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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday November 9, 1921
Walter T. Nef Writes from Leavenworth Penitentiary
From Then Messenger of November 1921:
MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE
[by Walter T. Nef]
(Continued)
On July 16, 1916, I left the office in Philadelphia andwent to work as a longshoreman and worked most of the time on ammunition and powder, general cargofor Murphy, Cook & Co., and sometimes on lumber,to which I can get many members to testify. There have been no explosions on the docks of Philadelphia or on any ships out of that port and all the ammunitionwas loaded by members of the I. W. W.and there were no guards on the docks. The head foreman, called “Billboro,” can testify to my work asa longshoreman. Besides there are many members who can testify to my position in regard to Germany and the war.
As I stated before Honorable Judge K. M. Landis before sentence was passed, I know of no conspiracy andif there had been a conspiracy against the government then explosions and obstructions would havetaken place. But there were none. We had lotsof members on the Panama Line, which is under governmentcontrol, and there was no trouble. Besides the members liked to work on those boats and notime was lost on any trips. The Bulletins testify to this, I think. The Bulletins were published in “Solidarity,” I think, and “Solidarity” was introduced as evidence.
I was arrested on September 29, 1917, about 8 o’clock in the morning at home, having just returned from workfor Murphy, Cook & Co., at Wilmington, Delaware. The federal officers were at the house Friday night, about half an hour after I had left, and were asking for me. I read in the paper the following morningthat Doree was arrested and that others were looked for. I got off at West Philadelphia station, where I always get off going home, and wast toldthat I was wanted. I then started to wash and getbreakfast when U. S. Deputy Marshal McDevitt came in and told me to come with him. Had no one come whenI finished my breakfast then I would havegone to the Federal Building myself.
After being released on bonds I went to work again onthe waterfront and worked two days when wewere told we had to go to Chicago to appear there. When we got there we were told that we werenot wanted, that it was a mistake.
In the evidence on the General Executive Board, presented by the prosecution, I am on the list for prospective secretary-treasurer of the I. W. W., and it looksas if I were convicted on this account, and will statethat I have never known of it as I was not notified by Wm. D. Haywood at any time. I have neverbeen consulted in this respect. It was a completesurprise to me.
Now I will state that the federal officers took severalcopies of “The Deadly Parallel” from the storeroom at Philadelphia. When these leaflets werereceived I never sent any away as I did not agreewith the comparison made with the A.F. of L., but believed that there should have been a comparison made, from the stand point of principle, to the GermanSocial Democrats on the Sub-Socialist Congress. The declaration of the I. W. W. was madebefore the A. F. of L. declaration and not in comparisonwith the A. F. of L. declaration.
There were no pamphlets of Gustave Herve’s in Philadelphia. We never had any there and would nothandle them. The records should show that therenever were any.
Now, in regard to strikes, I have stated before the Honorable Judge K. M. Landis that there were none tooppose the government that I know of and would nottake part in any. There were small strikes, however, along the coast. When I came to the East inDecember, 1916, there were strikes almost continually on boats in the different ports for wages, some asking for a 25 per cent bonus, some 50per cent, 75 per cent and others 100 per cent of wagespaid. The members of the International Seamen’s Union were talking of striking in the spring fora raise in wages. The increase in the cost of livingmade a raise necessary. The shipping companies, refusing to recognize a union, made a chronic conditionthat union men were fired when non-union mencould be secured. This brought on strikes, one afteranother, all winter of 1916 and 1917. In order tostop this I had written to Norfolk and other placesthat a $10.00 flat raise would be better than continuallyone crew after another asking for different bonuses, and would be more lasting in the longrun, besides it would be best for an organization oflabor.
On about April 10th or 20th, 1917, I wired to the differentports to ask for $10.00 flat increase on all ships, as members in Boston were already on strike fora $10.00 raise and they got it. This was practically settled. Then on May 1 the International Seaman’sUnion asked for a $15.00 raise, $60.00 a month, and we then asked for $60.00 a month also. This second raise was forced by the International Seaman’s Union of the A. F. of L. and was for betterconditions and not to oppose any government.
During the latter part of August, 1917, I was calledto Boston by the members of Boston to try and help settle a strike there. I was in Boston four daysand appeared before a state official at the Capitol Building, and no settlement could be affected. I leftthe next day and went to work again in Philadelphia on the waterfront. James Phillips may knowthe names and can testify to this. This strike wasnot to oppose any government. There were no otherstrikes to my knowledge during war time and absolutelynone in opposition to the war program.
There is one other matter. I heard a telegram readby Honorable Judge K. M. Landis, dated August4, 1917, to someone in Arizona, stating that the lumber workers and agricultural workers wereon a general strike and that the M. T. W. reportsaction. This is as big a surprise to me as the newsthat I was on the list for secretary-treasurer in caseHaywood should be arrested. I was not in the office in Philadelphia from July 16, 1917, except to visit there three or four times, and do not know ofany strike which should have taken place nor ofanyone taking any steps to call a strike. I knowthat I would not have approved of such a strike.
This is about all I can think of now. In conclusion I wish to state that I have been found guilty and given a sentence as follows:
Six years and a fine of $5,000 on the first count;
Ten years and a fine of $3,000 on the secondcount;
Two years and fine of $5,000 on the third count;
Twenty years and a fine of $5,000 on the fourth count.All the above sentences to run concurrently, making it a twenty-year sentence in the Federal Prisonat Leavenworth, Kansas, and a $20,000 fine.
I feel that I am absolutely innocent of obstructing the federal government and the state government inthe prosecution of the war program, military orotherwise.
If I have to serve, in view of the foregoing, twenty years in prison for obstructing or even havingin mind to obstruct the government, then I can go to the penitentiary with a clear conscience of being “Not Guilty” and being innocent of the charges I was convicted on.
WALTER T. NEF,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Vs. HAYWOOD, et al.———————
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SOURCES
Quote Frank Little re Guts, Wobbly by RC p208, Chg July 1917
Wobbly:
The Rough-and-tumble Story of an American Radical
-by Ralph Chaplin
University of Chicago Press, Jan 1, 1948
Chapter 18-War, pages 208-9
https://books.google.com/books?id=n-ygPQAACAAJ
The Messenger
(New York, New York)
-Nov 1921, pages 282-3
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2904888
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2904888&view=1up&seq=100
IMAGE
IWW Chg Class War Prisoners bf Leaving for Leavenworth,
Late Apr 1921, with Names fr Messenger p235, Aug 1921
https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/social/id/485/rec/5https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2904888&view=1up&seq=53
See also:
More from Messenger of Nov 1921
Editorial re Amnesty for Political and Class War Prisoners
p273-4 (91-2/376)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2904888&view=2up&seq=91
From Messenger of Sept 1921:
Part I: “Miscarriage of Justice” by Walter T. Nef
p252 (70/376)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2904888&view=2up&seq=70
Tag: Walter T. Nef
https://weneverforget.org/tag/walter-t-nef/
Tag: Chicago IWW Class War Prisoners
https://weneverforget.org/tag/chicago-iww-class-war-prisoners/
Ben Fletcher
The Life and Times of a Black Wobbly
-by Peter Cole
CH Kerr, 2021
(Note: my edition is 2007, see page 74)
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ben_Fletcher/ZXyFzQEACAAJ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We Will Sing One Song – Six Feet in the Pine
Lyrics by Joe Hill