Hellraisers Journal: William Z. Foster Reports from Spokane Free Speech Fight for Seattle Workingman’s Paper

Quote EGF, Compliment IWW, IW p1, Nov 17, 1909 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday November 24, 1909
Spokane, Washington – Fellow Workers Jailed Under Horrible Conditions

From Seattle Workingman’s Paper of November 20, 1909:

SPECIAL SPOKANE DESPATCHES
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Discipline Excellent
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[-by William Z. Foster]

Spokane, Sunday, Nov. 14.-The one distinctive feature of this fight, which impresses me at first glance is the calm, business like determination of the men and the excellent discipline pervading throughout their ranks.

Things are quiet today. No street speaking is the order for Sunday. Tomorrow street speaking will be resumed. The plan is to send out a sacrifice squad daily. Many men are arriving. Two hundred and eighty are in jail, living on bread and water. Eighty of these are in Fort Wright, seventy-five in the abandoned Franklin school house and one hundred and twenty-five in the city jail. Two meetings will be held tonight , one in the city court room and one at I. W. W. headquarters. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and John M. Work are speakers for both meetings, relieving each other.

WM. Z. FOSTER

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Horrible Conditions
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SPOKANE, Monday, Nov. 15.-Ten speakers arrested today. Police handled them roughly and were jeered by the bystanders.

Conditions in jails are horrible. In the [Franklin] school house bucket is used for toilet. The place is alive with vermin. The prisoners are refused water to boil their clothes. Windows are broken. No visitors are allowed. No place to sleep except floor. No blankets. Half loaf bread daily. All are suffering with cramps in stomach. Doctor gives them castor oil. Many are very sick, but they are ordered to work on rock pile. Only two so far have accepted this means of release.

Today a six day striker was released, afflicted with bleeding piles. Blood was running down his legs. At first they ordered him to rock pile, then told him to go. He could hardly walk and was refused admission to hospital. He was penniless, but authorities refused to return thirty cents taken from his person when he was arrested, on the plea that he owed for costs.

Socialists have declared boycott on Apple show.

Public sentiment is strong for strikers.

W. Z. FOSTER.

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Fifty Trials in Forty-Five Minutes
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SPOKANE, Tuesday, Nov. 16.-Ten speakers arrested today.

This afternoon fifty were tried in forty-five minutes, all for “disorderly conduct.” Last week Police Judge Mann declared the ordinance against street speaking to be unconstitutional, so all are now charged with “disorderly conduct,” though their only offense is speaking on the street.

Of the fifty cases tried today eleven were “continued,” four “dismissed,” thirty-five sentenced to 30 days on the rock pile, two for second offense fined one hundred dollars in addition to 30 days…..

All cases have been appealed to superior court, where they will get jury trials. Bruce Rogers is attorney in charge of cases.

W. Z. F.

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Special Correspondence
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By William Z. Foster.

Spokane, Monday, Nov. 15, 1909.

There were ten arrested today. Really it requires courage to face thirty days in that jail after hearing the reports of the horrible conditions prevailing there. The men, however, face it cheerfully and amid the jokes of their fellow workers they are taken away…..

[Stage Fright.]

This afternoon our fourth “speaker” was in a bad plight as the policeman didn’t arrive soon enough. He didn’t have a word to say, and had to be prompted by some of his more literate brethren who stood on the curb and gave him his speech word by word, sotto voce, with but slight accent on the “sotto.” When the policeman did arrive this “speaker” was so pleased that he actually made a couple of steps toward him so as to expedite the matter……

[Work and Gurley Flynn Speak.]

[At a meeting held after 5 p. m. at I. W. W. headquarters] Work’s talk fell flat, and the boys are disgusted with his ladylike harangues. He is certainly a wretched talker, one of the very poorest I have heard for some time…Gurley Flynn followed him and gave a real live, direct action talk that was very well received…..

W. Z. Foster.

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[…..]

PROGRESS OF THE FIGHT
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“The Workingman’s Paper” now has its own special reporter at Spokane, as the capitalist dailies cannot be depended on to give any approach to the facts.

Wm. Z. Foster went to Spokane Saturday night, November 13, and he sends a daily dispatch to this paper, which we aim to publish in a “Red Special” every night for sale on the streets of the Seattle…..

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[Emphasis added.]