One thing I never can forget—
that I owe my life and my liberty
to the working class of America,
and what you have accomplished for me
and my comrades you can do for yourselves.
-Big Bill Haywood
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday March 22, 1908
Salt Lake City, Utah – Mother of Big Bill Haywood Dies
The death of Mrs. Henrietta Carruthers, mother of William D. Haywood, has ended Comrade Haywood’s Eastern speaking tour. Haywood is also grieving the recent death of his friend, John Murphy, attorney for the Western Federation of Miners. And from San Diego comes more bad news: George Pettibone and Charles Moyer are both hospitalized in San Diego. Mr. Pettibone is critically ill and may not recover. Mr. Moyer, President of the W. F. of M., is suffering from a severe attack of asthma.
From the Appeal to Reason of March 14, 1908:
Haywood’s Tour of the East.
—–
The reports that come to us of the meetings now being addressed in the New England and eastern states by William D. Haywood are truly remarkable. He has visited nearly all the principal cities in that section, and wherever be has been the hall capacity has been insufficient to accommodate the eager thousands who have thronged to hear him. Haywood is doing a power for the movement in that section. His appeal to the working class is from the standpoint of the workingman himself. The logic is irresistible. Moreover, the proved fidelity of Haywood to the working class during the past few years, and the suffering he has undergone to serve it, bring him very close to the hearts of the workers. He has been tried by fire and they know he is true.
The workers are always ready to listen to a man they know they can trust, and in the case of Haywood they have not the slightest doubt as to his personal integrity and his staunch loyalty to the movement.
Comrade Haywood is fortunate in having Comrade Luella Twining as his manager. Miss Twining did such splendid service in arousing the workers of the east during the Haywood trial that she is held in high esteem by the working class everywhere, particularly in the New England and eastern states, where she spent most of her time and where she organized such demonstrations as have never been seen before or since.
The Boston meeting of Haywood was one that will be remembered by all who had the good fortune to get within range of the speaker’s voice. It was densely packed, tense with interest and afire with enthusiasm. So with all the meetings in New York and vicinity. And so with the meeting held at Philadelphia, which was widely reported through the Associated Press on account of the radical utterances it contained.
It is not necessary to say that Haywood speaks straight out. He does not know how to mince matters in dealing with capitalist misrule. In this instance he handled the federal courts without gloves. His remarks were brought to the attention of the department of justice at Washington and the district attorney was interviewed in regard to the question of his being cited to appear for contempt of court, as had been rumored, but the attorney said he knew of no steps being taken to issue a citation and that in fact he did not think the remarks of Haywood, radical as they were, came within the range of contempt as construed by the federal courts.
The work being done by Haywood comes at a very opportune time, since the working class are this year peculiarly in a position to respond to his appeal and to make them effective at the ballot box this fall.
[Photograph added.]
From the Appeal to Reason of March 14, 1908:
Haywood’s Mother Dying.
The Appeal is just in receipt of a telegram from Comrade Twining, from Lancaster, Pa., stating that Comrade Haywood has had to cancel his immediate dates on account of the receipt of a telegram from Salt Lake stating that his mother is dying, and that Comrade Haywood immediately left for that point. Haywood’s Lancaster date was filled by Comrades Reading and Twining.
———–
From the Duluth Labor World of March 14, 1908:
LABOR LAWYER DIES.
—–
Was Well and Favorably Known as a
Specialist in Industrial Cases.John L. [H.] Murphy, attorney for the Western Federation of Miners and one f the best known labor lawyers in the United States, died Tuesday night [March 3] at his home 2808 West Twenty-seventh avenue, Denver. The end came as the result of a wasting illness of several years, although it was only last year that he was forced to discontinue the practice of his profession. His last effort was in the defense of William D. Haywood at Boise, Idaho, for conspiracy in the murder of former Governor Steunenburg of Idaho.
[Photograph added.]
From The Los Angeles Daily Times or March 17, 1908:
PETTIBONE CRITICALLY ILL.
SAN DIEGO, March 16.-[Exclusive Dispatch.] George A. Pettibone, the Western Federation of Miners’ official, is critically ill at St. Joseph’s Sanitarium, in this city, where he has been a patient for four weeks. He is suffering from acute bladder trouble and general debility, which, he says, was caused by his long confinement on the charge of complicity in the murder of former Gov. Steunenberg of Idaho.
———-
From the Appeal to Reason of March 21, 1908:
The mother of William D. Haywood died at Salt Lake City, March 9, and Comrade Haywood canceled all his dates, returning to the west from Lancaster, Pa.
———-
From The Wichita Sunday Eagle of March 22, 1908:
MOYER IS NOW STRICKEN
—–
Goes to California to Visit Pettibone
and Becomes Sick Himself.
San Diego, Cal., March 21.-Charles H. Moyer, president of the Western Federation of Miners, is at a sanitarium in this city, suffering from a severe attack of asthma. Mr. Moyer arrived yesterday to visit George H. Pettibone, who is critically ill.
[Photograph added.]
———-
SOURCES
Appeal to Reason
(Girard, Kansas)
– Mar 14, 1908
https://www.newspapers.com/image/67587223/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/67587226/
-Mar 21, 1908
https://www.newspapers.com/image/67587229
The Labor World
(Duluth, Minnesota)
-Mar 14, 1908
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn78000395/1908-03-14/ed-1/seq-1/
The Los Angeles Daily Times
(Los Angeles, California)
-Mar 17, 1908
https://www.newspapers.com/image/380219198/
The Wichita Sunday Eagle
(Wichita, Kansas)
-Mar 22, 1908
https://www.newspapers.com/image/63271903/
IMAGES
Mrs. Carruthers, Mother of BBH, Wilshire Aug 1907
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=iau.31858037309105;view=2up;seq=208
BBH, SF Call p17, Dec 8, 1907
https://www.newspapers.com/image/87855980/
WFM, Attorney John H Murphy, Darrow Collection
http://moses.law.umn.edu/darrow/photo.php?pid=1332
HMP, Pettibone Moyer, AtR, Feb 16, 1907
https://www.newspapers.com/image/67586811/
See also:
Tag: Big Bill Haywood
https://weneverforget.org/tag/big-bill-haywood/
Tag: Haywood-Moyer-Pettibone Case
https://weneverforget.org/tag/haywood-moyer-pettibone-case/
Attorney John H. Murphy
-by John O’Neill, editor of Miner’s Magazine:
http://www.rebelgraphics.org/wfmhall/langdon34.html