Hellraisers Journal: Clarence Darrow: “Haywood can die, if die he must, but..others..will come to take his place.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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I plead for the poor
and the weak and the weary.
-Clarence Darrow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday July 27, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Darrow Pleads for Life of Big Bill Haywood

HMP, Clarence Darrow, Cresco IA Pln Dlr, July 2, 1907

The defense placed the life of Big Bill Haywood in the hands of the jury as Clarence Darrow sat down next to the defendant at 4:20 p. m. on the afternoon of July 25th.

Having begun his closing argument on the evening of July 24th, Clarence Darrow continued the next day, speaking throughout the morning and afternoon sessions of the court. He concluded his address to the jury with an eloquent appeal for the life of William D. Haywood, Secretary-Treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners:

Mr. Hawley says that he believes in this case. I believe in it as I believe in my life. I’ve given 30 years of my life to the poor. I have pleaded cases for them, but never before have I pleaded a cause in which I felt such an interest, and never did I hope for a verdict in favor of my client as I hope for this….

But it is not for Bill Haywood I plead or for his widow or his orphans. If he dies 10,000 men who work in the mines will send their mite to support the widow and the little ones and a million people send their message of sympathy. I dont plead for Haywood. Don’t think for a moment that, if you kill Haywood, you will kill the labor movement of the world, or the hopes and aspirations of the poor. Haywood can die, if die he must, but there are others who will live if he dies, and they will come to take his place and carry the banner which he lets fall. I plead for the poor and the weak and the weary. The eyes of the world are on you 12 men of Idaho tonight, and wherever the English tongue is spoken and throughout the civilized world they are wondering about your verdict. If you decree his death the spiders and the vultures of Wall street will send up peans of praise and wherever men live who hate Haywood because he works for the poor you will receive your meed of praise.

But if you acquit this man there are millions of men-out on the broad prairies, on the wide ocean, in the factories and mills and down deep in the earth-there are-women and children who will pray for you. These men and women and children stand here with me tonight stretching out their hands and imploring God to guide your judgment and imploring you to save Haywood.

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Hellraisers Journal: Darrow for the Defense, Praises Western Federation, Denounces Orchard and McParland

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Hawley says the Western Federation of Miners
has made trouble. It has, and I am glad of it,
for when we cease to cause trouble
we become slaves.
-Clarence Darrow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday July 26, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Clarence Darrow for the Defense

HMP, Clarence Darrow, CdA Prs, July 25, 1907

In the course of his closing speech in the sweltering Boise courtroom on Wednesday July 24, Clarence Darrow reminded the jury that the State’s attorneys had allowed William Dewey to return to Colorado unhindered after confessing to murder on the witness stand. Dewey had testified for the prosecution and had admitted that he took part in the mob attack upon the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill.

He then turned to face the prosecuting attorneys and demanded to know:

Were you asleep? or was your witness lying? Are you honestly in this prosecution, or is there here some damnable conspiracy to pick up the president of the Western Federation of Miners, and the secretary and treasure of the Western Federation of Miners and hang them by the neck for the pleasure and benefit of the Mine Owner’s association?

He then addressed the jury:

There, gentlemen of the jury, you have the real, strong, iron hand behind this prosecution. The mine owners of Colorado are pulling the wires to make you dance like puppets. They gathered these officers of the Western federation of Miners up and sent them here to be tried and hanged with Idaho to hold the bag. Idaho has a fine privilege in this trial-to pay for it. And you men of this jury will have the pleasure of working to pay up the deficiency warrants which have been issued by the State to meet the expenses of the prosecution.

Darrow praised the men of the Western Federation of Miners and spoke of the beauty of self-sacrifice typical of the “struggle for humanity when only the working man is found.”

Orchard and McParland were roundly denounced as liars of the worst sort, the kind that will conspire to hang innocent men.

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little & “Agitators” of Butte “Against Everything” Proclaims Company Newspaper

Janet RayeFrank Little
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 25, 1917
Butte, Montana – “Agitators” Support Striking Miners

Metal Miners, Butte MT, Mining Artifacts, date unknown

The Anaconda Standard, voice of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, declared recently that the “agitators” of Butte are “against everything.”

Yet the striking miners have made it quite clear exactly what they stand against-i.e., the blacklist (Rustling Card system), long hours, low wages, and unsafe working conditions such as led to the deaths of 168 copper miners in the Speculator Mine Fire Disaster just a few short weeks ago.

From the Anaconda Standard of July 23, 1917:

AGITATORS TALKING AGAINST EVERYTHING
—–

A mass meeting for miners of the Butte district, held last evening at the ball park, was attended by about 2,000 men. All the speakers urged the miners to stay out and said the modifications of the rustling card and the weekly pay day announced by the Anaconda Copper Mining company on Saturday should be disregarded.

Joe Shannon made a fiery speech in which he urged every miner to start picket duty today, and he remarked that the Campbell union [Butte Metal Mine Workers Union] had the “number of every miner now working.”

R. L. Dunn, strike leader of the electricians, who had pledged the miners the electricians would not go back to work until the miners were underground, said the papers had called him an I. W. W. and he would admit it.

[Said Dunn:]

This strike is an expression against the form of society which allows a few to control the wealth of the nation and a protest against the system of society which keeps workingmen from enjoying the comforts and good things of life.

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little in Butte, Speaks to 4,000 Striking Metal Miners & Supporters at Ballpark

Janet RayeFrank Little
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 24, 1917
Butte, Montana – Fellow Worker Frank Little Speaks

Frank Little, wiki

Fellow Worker Frank Little arrived in Butte, Montana, on July 18th as a representative of the Industrial Workers of the World. The Butte Metal Mine Workers Union is officially unaffiliated with the I. W. W., and yet, Frank Little, a leader of the Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union No. 800, was welcomed whole-heartedly by the striking miners and was invited to speak at a mass meeting held on July 19th at the Columbia Garden Baseball Park.

As he spoke, a light rain began to fall. Frank looked upward into the raindrops, raised his hands and remembered the miners left in the New Mexican desert following the Bisbee Deportation:

Oh man, if this rain could only descend upon that bull pen in the hot, sun-parched desert of New Mexico, and bring some relief to the two thousand noble men held there by the uniformed federal thugs, it would be appreciated.

Frank Little closed his speech with a call for Solidarity and Unity, the only means by which the working class can gain liberty from oppression.

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WE NEVER FORGET Frank Thornton Who Gave His Life in Freedom’s Cause at Troy, Montana During July of 1917

Janet RayeWe Never Forget
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Pray for the dead
And fight like hell for the living.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WE NEVER FORGET, Frank Thornton, Troy MT, July 1917


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fellow Worker Frank Thornton

Organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World

Fellow Worker James Rowan, in his work entitled “The I. W. W. in the Lumber Industry,” described the death of Frank Thornton:

LWIU, IWW Label, Lumber Rowan, ab 1920

Near the end of July there occurred at Troy, Montana, an incident of shocking barbarity. A man named Frank Thornton was arrested in a saloon after a quarrel with the bartender, and the constable took him to the jail, a small wooden structure. According to the statements of by-standers who witnessed the arrest, two Lumber Trust gunmen followed them, and the sound of blows was heard coming from the jail, as if they were giving Thornton a terrible beating. That night the jail was burned down and Thornton, the only prisoner, was burned in it. It is thought by some that Thornton was beaten to death by the constable and gunmen on the afternoon of his arrest, and that the jail was purposely set on fire to cover up the crime. Others claimed that while the jail was burning, they could see Thornton writhing in agony among the flames. This much is certain: the jail burned and either Thornton or his dead body was burned with it. Thornton was beaten to death or burned alive in the jail, and the authorities who arrested him and put him in that jail are responsible for his death.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mrs. Steve Adams and Mrs. George Pettibone Visit with Husbands Through Barred Windows

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 21, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Wives of Prisoners at Barred Windows

From The Pittsburg Press, we find this touching photograph of Mrs. Steve Adams and Mrs. George Pettibone speaking to their husbands through the barred windows of the Ada County Jail.

HMP, Love Thru the Bars, Ptt PA Prs, June 19, 1907

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Montana News: Big Bill Haywood on the Witness Stand; Borah Fails at Bulldozing

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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If one man has a dollar he didn’t work for,
some other man worked for a dollar he didn’t get.
-Big Bill Haywood

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday July 20, 1907
Boise, Idaho – The Testimony of Big Bill Haywood

Ida Crouch-Hazlett of the Montana News has been in the town of Boise covering the trial of Big Bill Haywood, Secretary-Treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners. She provides us with a first-hand account of Fellow Worker Haywood on the witness stand under cross examination by Senator Borah:

HMP, Hy on witness stand, Landon, Spk Prs, July 12, 1907

…Haywood is the socialist of the three accused men. From his reading and study he understands something of the historic function of the working class. He has nothing in common whatever with the capitalist class and its ideals. His whole make-up and inclination is to knock the stuffing out of the system that oppresses him….

As he gave his testimony every socialist felt that there was the man who was speaking the instinctive aspiration and determination of the working class….

[Drawing added.]

We have also provided reporting from the Daily Capital Journal of Salem, Oregon, of July 12th:

WANTED TO SEE BORAH’S EYES

Haywood [while being cross-examined by Borah] gave an indication of his coolness by asking that the window shutter be closed, explaining that he could not see Borah’s eyes, because of the sun’s glare.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1917: Found in West Virginia

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 19, 1917
Mother Jones News for June: Organizing in West Virginia

Mother Jones, UMWJ, Feb 10, 1916

Mother Jones was found in West Virginia during the month of June 1917 continuing on the mission to organize the coal miners of that state into the ranks of the United Mine Workers of America.

The United Miner Workers Journal of June 7th had this to say about the organizing campaign in the New River and Winding Gulf field:

Mother Jones, ably assisted by organizers in whom the West Virginia miners have learned to repose the fullest confidence, are active in the field and are making a record of successful organization.

New River and the Winding Gulf field, where but a short time ago a union man could not confess his faith except at the imminent risk of his life, is fairly on the road to solid organization.

A letter from West Virginia printed in the June 28th edition of the Journal describes the miners lining up with the union en masse:

Possibly a few words from this part of West Virginia would not be amiss. Of course, as you know, there has been a local here of several years’ standing, but not until now, of recent date, has there been any united action on the part of the miners themselves, and to cinch it all Mother Jones and Brother L. Dwyer clinch it. All Layland, believe me, turned out en masse, even the county officials, to attend, and general good feeling exists all around. The boys are joining their union and the quickest way seems too slow now since they begin to see the light.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1907: Found in Arizona

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 18, 1907
Mother Jones News for June: Organizing Miners in Arizona

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

During the month of June 1907, Mother Jones was found working with the Western Federation of Miners, organizing the metal miners of Arizona. During that month she also made a trip to New York City, and, on her way back to Arizona, stopped off in Girard, Kansas, to visit with J. A. Wayland of the Appeal to Reason.

The Tombstone Epitaph of June 2, 1907 stated that she should seek a less taxing lifestyle than that of preaching “socialistic doctrines,” while the Albuquerque Evening Citizen of June 24, 1907 honored her efforts on behalf of the working class:

Like Joan of Arc, Mother Jones is alone in her class, and is one of the few labor leaders in this country who have the ear of the entire people, and the respect of the different factions that so often clash in the material world.

From the Nogales Border Vidette of June 1, 1907:

“Mother” Jones, prominent in the labor field of the United State, will arrive in Tombstone this afternoon and is billed to lecture both this and tomorrow evening. “Mother” Jones is a lady 60 years of age or more, the major portion of which time has been devoted to the welfare of the working-man. The lady is not a disturbing element nor an agitator, but on the contrary endeavors to still the troubled waters by pointing out how amicable relations may be brought about and prosperity take the place of chaos. “Mother” Jones speaks from a socialistic standpoint, is well versed in political economy, highly educated and has oratorical ability. Her prominence throughout the country will doubtless call out large audiences on both occasions of her lectures.-Prospector.

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