Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
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Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 24, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Anti-War Prisoners Enter Bridewell
Cover of the International Socialist Review for August 1917:
A reminder of our Fellow Workers and Comrades now behind the prison bars-
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121 Behind the Prison Bars
One hundred twenty-one men entering Bridewell Work House, Chicago. They were sentenced to one year’s hard labor by Judge Landis for refusing to register.
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One Hundred and Twenty-One Men
THE following accounts of the trial and imprisonment of 121 Socialists and members of the I. W. W. who voluntarily gave themselves up to the sheriff rather than register is taken from the Chicago newspapers.
Judge Landis first won fame by fining the Standard Oil Co., $29,000,000.00—which of course was never paid.
From the Tribune:
Freeport, Ill., July 5.—(Special.)—Characterizing them as “whining and belly-aching puppies,” Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis today sentenced 117 of the slackers who took part in the Rockford riot of June 6th to a year, and a day each at hard labor in the house of correction in Chicago, the limit which the law allows. Four others received short sentences in the house of correction. All will be forced to register and stand their chance in the draft.
The court became particularly incensed while questioning Nel Larson, who testified he had lived in the United States for over nine years, that he had not taken out any naturalization papers, and that he had left Sweden to avoid military service there.
“So you dodged military service in the country of your birth, and now when the country in which you have been earning a living for the last nine years calls upon you to help it out, you deliberately do the same thing here.
“One year in the house of correction, and take this man out of here at once,” the court shouted.
TYPE THAT DAMNS SOCIALISTS
The ire of the court was again aroused when Swan Lingren stated he had a positive objection to all wars.
“Do you belong to any party or organization?” he was asked.
“I am a member of the Socialist party.”
“This is the type that has damned the Socialist party,” said the court, addressing Attorney Seymour Stedman, who was in court representing some of the defendants.
“It’s probably a matter of conscience with him,” Mr. Stedman said.
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From the Post:
“No Man’s Land” took on a new significance within the walls of the bridewell today. And every one of the 2,600 prisoners confined there—men charged with all kinds of crimes and misdemeanors, short of murder—avoided the small section of the quarry where a special detail of 116 prisoners were put to work early this morning. It is the section where the “slackers” are detailed. They had tried to escape from “No Man’s Land” in France, only to find themselves in a worse “no man’s land” at the bridewell.
“That is no place for a man,” was the comment of the other prisoners, and they left the “slackers” to themselves. Indications are that the men who refused to register for service for their country at war are going to spend a mighty lonesome time at the bridewell for the next year. And the striking thing about it all is that the “slackers” can’t understand why they are held in such contempt by those whom society has branded as criminals.
“ONLY CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS”
“We are only conscientious objectors to the war,” was the comment of one of the younger prisoners sent to the bridewell by Federal Judge Landis at Freeport. “We are living in a free country, and are only exercising our rights and protection under the Constitution.”
But that explanation, made late yesterday, as the newly arrived “slackers” were being searched and “dressed up” for their cells, was not understood by the other prisoners. The “slackers” had just arrived on a special train, amid the hoots and derisive shouts of men both without and within the prison walls. Even the little children in the streets ran after the train shouting, “Slackers! Slackers!” and pointing their fingers at the row of heads at the car windows. And when the train had arrived within the bridewell the prisoners there paused in their work on the grounds and sneered at the new arrivals. Three elderly women, apparently employed in some office capacity at the prison, stood near by and watched the “slackers” march in double file toward the receiving cell.
“And just imagine how their mothers must feel,” remarked one of the women, for all of the arrivals were under 30 years of age. Many seemed hardly more than 30. “God! I’m glad my boy isn’t there.”
And all the time the long double line was silent. Not a word was passed among them. They seemed dazed at their reception. They could not understand it all. They were only “conscientious objectors,” they kept assuring themselves.
EMPTY OUT POCKETS
“Throw up your hands!”
The order was imperative—contemptuous. And each “slacker,” in turn, found himself looking into the glinting eyes of a big, black negro. They had just laid their money on the desk at the receiving cell—each with a flourish, as if to impress those in charge, for they all were well supplied with money. But they were hustled away to the “searching squad.” And the three negro prisoners assigned to this duty were experts, who seemed to take a sort of joy in “going thru” their victims with a thoroness for which no penalty would be applied.
GET “UNIFORM” ALL RIGHT
Thirty minutes after the “slackers” had filed into the receiving cell, they were marched, single file, out again and into the long steel cages which are to be their sleeping quarters for the next twelve months and a day. And they were all in “uniform.” But not the uniform of freedom and the greatest democracy on earth. They were not marching to the front amid the applause of men.
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From the Examiner:
Stedman says virtually all the prisoners are Socialists. Roy Dempsey, one of them, says more than half of them are members of the Industrial Workers of the World. Both the Socialist and I. W. W. organizations contributed funds to them and provided legal counsel.
Walls near the Bridewell bore the words chalked conspicuously in many places:
“Don’t join the navy; join the I. W. W.”
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BRIDEWELL MEN WHO WILL ENLIST
TO GET FREEDOM —–
New Jail Head Makes Offer in
July 4 Speech
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Bridwell prisoners between the ages of 18 and 40 will be given their freedom if they wish to join the army or navy, it was announced yesterday in an Independence day address by Joseph Siman, the new superintendent.
Army and navy officials in charge of recruiting here have yet to express their opinion of the plan. Much resentment was caused some time ago when a plan to give law violators a chance between military service and jail was broached.
Mr. Siman was given a three minute ovation by the prisoners when he concluded his remarks. Many of them made vociferous offers of their services on the spot. A census of the inmates will be made today by Mr. Siman and the government will be furnished with the names of those eligible for service who want to go.
“Our country is now at war and needs you men,” said Supt. Siman in addressing 1,922 of the 2,200 prisoners and 1,000 visitors in the new cell house. “The country is calling you to come forward and fight for Old Glory.
“All of you men between the ages of 18 and 44 years who wish to join the fighting forces are to be given an opportunity to do so through the efforts of the Illinois League for Justice, which has taken upon itself this work in the name of duty and patriotism.”
Mr. Siman said the Illinois League for Justice would obtain pardons or payment of the fines of those men desiring to join the nation’s fighting forces. Among those present at the address were Will T. Davies, county jailer, and president of the League for Justice, and former Judge McKenzie Cleland, counsel for the organization. Earl H. Reynolds, president of the Peoples’ Trust and Savings bank, and treasurer of the league, was unable to attend.
The cell house was decorated with the national colors and fourteen vaudeville acts by performers from various Chicago theaters were included in the holiday program. There was also speaking, music, and patriotic songs.
—From the Chicago Tribune.
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[Details of photograph added.]
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From the Everett Northwest Worker of March 22, 1917:
In Here for You,
-by Unknown & Ralph Chaplin, Aug Sept 1917 Note: These two drawings are similar but not the same. Signature from ISR cover is torn and I don’t recognized the bit that is available. Artist was not named, at least, not that I could find. More Research needed. Bingo is well-known as Ralph Chaplin.
