Even in death they did not let him rest in peace.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday May 28, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Copper-Collared Reporters Testify for Prosecution
The copper collar upon the neck of Montana’s so-called “free” press was on full display this past week during the federal trial of officers and members of the Industrial Workers of the World. The following article presents the prosecution’s case, while giving short shrift to Vanderveer’s cross-examination for the defense. Tomorrow, Hellraisers will make up for that deficiency.
From the Phoenix Arizona Republican of May 24, 1918:
DEPORTATIONS AT BISBEE ARE TRIAL FEATURE
—–
Reporter Tells of Threat Made to Arizona Governor
by I. W. W. Leader Who Afterwards Was Lynched
—–(Republican A. P. Leased Wire)
CHICAGO, May 23.-Activities of the I. W. W. in attempting to organize the miners at Butte, Mont., and the strike and violence which followed culminating in the lynching of Frank H. Little August 1, 1917, were graphically described today at the trial of 112 I. W. W. leaders before Federal Judge Landis by Charles L. Stevens, A. W. Walliser and Harold W. Creary [Crary], who were employed in Butte as reporters when the trouble occurred. Creary now is a student at the officers’ training field at Camp Johnson, Jacksonville, Fla., and appeared in uniform.
Little Seditious Talk
Walliser told of an open air mass meeting of miners in Butte July 19 at which Frank H. Little, member of the general executive board of the I. W. W. and others delivered seditious addresses. The witness said Little attacked the national and state governments, the capitalistic class and referred to soldiers as “Uncle Sam’s uniformed scabs,” “Pershing’s yellow legs,” and “Thugs.”
What Little Told Campbell
Walliser said Little repeated a conversation he had with Gov. Thomas E. Campbell of Arizona, shortly after 1,200 I. W. W. members had been deported from Bisbee, Ariz., in which the governor asked Little what he intended to do in the event the strikers lost their fight. In reply to the question Little said he told the governor he would call a strike of the workers on the farm, logging camps and munitions plants and other industries.
“Why, you wouldn’t do that while the country is at war, would you?” asked gov. Campbell.
Little replied: “I don’t give a damn who your country is fighting. I am fighting for the solidarity of labor.”
Little said 50,000 men already were on strike on the farms and 40,000 out in the logging camps.
Caused Reign of Terror
The witness said the I. W. W. were against everything in Butte and their activities caused a reign of terror, followed by strikes and bloodshed.
He was cross-examined at length by George F. Vanderveer, chief counsel for the I. W. W., who attempted to show that the miners’ strike was caused by the death of 260 [168] workmen in the Speculator mine fire which he contended was due to the failure to provide man holes in the bulkheads.
The witness said he had never heard that the bodies of the victims were sold for $12 each. Walliser said the strike and violence which accompanied it was cause by several hundred I. W. W. organizers who, by using force terrorized the 15,000 miners of the city.
Who Lynched Little?
The questioning then led to the lynching of Little and the attorney dramatically asked the witness if he would publish the names of the murderers if he gave them to him.
“The mayor of Butte has a standing offer of a $3,000 reward for their identity which you can claim if you have their names,” replied the witness.
Charles L. Stevens testified that Little declared that unless the demands of the strikers were granted a general strike would be called throughout the country which would keep the U. S. army so busy at home it could not be sent aboard.
Blacklist Brought Up
Stevens was cross-examined in regard to the alleged black-list and rustler card system used by the mine owners in the employment of workers and said that the questions asked applicants were the same the U. S. government used in employing men and added that the object was to keep the lawless element out of the city The witness said the trouble was caused by the activities of the I. W. W. and that a majority of the miners were loyal law-abiding citizens. He said the conservative element were opposed to allowing Little to speak at the mass meeting.
Issue Anti-draft Cards
An anti-draft circular introduced by the government in evidence was identified by the witness who said it was the general report in Butte that it had been issued by the Pearse-Connolley [Connolly] club, composed of sympathizers of the Sinn-Fein movement in Ireland.
Harold W. Creary described and anti-conscription parade held by the I. W. W. on registration night, June 5, 1917, which was broken up by the police and militia after severe fighting and a number of arrests had been made. He said one of the I. W. W. members, John Korbi, carried a large red banner in the parade bearing the inscription: “Down with the war.”
Creary told of a number of arrests of I. W. W. members for interfering with construction work at Camp Lewis, Wash., while he was training there.
———–
WE NEVER FORGET
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SOURCE
The Arizona Republican
(Phoenix, Arizona)
-May 24, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/119269905/
IMAGES
Frank Little Martyr, Truth About Butte Tompkins, 1917
http://cdm16013.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267301coll1/id/4294
Frank Little, Wreath for Labor Martyr, ISR Sept 1917
https://archive.org/stream/ISR-volume18#page/n71/mode/1up
See also:
Listing of those killed in the Speculator Mine disaster.
Taken from the “Granite Mountain Memorial Plaques” in Butte, Montana.
http://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/granite_mountain.htm
From The Anaconda Standard of Jan 13, 1918:
Harold W Cray, Reporter from Standard’s Butte Office
https://www.newspapers.com/image/350720746/
Note: The Anaconda Standard was one of Montana’s “copper-collared” newspapers, see:
Copper Chorus:
Mining, Politics, and the Montana Press, 1889-1959
-by Dennis L. Swibold
Montana Historical Society, 2006
(search: anaconda standard; choose page 19 & scroll entire preview)
https://books.google.com/books?id=4GTrjlvVCRoC
The I.W.W. Trial
-Story of the Greatest Trial in Labor’s History
-by one of the Defendants
-by Harrison George
—-with introduction by A. S. Embree.
IWW, 1919
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100663067
Note: First ad I can find for this book:
Butte Daily Bulletin -page 3
-Mar 5, 1919
https://www.newspapers.com/image/176048912/
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The Lynching of Frank Little