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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday March 12, 1911
Fresno, California – I. W. W. Wins Complete Victory in Free Speech Fight
From the Spokane Industrial Worker of March 9, 1911:
JUST BEFORE THE VICTORY
———-SHERIFF REFUSES MORE PRISONERS.
THE RESPECTABLE CITIZENS TALK
OF LYNCHING I. W. MEMBERS.
———-Fresno, Feb. 27, 1911.
The sheriff refuses to accept any more prisoners charged with violating a city ordinance, on the ground that the jail is overcrowded.
To prevent us from speaking on the streets, the police do not arrest us, but resort to clubbing and turning us over to the pinks, pimps and toughs.
Two men were beat up by the hoodlums today for speaking on the street. One of them was dragged half a block. The police pay no attention to the protests of the onlooking citizens against these fiendish practices.
One man openly informed us that we were going to be lynched tonight. The chief of police, who was standing near, studied the effect this remark had on us. He was rewarded with a “horse laugh.”
The people are inclining more and more in our favor. A large number of our papers were sold. On the 25th of this month the Citizens’ League sent a committee to the bull pen to ascertain our terms, which we stated to them. The committee pronounced these terms just a wise and promised to present them before the next meeting of the citizens. We haven’t heard from them since. If the present tactics are aimed to frighten us off the streets, then a mistake has again been made. This fight for free speech in Fresno will continue until we have free speech and are protected in the exercise thereof.
I. W. W. COMMITEE.
Box 209.———-
WHAT SCARED THE MASTER
———-FRESNO, CAL., IS DESTINATION.
———-
One Hundred Beginners Expect, by Recruits, to Get
1,000 Strong, So as to Overawe the Police.
—–An army of 100 unemployed men, consisting of three members of the Industrial Workers of the World and 97 sympathizers, left their quarters, 309 Market street [St. Louis], at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon to march on Fresno, Cal., and take part in the free speech fight to be made there by leaders of the Industrial Workers.
By twos the army filed out Market street to Vandeventer avenue, and south on Vandeventer to Tower Grove Station they expect to catch freight trains to Kansas City. Kansas City has been made the first stopping place. Probably all will not be able to catch the same train, and a meeting place has been arranged by the order in that city.
The army was led by Joseph Sorensen, captain. Each man’s name was registered in a book, and he was given a postal card with which to notify the order should he go astray. These postal will be addressed to the association at Kansas City or El Paso, Tex., the next stop.
The army created much excitement in the downtown district, and many stood at the corners and watched them as they passed. It was said at the headquarters yesterday afternoon the men probably would all arrive in Kansas City about Monday night. It was estimated about 30 men could ride in a box car, and that it would be impossible for the car crew to put them off on account of their number, and for the policemen to arrest them for the same reason.
When the “army” reaches Kansas City the number will be enlarged to about 200. By picking up the unemployed along the route the marchers expect to number more than a thousand when they reach Fresno.
They claim they will have a perfect right to “free speech” at Fresno. They say they cannot be arrested, as their number will be too large and the city will be unable to provide for them should they be arrested, as this would cause the taxpayers to protest at the expense of feeding them.-“St. Louis Globe-Democrat.”
———-
I. W. W. MAN BEATEN AT FRESNO.
———-Fresno, Cal., Feb. 28.-Dragged through the gutter for three blocks and subjected to violence at the hands of 300 rioters, a member of the I. W. W., who attempted to speak on the streets here yesterday, is suffering today from sever injuries. The rioting followed the refusal of Sheriff McSwain to receive other Industrialists in the county jail. The speaker was knocked down repeatedly. A bystander who protested was thrown under the heels of a kicking horse and his nose broken.-“Spokane Press.”
———-
[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)
-Mar 9, 1911
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iw/v2n51-w103-mar-09-1911-IW.pdf
See also:
Note: the only location with intersection of Market Street and Vandeventer Ave, and with Tower Grove (now a park) south on Vandeventer, is at St. Louis MO.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tower+Grove+Park,+Northeast+Drive,+St.+Louis,+MO/Market+St+%26+S+Vandeventer+Ave,+St.+Louis,+MO+63110/@38.6199296,-90.268765,13z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x87d8b45414eb6715:0x98800731f7a6738f!2m2!1d-90.2570502!2d38.6079207!1m5!1m1!1s0x87d8b4c00095e77d:0xc7101a7e889daf3d!2m2!1d-90.2432424!2d38.6320596?hl=en
Tag: Fresno Free Speech Fight of 1910-1911
https://weneverforget.org/tag/fresno-free-speech-fight-of-1910-1911/
See search: Mar 1-15, 1911 with: California, fresno, “industrial workers”
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=California&dateFilterType=range&date1=03%2F01%2F1911&date2=03%2F15%2F1911&language=&ortext=&andtext=fresno+&phrasetext=industrial+workers&proxtext=&proxdistance=5&rows=20&searchType=advanced&sort=date
See search: Dec 1910-Mar 1911 with: California, “F. H. Little”
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=California&dateFilterType=range&date1=12%2F01%2F1910&date2=03%2F31%2F1911&language=&ortext=&andtext=&phrasetext=%22F.+H.+Little%22&proxtext=&proxdistance=5&rows=20&searchType=advanced&sort=date
Note: not for sure that this is the same Jos. O’Carroll of Chicago, (see poem above), but very possible:
Artful Lives
Edward Weston, Margrethe Mather, and the Bohemians of Los Angeles
by Beth Gates Warren
Getty Publications, 2011
(search-includes photo: “wild joe”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=6e-GshOGqsIC
-re B. L. Weber, see:
Songs of the Workers
On the Road, in the Jungles, and in the Shops
Industrial Workers of the World
I.W.W. Publishing Bureau, 1916
(search: “b l weber”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=4lDJfcTT-WAC
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Hold The Fort