Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for April 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia; Will Speak at Mooney Meeting in San Francisco

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Quote Mother Jones re Tom Mooney and Courts, Dec 16, 1918~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday May 17, 1918
Mother Jones News for April 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia

From The Wheeling Intelligencer of April 1, 1918:

Mother Jones Fire Eater, Lg Crpd, St L Str, Aug 23, 1917

MOUNDSVILLE
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Miners Here Today.

Miners from the mines in this section of the Ohio valley gather here today to participate in the miners’ convention, which is to be held in commemoration of the eight hour day for miners. The session will be held on the campground and the speaking in the camp ground auditorium Hon. James D. Parriott will preside. Two hands have been hired for the occasion and a street parade will held this morning previous to going to the camp grounds. Congressman M. M. Neely, Mother Jones, John Moore and William Roy are among the speakers. The Red Cross will have charge of the refreshments.

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[Photograph added.]

From The Wheeling Intelligencer of April 2, 1918:

BIG CELEBRATION BY MINERS
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With the speaking of “Mother” Jones, Congressman M. N. Neely, President William E. Roy of the district, members Fifth district coal miners, held their observance of the twenty-eighth anniversary of the “Eight hour law” yesterday at the Moundsville camp ground. The occasion was the largest celebration ever staged in the Mound City, and there were more than a thousand workers from all parts of Ohio and this state present.

The session was opened yesterday morning with the largest and most enthusiastic patriotic demonstration ever staged in Moundsville. A parade over the principal streets was made headed by several bands.

The unfurling of the largest service flag ever in the United States was the feature of the day. The immense emblem contained more than than eleven hundred individual stars, representing the soldiers who are now in the -service from the Fifth district.

Gov. J. M. Cox of Ohio sent a telegram of congratulations to President Roy, which was read at the afternoon meeting. There were addresses by several other officers of the district organization.

“Mother” Jones, one of the most noted labor organizers and speakers of the country, thrilled those present with a story of the loyalty of the mining man who stay at home, risking his life that we may be kept warm and giving the soldiers the same comforts.

Reports were ready which showed the wonderful increase in the output of coal in the country since the war and how loyally the miner has responded that call to duty.

Hundred of delegations left last evening for their homes, while the remaining few will leave today. The gatherings yesterday were the most enthusiastic and largest ever held in the district.

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From the Oakland Tribune of April 12, 1918:

Local Labor at Mooney Meeting

Several bands, their services volunteered by the local Musician’s Union, will assemble in a body at Twelfth and Broadway next Tuesday night to head Oakland organized labor’s delegation across the bay to a mass meeting of labor bodies of the bay region, where a demand will be made on Governor Stephens to pardon Thomas Mooney, convicted of murder in connection with the Preparedness Day bomb explosions.

Famous figures in the labor movement will speak, including “Mother” Jones, famous in mining strikes of the middle west; Mrs. Hannah Skeffington, noted Irishwoman and home rule advocate; Maxwell McNutt, Mooney’s attorney; Mrs. Rena Mooney, Israel Weinberg, Edward B. Nolan, W. A. Spooner of Oakland, and Colin Beckmeyer, who will act as chairman.

The meeting, which will take place in the San Francisco Auditorium, will be opened by the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” by the massed musicians of ten or more bands, representing the musicians’ unions of both sides of the bay.

Official calls were sent to all local unions today.

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From the Oakland Tribune of April 15, 1918:

AD Mother Jones at Mooney Mtg, SF Apr 16, Oak Tb p2, Apr 15, 1918

From the San Francisco Corriere Del Popolo of April 16, 1918:

La Nonna dei Lavoratori a favore di Mooney
—–

“Mother Jones,” la simpatica figura di vegliarda americana che da cinquantanni é sulla breccia per la conquista del diritto proletario in America, sarà una dei principali oratori al Comizio generale che sarà tenuto questa sera all’Auditorium dell’Esposizione, a favore di Thomas Mooney, il condannato a morte, dietro false testimonianze, dalle Corti di giustizia di California, e per il quale si agita ora il proletariato mondiale e quanti hanno sensi non pervertiti di giustizia…


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SOURCES

The Wheeling Intelligencer
(Wheeling, West Virginia)
-Apr 1, 1918
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86092536/1918-04-01/ed-1/seq-13/
-Apr 2, 1918
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86092536/1918-04-02/ed-1/seq-6/

Oakland Tribune
(Oakland, California)
-Apr 12, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/82427520/
-Apr 15, 1918
https://www.newspapers.com/image/82429806/

Il Corriere Del Popolo
[People’s Courier]
(San Francisco, California)
-Apr 16, 1918, page 1
https://www.genealogybank.com/

Google translates:

Worker Grandma in favor of Mooney
—–

“Mother Jones,” the likeable figure of an American vigil who has been in the breach for the conquest of American proletarian law for fifty years, will be one of the main speakers at the General Comedy to be held tonight at the Exposition Auditorium, in favor of Thomas Mooney, the man condemned to death, on false testimony, by the Courts of Justice of California, and for whom the world proletariat is now agitated and those who have non-perverted senses of justice…

IMAGE
Mother Jones Fire Eater, St L Str, Aug 23, 1917
https://www.newspapers.com/image/204372148/

See also:

Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna_Sheehy-Skeffington

Stories from 1916
Hanna Sheehy Skeffington
https://www.storiesfrom1916.com/1916-easter-rising/hanna-sheehy-skeffington/

Note: Help needed to identify time, place, and names of those in photo below. I believe it could have been taken in Oakland or San Francisco during Mother’s visit there in April of 1918.

Identified on flicker by Washington Area Spark:
Mother Jones – Fair Trial for Tom Mooney: 1920 ca.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/24799993385

Medium, Mother Jones in San Francisco for Mooney, 1916 - 1920, flicker

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Cropped, Mother Jones in San Francisco for Mooney, 1916 - 1920, flicker


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