Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood Sends Daily Letter from Ada County Jail in Idaho to His Invalid Wife in Denver

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

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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday January 9, 1907
From Ada County Jail, Idaho – Big Bill Haywood Writes to Family

Kidnappers Special Detail by BBH, AtR, May 19, 1906

From his cell in the Ada County Jail, beneath the Courthouse where he will be put on trial for his life, William D. Haywood, Secretary-Treasure of the Western Federation of Miners, sends out a daily letter to his invalid wife in Denver. His wife, Nevada Jane Minor Haywood and his two daughters, Vernie and Henrietta, remain in that city and hope for the return of the husband and father who was kidnapped by the authorities of Colorado and Idaho and spirited away to Boise aboard the “Kidnappers’ Special” on February 18th of this past year.

From The Leavenworth Times of Kansas, January 5, 1907:

Accused Miner Sends Daily Letter To Wife

Denver, Colo., Jan. 4.-There is a chapter in the life of Wm. D. Haywood, leader of the Western Federation of Miners and accused accomplice in the assassination of former Gov. Steunenberg, of Idaho, now in jail at Boise, Idaho, awaiting trial, not generally known. The story this chapter tells places this one accused and censured as an anarchist in the true light of faithful and home-loving father and husband.

In a modest cottage in this city patiently sits an invalid wife, and two young daughters, awaiting the time they hope for when husband and father shall return to greet them. It was the home Haywood left the day in February, 1905 [1906], when he was arrested and hurried away to Idaho by special train. He bade his family good by that eventful morning and has not seen them since.

Mrs. Haywood has been an invalid eight years. She was thrown from a horse on her parent’s ranch in Nevada when eighteen years of age.

She sustained an injury to the spine, but recovered. After marriage, as a result of this injury, paralysis affected her lower body. In all these eight years she has been unable to stand and has lived most of the time in an invalid’s chair. The comfort of herself and daughters is looked after by the miner’s federation.

Mrs. Haywood was born in Steubenville, O., the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Minor, members of prominent Methodist families. Her parents moved to Nevada, where the father still has a large cattle ranch in Winemucca, and in which state he has held important political positions.

Haywood met Miss Minor when her father was secretary of state of Nevada and he was a young and struggling mining prospector. She says his honest and big-hearted ways drew her to him. They were married and set out for the rich mineral fields of Idaho. At Silver City, Haywood established a modest little home. He continued work as prospector and miner and prospered moderately.

His ability as a leader of men was recognized and he was soon at the head of the miners’ labor union. Then he felt that he needed more education for the work before him and his wife, better schooled, began to teach him what she herself learned, when the blow to her health came.

Mrs. Haywood tells that, when her husband came home from his toil each day he attended to the work of the home and cared for the then little tots. This done he would take his wife in his powerful arms and walk about the mountain side with her, carrying her all the time, for fresh air, hoping thereby that her health might he restored. The wife was assured her daily outing through the efforts of the kind and faithful husband.

After dark, Haywood attended a night school of the community. This routine continued three years until the family moved to this city in 1901, where Haywood came to take the secretaryship of the miners’ federation.

From the jail cell in Idaho comes a daily letter to the wife. There Haywood is continuing his studies, and among the books he most closely peruses are law books and text books of history and literature. Mrs. Haywood will not be able to attend the trial of her husband early in the new year, and her daughters must be with her to attend her. So her husband must face court and accusers alone.

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SOURCES

The Leavenworth Times
(Leavenworth, Kansas)
-Jan 5, 1907
https://www.newspapers.com/image/76807856/

Hellraisers Journal: Officials of W. F. of M. Arrested & Spirited Away to Boise by Special Train
http://caucus99percent.com/content/hellraisers-journal-officials-w-f-m-arrested-spirited-away-boise-special-train

IMAGES
Kidnappers Special Detail by BBH, AtR, May 19, 1906
https://www.newspapers.com/image/66994051/
BBH, Nevada Jane, Leavenworth KS Tx, Jan 5, 1907
https://www.newspapers.com/image/76807856/

See also:

Hellraisers Journal: From the Appeal to Reason: Kidnappers’ Special Poster by Big Bill Haywood
http://caucus99percent.com/content/hellraisers-journal-appeal-reason-kidnappers%E2%80%99-special-poster-big-bill-haywood

Hellraisers Journal: Little Henrietta Haywood asks, “Will They Hang My Papa?”-by Luella Twining
https://weneverforget.org/hellraisers-journal-little-henrietta-haywood-asks-will-they-hang-my-papa-by-luella-twinning-for-appeal-to-reason/

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Are They Going to Hang My Papa?
Performed by John Larsen and Michelle Groves
Lyrics by Owen Spendthrift, 1907
http://steunenberg.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html