seq=119
IMAGES
Everett Massacre, Martyrs, IW, Nov 25, 1916
http://depts.washington.edu/iww/everett_story.shtml
Northwest Worker, SP of Snohomish Co, Everett, WA, Sept 16, 1915
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085770/1915-09-16/ed-1/seq-4/
Everett Massacre, Def News Letter 3, Dec 16, 1916 (042)
http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/search/collection/pnwlabor/page/1
See also:
About the Everett Northwest Worker, 1915-1917:
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085770/
About the Everett Labor Journal, 1909-1976
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085620/
Tag: Everett Massacre of 1916
https://weneverforget.org/tag/everett-massacre-of-1916/