The bandage will remain on
the eyes of Justice
as long as the Capitalist
has the cut, shuffle, and deal.
-Big Bill Haywood
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 12, 1918
Leavenworth, Kansas – Fellow Workers Lectured by Warden
From The Leavenworth Times of September 8, 1918:
I.W.W.’S ENTER FEDERAL PEN
WITH AIR OF UNCONCERN
[Part II]
—–ADVICE FROM THE WARDEN.
From the train the prisoners were marched to the chapel to listen to a short talk by Warden Morgan. As is customary when a group of men enter the institution, he explained to them what they should do and advised each one to obey without question every rule. “The prominence of your trial will cause prejudice neither for nor against you” the warden stated. “As with every other man you will be classed as a first grade prisoner on your entrance; how long you hold that classification depends on each one individually. Though you were tried and convicted jointly you will be dealt with individually while here.
“Be exceedingly slow to take advice if it necessitates any deviation from the prison rules. There are ‘old timers’ here who will probably try to get you into trouble that they themselves would avoid. Your treatment here depends largely on yourselves; play fair with us and you will receive leniency in return.”
Next the men were told to take everything from their pockets and put it in their hats. They were warned not to hold back a single bit of personal property. Knives, money, pencils, booklets, glasses and everything they possessed was turned over into the care of prison officials. After undergoing a search they were given something to eat, taken to a group of empty cells and locked up for the night.
Due to the lateness of their arrival the men were not dressed in yesterday. They will be confined in a group, wearing civilian clothes, all day today and tomorrow morning the preliminaries to starting their sentences will commence. Later each will be assigned to some special work about the prison.
Not a bit of trouble was caused by them on their trip from Chicago. “We made the journey with-out incident,” stated Marshal Bradley, “except when one of the men was taken slightly sick at Trenton, Mo.” The time of departure from Chicago was kept secret, and by special request, newspapers said nothing about it until after they left. This action was taken to eliminate the large crowd of curiosity seekers that would have gathered to watch them go.
The ninety-three prisoners were handcuffed in pairs on the way here. Those who had them in custody were taking no chances and the bracelets of steel were not removed until the coaches were emptied at the prison. Only the men and forty-four deputies with the United States marshal were in the party.
A cold reception was extended the new arrivals by convicts at the penitentiary. As they marched through the yard, stares and derogatory remarks were made by groups standing near. As they entered the building proper sneers and shouts of “we don’t want you” were made by a large number of prisoners peering from windows.
But through it all the I. W. W.’s remained serene and did not pay any attention. “Hide behind me,” said the negro humorist of the group [Ben Fletcher] to William Haywood as they marched through the yard. “Sure,” answered the secretary-treasurer and the entire number laughed heartily.
Haywood the leader, has figured prominently as an I. W. W. member for several years. Several years ago he was placed on trial in Idaho but was not convicted. “I have never been convicted before in the courts,” he told a reporter, “except once and that was for smoking a cigarette.” The incident he referred to took place in Washington state eight years ago.
[Photograph added.]
[Part II of II.]
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SOURCE
The Leavenworth Times
(Leavenworth, Kansas)
-Sept 8, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/76948041/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/76948059/
IMAGE
In Here For You, Ralph Chaplin,
-Sol Aug 4 or Sept 1, 1917
Note: Kornbluh has date of appearance in Solidarity as Aug 4, and Labor Arts has Sept 1. Both could be correct.
https://libcom.org/files/rebel-voices-2_0.pdf
http://www.laborarts.org/collections/item.cfm?itemid=430
See also:
Tag: IWW Federal Trial Chicago 1918
https://weneverforget.org/tag/iww-federal-trial-chicago-1918/
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All Hell Can’t Stop Us! – Twin Cities Labor Chorus
Lyrics by Ralph Chaplin
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Songs_of_the_Workers_(15th_edition)/All_Hell_Can%27t_Stop_Us!