———-
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday August 28, 1919
West Natrona, Pennsylvania – Fannie Sellins & Joe Starzeleski Murdered
From the Pittsburgh Gazette Times of August 27, 1919:
Note: We caution our readers to remember that the enemies of organized labor, through the kept press, are often the first to tell the story of labor disturbances. Already, the day after the murders of Mrs. Sellins and Joe Starzeleski, we find the kept press charging that the two died in a “mine riot.” Other accounts, from the strikers side, indicate that there was no riot until Deputized Coal and Iron Gunthugs attacked Miner Starzeleski. When Fannie attempted to save him, she was beaten and shot. We will continue to report on this story that the truth may be told of the deaths of these two labor martyrs.
———-
Two persons, one of them Mrs. Fannie Sellins, organizer for the United Mine Workers of America, secretary of the Allegheny Valley Trades Council and a woman labor worker of national repute, were shot to death and five others wounded in a strike riot at the entrance of the Allegheny Coal and Coke Company near Brackenridge late yesterday.
THE DEAD
Mrs Sellins, aged 49, of New Kensington: shot in the head and instantly killed.
Joseph Strzelecki [Starzeleski], aged 58, of West Natrona, a miner: shot in the head and instantly killed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOURCES & IMAGES
Quote Anne Feeney, Fannie Sellins Song
https://www.antiwarsongs.org/canzone.php?lang=en&id=21573
The Gazette Times
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
-Aug 27, 1919
https://www.newspapers.com/image/85408995/
For phrase: “killed by the enemies of organized labor,” see:
Fannie Mooney Sellins (1872-1919)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29470046/fannie-sellins
Joseph Starzeleski (1865-1919)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29470504/joseph-starzeleski
Death of Fannie Sellins and Joseph Starzeleski described:
Fannie Never Flinched
One Woman’s Courage in the Struggle for American Labor Union Rights
-by Mary Cronk Farrell
Abrams, Nov 1, 2016, pages 26-29
(search: “storm center”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=5VF8DAAAQBAJ
Pennsylvania’s Coal and Iron Police
-Spencer J. Sadler
Arcadia Publishing, 2009
(search: “story of fannie sellins”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=q6J3BlFQAHIC
Sadly not yet available online:
Report of Proceedings of the Convention
-Pennsylvania Federation of Labor, 1921
(search: “fannie sellins”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=Q6FHAQAAIAAJ
FOUND INSIDE – PAGE 40
WHEREAS, On the 26th day of August, 1919, Mrs. Fannie Sellins was employed as an organizer of the United Mine Workers of America, District, No. 5, and while engaged in her work of mercy among the miners’ wives and children whose husbands and fathers were engaged in a strike against the Allegheny Coal and Coke Company, at West Natrona, Allegheny County, Pa. for the right to live…..
See also:
For more on life and death of Fannie Sellins:
The Great Steel Strike and Its Lessons
-by William Z. Foster
NY, Huebsch, 1920
https://archive.org/details/greatsteelstrike00fostiala/page/n9
-page 146 – re Fannie Sellins
https://archive.org/details/greatsteelstrike00fostiala/page/146
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fannie Never Flinched Book Trailer – Mary Cronk Farrell
Fannie Sellins Top # 18 Facts
Fannie Sellins Labor Marker
PA Labor History Society
Fannie Sellins – Anne Feeney
Lyrics and Music by Anne Feeney
https://www.antiwarsongs.org/canzone.php?lang=en&id=21573