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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday December 6, 1910
Fresno, California – Free Speech Fight Renewed; Fellow Workers Arrested
From The Fresno Morning Republican of November 30, 1910:
The Long threatened clash between the Industrial Worker of the World and the local police materialized last night. Twenty-four of the followers of the red flag were lodged in jail by Chief Shaw and a squad of ten policemen.
The expected invasion began at 6 o’clock and continued till 9 when the 34th agitator was taken into custody. During these three hours the police department was never busier in the history of Fresno. As fast as central could ring the bell at police headquarters, Night Desk Sergeant Frank Truax was kept busy jotting down the various corners in the downtown section where the I. W. W.’s were trying to make speeches. Several of the “red shirts” were making wild-eyed speeches to a handful of men. At H and Kern streets two were talking at the same time from soap boxes to a half dozen listener.
Among the twenty-four arrested were three of the leaders, James Murdock, C. L. Fligino [Filigno] and F. H. Little. Yesterday morning Chief Shaw appeared in the police court and swore to complaints charging Murdock and Fligino with vagrancy. It is said that they receive no compensation from the Industrial Workers. In fact, Murdock and Fligino admit that they are speaking for the “good of the cause.”
Peter Le Blanc, one of the men jailed last night, must serve 90 days as he was arrested on October 19 on a charge of violating the city ordinance which prohibits speaking on the public streets without a permit from the chief of police. When Le Blanc came into court with fifty-seven other Industrial Workers and pleaded guilty to the charge against him, Police Judge Briggs imposed a sentence of 90 days and then withheld the commitment pending LeBlanc’s promise to stay away from Fresno for three months. F. H. Little has been in the toils of the law before but the second charge against him was dismissed. Little is the first “martyr” to serve a sentence in the local jail. With three other Industrial Workers, Little was arrested by Patrolman William Pickens for disturbing the peace.
All demanded a jury trial in the police court. Little was convicted and the others were discharged. Judge Briggs imposed a fine of $25. Little did not have the money so he went to jail. He refused to work in the courthouse park with the other trusties so he was placed on a bread and water diet and kept in solitary confinement in a dark cell. After Little was released, the Industrial Workers began their first invasion. After sixty-five had been arrested and lodged behind the bars, the men gave up the fight for free speech and left the city.
Since the arrival of James Murdock and C. L. Fligino, a second battle with the police has been promised. Monday night two were arrested. These were N. Andreas and D. Hodes, who tried to make half-hearted speeches at I and Mariposa streets without a permit. The police formally charged them with vagrancy yesterday but the men did not appear in court to enter pleas.
Now that three of the leaders are in custody it is believed the second “war” can be nipped in the bud. In Spokane the police department was unable to cope with the situation until the chief arrested all the leaders, who proved to be the agitators who did all the speaking and thus incited the others to try their hand at talking from soap boxes on the street corners.
According to the ‘”Industrial Worker” the official organ of the I. W. W.’s, the free speech fight has been formally re-opened in Fresno. In the Thanksgiving Day number, the paper says in its headlines across the front page: “The Fresno Free Speech Fight Is Re-Opened. On to Fresno. Fresno or Bust.’’
Yesterday the first squad of recruits arrived in the city and last night they renewed the fight, with Murdock and Fligino directing the speech-making. The workers were picked up by the police at every prominent corner in the city. They were marched to jail and while inside the main corridor a half dozen of the new arrivals started a free-for-all fight. The six jumped onto Lawrence Collins, a deputy sheriff. and Tom Coyle, sergeant of police. Sheriff Chittenden then took a hand in the matter and the Industrial Workers were rushed into the hold-over tanks in quick order. The majority of the men spent the night on the cement floor with a blanket over each of them. They were threatened with a dose of cold water from the fire hose if they did not behave like the other prisoners.
If more I. W. W.’s are arrested tonight, Sheriff Chittenden will again place armed guards around the jail to prevent an outbreak. When the jail was jammed with the agitators a few weeks ago, the sheriff stationed three men, armed with sawed-off shotguns, around the jail with instructions to shoot the first man who attempted to escape. This precaution was taken following the discovery that some of the prisoners had tried to dig through brick walls.
A. V. Roe, the one-armed I. W. W., who was arrested last month and later released on a suspended sentence of 90 days, must serve his time. This was the verdict of Judge Briggs yesterday. Roe was arrested Monday for trying to speak without a permit.
Those arrested last night gave their names as, J. Doyle, James Murdock, C. Newman, Pat Walsh, M. Ekstrom, J. McNeil, J. M. Vincent, P. J. Young, B. Bringkelil, Sam Gompes, Peter Sanuta, William Cashman, H. Barr, W. J. Bryan, C. F. Prouty, Henry Reuter, J. Schorman, C. B. Bennett, H. W. Wright, John Lean, John Mitchell, C. L. Fligino, Peter LaBlanc and F. H. Little.
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[Emphasis and photograph added.]
From the Spokane Industrial Worker of December 1, 1910:
THE FIGHT IS ON.
—–Fresno, Cal. Nov. 28-The Industrial Workers of the World again invaded Fresno today, within four weeks of their previous defeat. Two were arrested tonight for making speeches in the heart of the business section, near the First National bank, without police permit. Two others were arrested just before for appearing in the city when they had suspended jail sentences hanging over them. Many industrialists have returned to Fresno and threaten a renewal of their campaign for “fee speech.”
Mayor Rowell received a delegation yesterday, which demanded the right to speak anywhere in the city without a permit. The permit was refused.-[Spokane] Spokesman-Review.
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[Emphasis added.]
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SOURCES & IMAGES
Quote Frank Little, Fresno Jails Dungeons, FMR p6, Sept 2, 1910
https://www.newspapers.com/image/606951967/
Industrial Worker
(Spokane, Washington)
-Dec 1, 1910
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iw/v2n37-w89-dec-01-1910-IW.pdf
The Fresno Morning Republican
(Fresno, California)
-Nov 30, 1910
https://www.newspapers.com/image/607038195/
IMAGE
IWW Fresno FSF Re Opened, IW p1, Nov 24, 1910
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iw/v2n36-w88-nov-24-1910-IW.pdf
See also:
Tag: Fresno Free Speech Fight of 1910-1911
https://weneverforget.org/tag/fresno-free-speech-fight-of-1910-1911/
IWW Archive Project
-see Historical Landmark & articles from
Fresno Morning Republican re Fresno Free Speech Fight:
http://mikerhodes.us/iww-archive-project/
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There Is Power in a Union – Utah Phillips