Hellraisers Journal: Centralia IWW Defendants Forced to Stand Trial in Montesano Where Lynching Is Threatened

Quote Wesley Everest, Died for my class. Chaplin Part 15 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday January 27, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Centralia I. W. W. Defendants Threatened

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of January 26, 1920:

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CENTRALIA I. W W. FORCED TO TRIAL IN TOWN
WHERE LYNCHING IS THREATENED
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(Special United Press Wire.)

Montesano, Wash, Jan. 26.-An attempt by George Vanderveer, chief counsel for the defense, to introduce articles and editorials printed in a Gray’s Harbor newspaper during November and December, as the basis of his request for a change of venue for the I. W. W. defendants accused of the Centralia Armistice day killings, met defeat when the trial began this morning. Judge Wilson ruled that only new matter arising since his previous ruling denying a change of venue can be considered now.

The accused were freshly shaven when they entered the courtroom this morning. For the most part their faces were expressionless.

Montesano, lying in a valley between wooded hills, doesn’t seem unduly excited. There is, however, a rather grim determination to mete out “justice” apparent in the faces of the citizens who thronged the corridors of the courthouse.

Elaborate precautions have been taken by the authorities to prevent any trouble during the trial. Twenty-four deputy sheriffs are constantly patrolling the streets. Sheriff Barten announced he had deputized 100 members of the American Legion at Centralia, 300 at Hoquiam and 100 at Elma, who will be called if trouble arises.

The hundreds of witnesses who will be called during the trial will be fed in a huge dining room established at the city hall.

The defense’s application for a change of venue was denied by Judge Wilson at the end of the morning session. The court held that the showing of the defense was insufficient to cause the trial to be shifted from Montesano and that the law does not permit a second change of venue in a case of this kind.

All doubt that self-defense will be the keynote of the defense was swept away by Attorney Vanderveer in his argument on a motion for a change of venue.

[He declared:]

That the legionaires attacked the I. W. W. hall will not even be disputed before we finish this trial. Even from the prosecution’s own witnesses we will prove the attack was made before a shot was fired.

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DEPUTY SHERIFFS NUMEROUS

(Special to the Bulletin.)

Montesano, Wash., Jan. 26.-With the streets swarming with armed deputy sheriffs, hundreds of members of the American Legion walking back and forth in their uniforms, and an air of tenseness pervading the situation, the trials of the 11 alleged members of the I. W. W., charged with the killing of Lieut. Warren Grimm of the Centralia legion post on Nov. 11, last, began today.

Attorney. George F. Vanderveer, chief counsel for the defense, in a statement this morning declared his belief that the selection of the jury will occupy at least two weeks, while the entire trial will probably last two months, or more.

Perhaps never in the history of the Pacific northwest has there been so much interest aroused in a trial as in that which began at this little town of 2,000 inhabitants in the lumber regions of Washington this morning. Because of the issues involved, and because of the prominence given by the press to the varying stories of the Centralia affair, the eyes of the entire United States today were turned on Centralia.

According to allegations made at the original arraignment of the 11 prisoners before Superior Judge Wilson of Olympia, who was called to preside at the trial,threats have been made by citizens of Montesano that none of the 11 prisoners will leave the city alive in event they are acquitted. Attorney Vanderveer a also charged that threats had been made against his life and he frankly stated that he was armed and was prepared to protect himself to the best of his ability.

Facts brought out at the coroner’s in Centralia, following the rioting on Armistice day, showed that the Armistice day parade was routed several blocks out of the ordinary route of such processions in order to pass the I. W. W. headquarters; that when a section of the parade comprising legionaires reached the I. W. W. hall the parade was halted and a rush made for the hall doorway, when shots were fired on the attackers resulting in the death of Lieutenant Grimm and three others. Later, Wesley Everest, a returned soldier, and member of the I. W. W. was maltreated and on the night following the rioting and was hanged from a bridge.

At the trial the state will attempt to establish that the attack on the marchers was without provocation and that the plot to kill them was hatched several weeks before Armistice day. Much of the case of the defense will result on alleged confessions the prosecutors claim to have secured from Loren Roberts, 21; Roy Becker, 24; Britt Smith, 37, and Mike Sheehan, 60, which alleged confessions they claim implicate the other seven defendants, Bert Bland, John Lamb, James McIneray, Eugene Barnett, Elmer Smith, O. C. Bland and Bert Faulkner.

The defense will introduce evidence showing that for a number of weeks previous to Armistice day the I. W. W. in Centralia were subjected to abuse and were frequently assaulted and that for several weeks previous to the Armistice day parade open threats were made that on that day advantage would be taken of the “patriotism” aroused because of the holiday to “clean out” the “wobblies” from Centralia. The defense also declare they will prove that Loren Roberts, whose alleged confession is said to be the mainstay of the prosecution, is insane, and that what shots were fired by the defendants during the attack were fired in defense of their lives and property.

Nearly 250 witnesses have been subpoenaed by the prosecution, while the defense has subpoenaed more than 100. C. D. Cunningham of Centralia, former prosecuting attorney of Lewis county, will direct the prosecution. He is assisted by Prosecuting Attorney Herman Allen of Lewis county, Assistant State’s Attorney General F. P. Christenson of Olympia and Special Prosecutor W. H. Abel of Montesano.

Attorney Vanderveer for the defense is assisted by Attorney J. F. Emigh of Butte, Mont. Of the 11 men who are on trial for their lives, Elmer Smith is the best known. A graduate of McAllister college and the University of Minnesota law school, he has been a teacher, preacher and an attorney. He was practicing law in Centralia at the time of his arrest. He frequently appeared as attorney for members of the Industrial Workers of World in the northwest.

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[Emphasis added.]