———-
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday March 6, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Witness Swears Grimm Led Attack on I. W. W. Hall
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 1, 1920:
Witness Swears Grimm Leading Attack
on Workers When Killed
———-
Labor Jury Recommends Demand by Workers for
Removal of Soldiers From Montesano.
—–(Special to the Bulletin.)
Montesano, March 1.-In a telegram sent late Saturday to the labor councils of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Centralia and Portland, and also to the metal trades councils of Seattle and Portland, the labor jury attending the trial here has recommended that the withdrawal of regular troops from Montesano be demanded of the governor. The telegram sent out by the labor representatives follows:
“We, the labor committe, request you to demand of Governor Hart the withdrawal of the troops. They are not needed. They are here to an atmosphere.”
Members of the labor jury based their action on the refusal by Prosecutor Allen of Lewis county, who called for the troops, to reveal the information he claimed to have as a justification for calling the troops.
The Aberdeen Central Labor council on last Friday night elected a committee to investigate the presence of the troops and to ascertain if possible the reason they were brought to Montesano. The committee is to report back to the council their findings.
The members of the labor jury were unanimous in their opinion that the presence here of troops was unnecessary.
———-
Women Testifies That Legionaires Rushed Hall
Before Any Shots Were Fired.
—–(Special to the Bulletin.)
Montesano, Wash, March 1.-Graphic details were brought out Saturday concerning how the American Legion men rushed the I. W. W. hall at Centralia on Armistice day and that the rush preceded the shooting that ended in the death of Lieut. Warren O. Grimm, for whose murder 10 men are on trial.
Mrs. A. Sherman, a domestic worker in the Chehalis cannery, told of seeing the raid on the hall. She testified she was in front of the Roderick hotel, in which building the hall is located, and saw the men in the parade make a break for the hall. About five of the men smashed in the door, she said.
Mrs. Sherman could not say whether the shooting was before the door was broken in or not. She described the man who evidently was shot in front of the hall as a large man, wearing a soldier’s overcoat. He was holding his hands across his stomach and went toward Second street. The description of the man being extraordinarily large, it fitted that of Warren Grimm, whom the state insists was shot at the corner of Second street and Mead in Centralia.
A tailor told of having followed the parade to the vicinity of hall and said he heard cries of “Let’s go!” Then about 15 or 20 men started for the hall and immediately he heard a crash of glass. He was doubtful about the shooting, but was certain it was not from any other place than the hall.
Forrest Campbell, a youthful candy maker, said be was across the street from the hall and saw the soldiers break ranks and rush the I. W. W. hall. He heard the crash of glass and saw a man thought to be Arthur McElfresh lying in front of the hall.
Campbell said he heard cries of “Let’s go!” and “Whose going to lead us?” from the ranks of the paraders just before the rush came. He heard the first shots after the glass was broken in. They came, he said from the interior of the hall.
Campbell was subjected to a grilling cross-examination by the prosecution but his story was not shaken.
[Photograph and emphasis added.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCES
Quote Wesley Everest, Died for my class. Chaplin Part 15
https://www.iww.org/history/library/Chaplin/centralia-conspiracy/15
The Butte Daily Bulletin
(Butte, Montana)
-Mar 1, 1920
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045085/1920-03-01/ed-1/seq-1/
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045085/1920-03-01/ed-1/seq-4/
IMAGES
Centralia Trial, IWW Defendants, Spk Chc p1, Feb 7, 1920
https://www.newspapers.com/image/562031885/
See also:
Tag: Centralia Armistice Day Conspiracy of 1919
https://weneverforget.org/tag/centralia-armistice-day-conspiracy-of-1919/
The Centralia Conspiracy
-by Ralph Chaplin
Pub’d by “Loggers of the Northwest” -1920 Edition
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003903589
http://archive.lib.msu.edu/AFS/dmc/radicalism/public/all/centraliaconspiracy/AEO.html
Pub’d by Chicago GDC, 1924 Revised Edition
(Note: for more on Centralia IWW Trial Labor Jury
search: “whole labor jury”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=llVSAQAAMAAJ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There Is Power In A Union – Billy Bragg