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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 20, 1909
Missoula, Montana – City Wages Brutal War on Free Speech, Part II
From the Montana News of October 14, 1909:
[Part II of II.]
Sheriff Assaults Speaker.
Davis Graham, the republican sheriff of Missoula county, proved himself a tyrannical brute of the worst description by violently assaulting Organizer Jones when he was incarcerated within the jail. The assault was uncalled for and cowardly, and a stamped Graham as a man of violent and brutal instincts, only waiting a chance to wreak his vengeance on his political enemies. Jones was not only absolutely helpless but a very much smaller man than his assailant, and it is common rumor that Graham used a large iron key to emphasize his physical powers upon Jones.
Friday night the home wagon was run out and connected. The evening paper had announced that there would be at change of tactics, and this was discovered in the determination to turn the water on every speaker.
A nice, civilized method of enforcing th law! A method worthy of the Middle Ages! The violation of every democratic principle of liberty humanity has achieved. An insult and contempt thrown upon law and order by the people that have been put in office to uphold such things. How long will a deluded people vote for such things?
Such defiance of justice on the part of officials put a large portion of the crowd in a very radical maid toward the police. Upon playing the water pretty close to one corner of the street the crowd would not move. The hose play was a move that caused resentment in hundreds of people who were not of the Industrial Workers, or sympathizers.
The Fight Not Over.
The fight is not over. The union men are undaunted. Volunteers are on the way from various points of the west, to attempt free speech, to fill the jails, to work for political and industrial freedom.
Jones was assaulted ostensibly for not obeying an order to stop singing. His injuries were such that a doctor had to be called.
Workingmen, you have no rights under capitalist law. How long will you stand this? Arouse ye slaves! If labor is ever to be a factor to make human beings! Sheriff Graham is a 200-pound man, and his bleeding victim weighs only 145 pounds. A civil suit will be brought against the thug that the capitalists keep for their sheriff.
The speaking has been carried on at the corner of Higgins avenue and Main street. Since the arrests commenced there has been a crowd of 1,500 or more every night. Sunday night Gurley Flynn was arrested while selling papers. The charge was “causing a disturbance.” She gave notice that she would handle her own at case. When those arrested began to demand jury trials the officials were dismayed at the expense they were confronting. The following is taken from the Butte Miner. The paper states that the police are in a quandary as to what disposition to make of the 35 labor orators who reject offers of freedom:
“Mrs. Chas. Fernette [Edith Frenette],, lieutenant to Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Jones, leader and organiser of the Industrial Workers of the world, who wars arrested last night for disturbance, was today released after a jury had been impanelled to try the woman. It was found that there was not sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
Woman Warned.
Mrs. Fernette was warned not to appear on the public streets again. The arrest of Mrs. Fernette last night was followed by violent scenes on the way to jail. A large and angry mob surrounded the police and made a threatening demonstration and during the melee a number of rocks were hurled at the police.
Stone Strikes Officer.
One stone struck Officer Hoel on the arm and as result the policeman is out of service for several days. Tonight the crowds began to gather at an early hour and, directed by their leader, Mrs. Jones, members of the I. W. W. began to speak at West Front and Higgins avenue.
Thirty Arrested.
The men were allowed little opportunity to display their oratorical powers and were speedily nabbed by the police. The arrests, however, continued from 7:30 to about 9:30 p. m. when the supply of orators appeared to be exhausted. At that hour the police had arrested an even 30 men and for lack of others to fill the ranks vacated by the imprisoned speakers, the big meeting broke, up.
Thirty-five members of the Industrial Workers of the World who were arrested as public nuisances while speaking last night, refused to leave the jail when liberty was offered them this morning, demanding food and a jury trial afterwards.
Officials in Quandary.
The city officials are in a quandary as to further action in the matter. Reinforced by hundreds of members of the organization the Industrial Workers of the World this evening made big demonstration parading along the main thoroughfares and singing their battle songs.
Proclamation by Mayor.
The parade numbered hundreds of enthusiasts and a proclamation was issued by Mayor Pro Tem Wilkinson that speaking in public would be permitted on any of the side streets so long as the crowds remained one block removed from Higgins avenue.
Order Prevails.
The mob obeyed this order in the main tonight and order has prevailed for this reason. It is related from headquarters that the present Industrial Workers of the World forces here will be augmented by hundreds yet to come from Butte, Anaconda and Spokane, and that Sunday is set apart for a big day with the Industrial Workers of the World.
Socialists Union Men and Lovers of Liberty to the Rescue.
This is the time for all those who believe in the movement of protest and revolt to come to the rescue; to make themselves known, felt and heard. All socialists should support this fight. Free Speech is a condition of democracy that we must not lose if we are to accomplish anything else. A Socialist party is useless that is continually finding excuses to keep out of the struggle. It must rise to occasions. It must be alive for freedom.
The Socialists of Montana should rise to protect the right of free speech as valiantly as they did when Mrs. Hazlett was jailed in Spokane. The Missoulian workers must make a court fight. It will take money. They are at expense. A great part of the Socialists of Montana are well-to-do. They can help the grand fight for freedom if they want to.
Let them come to the rescue get into the struggle, give of what they have.
Sit down at once and send a good, big, liberal chunk to Fred Chuning, secretary Socialist local, Missoula, Mont., to carry on the Free Speech fight.
Are you in this fight to win? Then get busy.
[Emphasis added.]
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SOURCE & IMAGE
Quote EGF, Western IWW Aggressive Spirit, IW p3, Aug 12, 1909
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/industrialworker/iw/v1n22-aug-12-1909-IW.pdf
Montana News
“Owned and Published for the Socialist Party of Montana”
(Helena, Montana)
-Oct 14, 1909
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024811/1909-10-14/ed-1/seq-1/
Note: date on Vol VIII No. 10 (“Oct 7”) is mistake,
see Vol VIII No. 9, the actual Oct 7 issue:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024811/1909-10-07/ed-1/seq-1/
See also:
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 15, 1907
“Fool Policeman of Spokane” Arrests Mrs. Hazlett, Socialist Editor, for Soapbox Speech
The Rebel Girl
An Autobiography, My First Life (1906-1926).
-by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
International Publishers, 1973
https://books.google.com/books?id=TK2y0I-E9EkC
(For Missoula Free Speech Fight, see pages 103-106.)
Note: “Jack Jones came to organize in Missoula, Montana, in Fall of 1908” should read “Fall of 1909.” During fall of 1908, EGF and Jones were living in Chicago. EGF was very pregnant with her first baby, who was born premature and died soon after birth.
https://libcom.org/files/rebel-girl-autobiography.pdf
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The Rebel Girl – Janne Lærkedahl
Lyrics by Joe Hill