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Hellraisers Journal – Monday May 24, 1909
Tombstone, Arizona Territory – Mexican Revolutionaries Found Guilty
This week’s edition of the Appeal to Reason, page one, informs us that our Mexican Comrades were found guilty at trial in Tombstone on May 16th. Page three carries a report from the trial by George H. Shoaf and a statement from Comrade Ricardo Flores Magón, written before the trial.
From the Appeal to Reason of May 22, 1909:
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THE TRIAL AT TOMBSTONE.
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Opening of the Case Against the Mexican Patriots
at the Town of the Significant Name.By Telegraph to Appeal to Reason.
Tombstone, Ariz., May 14.-Before a jury of nine republicans and three democrats the government began the evidence against Magon, Villarreal and Rivera. The selection of the jury occupied one day. Men who were members of labor unions, members of the Socialist party or readers of the Appeal to Reason were disqualified. As a result no one on the jury has any sympathy with the laboring class and its struggles. If this jury acquits the defendants it will be because of the absence of any evidence that could tend to point to conviction.
Evidence so far introduced is incompetent and immaterial and is regarded by the spectators as having no bearing on the case. All objections made by the defense have been overruled. In spite of the numerous witnesses examined, most of them Furlong detectives and Mexican spies, it is believed that the jury will be forced to acquit. The worst that is expected is a disagreement.
Duration of the trial cannot be determined at this time.-George H. Shoaf.
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SERENE BEFORE THE TRIAL.
—–[Statement of Ricardo Flores Magón.]
Special to the Appeal.
County Jail, Tucson, Ariz. April 15.-In a few days we shall be taken to Tombstone to be tried on the charge of violating law. Our accusers say we conspired to organize an expedition in the territory of Arizona of the United States of America from there to invade Mexico and overthrow the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz.
It was made plain, in our hearing before United States Commissioner Van Dyke in Los Angeles, that we did not commit the crime with which we are charged. We have violated no laws of this country, but our persecutors have violated not only the written law, but also the most rudimentary principles of humanity, honor and justice in their persecution of us the Mexican revolutionists.
It is now well known that the plutocracy of the United States and Mexico, through the governments of both countries, holds us prisoners.
Our crime is that we have sought the liberty and welfare of the Mexican people. We go to present ourselves before our judges, tranquil and serene. We have done no wrong and have nothing to fear.
The American people have rendered their decision and that is why we are tranquil. The decision of twelve people may be bought; that of the whole nation, never.
Acquitted by the jury and condemned by the people, we should feel profoundly disgraced; but absolved by the public opinion and condemned by the jury, contented we should go to the penitentiary.
Yes, we should go proudly, because the only tribunal which is incorruptible, which cannot be bought, has acquitted us.
I am convinced that we shall be playthings of the bandits interested in continuing the enslavement of the working class.-Ricardo Flores Magon.
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[Photograph added. Newsclip added is from page 1.]
From page 2: The following letter was written by Luella Twining to Fred Warren, wherein we find that Miss Twining has been in Tombstone covering the trial of Mexican Patriots.
Other Editors on Trial.
You [Fred D.Warren, Managing Editor of the Appeal to Reason] are in the same position as Elijah Lovejoy, with the difference only they do not dare to kill you or destroy the Appeal. If they dared they would gladly do both. It speaks well for your work that you have built up an organ which the capitalist class thinks so dangerous that they take such desperate measures.
Magon, Villarreal and Rivera value you and the Appeal. These men are splendid. I wish you could meet them. No one could see them and not realize them as men of worth. They are the most distinguished looking persons in the court room and are men of great learning. The day will come when you will feel very proud that you stepped into the breach and helped these people who are struggling for liberty. You are making history for the Appeal to Reason. That is why you are being persecuted.-Luella Twining, Tombstone, Ariz.
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Note: Emphasis added throughout.
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SOURCE
Appeal to Reason
(Girard, Kansas)
-May 22, 1909
Page 1: Verdict of Guilty
https://www.newspapers.com/image/66981890/
Page 3: The Mexican Cases
https://www.newspapers.com/image/66981899/
Page 2:
Letter from Twining
https://www.newspapers.com/image/66981893/
IMAGE
Mex Rev, Villareal Magon Rivera, Barbarous MX p307, 3rd ed 1910
https://archive.org/stream/barbarousmexico00turnuoft#page/272/mode/2up
See also:
Tag: Mexican Revolutionaries
https://weneverforget.org/tag/mexican-revolutionaries/
Re “Right of Asylum”
(article below quoted from, in part, in AtR p3 of May 22, 1909)
La Follette’s Weekly Magazine
(Madison, Wisconsin)
-May 1, 1909
Page 3: “Mexican Revolutionists or Mexican Criminals?”
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101074878891;view=2up;seq=166
From:
La Follette’s Weekly Magazine
(Madison , Wisconsin)
Vol’s 1-4 (1909-1912)
Robert M. La Follette Co.
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009025220
For more on Luella Twining
-at Tombstone Trial of Mexican Revolutionaries & re Warren Conviction, see:
(Search: “Luella Twining” 1909)
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=&dateFilterType=range&date1=01%2F01%2F1909&date2=12%2F31%2F1909&language=&ortext=&andtext=&phrasetext=luella+twining&proxtext=%22luella+twining%22&proxdistance=5&rows=20&searchType=advanced&sort=date
Re: Elijah Parish Lovejoy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Parish_Lovejoy
For more on the conviction of Fred Warren, see:
“Fred Warren Convicted by a Packed Jury” by EVD
AtR p1, May 15, 1909
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/parties/spusa/1909/0515-debs-warrentrial.pdf
“Trial and Conviction of Fred D. Warren” by EVD
AtR p1, May 22, 1909
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/parties/spusa/1909/0522-debs-warrensummary.pdf
“The Fred D. Warren Case:
Speech [excerpt] at Orchestra Hall-Chicago, IL, Jan 14, 1910”
Chicago Daily Socialist pp1&3, Jan 15, 1910
https://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1910/0114-debs-fredwarrencase.pdf
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The Ballad of Ricardo Flores Magon