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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday November 29, 1913
San Francisco, California – “Girl Tramp” to Speak on Subject of Child Labor
From the San Francisco Bulletin of November 27, 1913:
From Sour Dough’s Bible by Agnes Thecla Fair
-Jesus said: “unless ye free the little children…”
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday October 27, 1913
“Jungles” by Agnes Thecla Fair, Girl Tramp, Author of Sour Dough’s Bible
From Miners’ Magazine of October 23, 1913:
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday September 20, 1913
Poetry by Agnes Thecla Fair, Hobo Poet, and Mike Gallagher, Slatepicker Poet
From the Miners Magazine of September 18, 1913:
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 4, 1912
“The Capitalist Press” by Agnes Thecla Fair, “Boy Scouts” by Ryan Walker
From The Coming Nation of February 3, 1912:
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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday February 9, 1910
Seattle, Washington – Ready for Sale: Book of Poetry by Agnes Thecla Fair
From the Seattle Socialist Workingman’s Paper of February 5, 1910:
Sour Dough’s Bible by Agnes Thecla Fair:
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 19, 1909
Poetry by Agnes Thecla Fair: “Thanksgiving Day in Spokane”
From the Seattle Workingman’s Paper of December 18, 1909:
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 12, 1909
Spokane, Washington – Fellow Workers to Speak Until All Are Arrested
From the Socialist Montana News of December 2, 1909:
[Part II of II.]
Justice Orders Ordinance Made to Order.
Justice Mann who is holding up the judicial end of the government persecution detected the flaw in the first ordinance, as class legislation, and dismissed the prisoners under it. Another ordinance was then framed on the judge’s advice, designating any speaking on the street where a crowd gathers as disorderly. Thus the judge makes the laws, and decides on it, and passes sentence on it.
The second day 133 were arrested and 33 sentenced to 30-day terms in jail.
Attorney Moore for the I. W. W. gave notice of appeal to the superior court.
Foote, the editor of the Industrial paper published at Portland, was arrested as soon as he reached town.
A bulletin posted at headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World was as follows:
Fellow workers, tomorrow this fight will be carried on with greater determination than ever. We have only begun to fight; 200 men will go to jail tomorrow.
Immediately below was posted another, which read:
Every man who is appointed captain to select five or more men and proceed to hold meetings.
Every captain and squad go to the places designated and speak until all are arrested.
Remember, the authorities claim to have broken the backbone of the organization. Show them that they are just as ignorant as bulls usually are…..
The socialist of Spokane have actively taken up the I. W. W. fight.
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 5, 1909
Fellow Worker James Kelly Cole Killed on the Road to Spokane
From the International Socialist Review of December 1909:
KILLED ON WAY TO SPOKANE.
James K. Cole, one of the members of Chicago Local 85, I. W. W., who left here in company with many comrades Monday evening, November 15th, to join the men and women engaged in the fight for free speech at Spokane, was killed on Tuesday [Wednesday November 17th] while jumping a train, en route, in Wisconsin. James Cole was only 23 years of age and for a long time had been known as one of the most uncompromising members of the I. W. W. Always ready to lend his aid to any struggle of the wage-working class, Cole was one of the first to volunteer to go to Spokane. The following photograph of the men who left this city on the 15th was taken Sunday the 14th. Comrade Cole is the fourth man from the right of the picture, in the front row. Cole said:
It’s a long trip and it’s a cold trip out to Spokane at this time of year. But don’t talk about that. We’re going and we are going to WIN.
Men like Cole are the fighting timber of the revolutionary movement of the working class. They do not weigh consequences, they scoff at dangers threatening themselves; silently, without any demonstration, or brass bands, or RAILROAD TICKETS they pick up [their] hats and are on the way whenever their class sends out a call for help. James Cole and his fellow-workers are the BACK-BONE of the revolutionary army. Cole never looked back. He was never afraid. He never gave up. He was the best that can be said of any man or woman of our class—he was a revolutionist. He fought living and died on the way to help in a great fight.
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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday November 23, 1909
Spokane, Washington – Letter from Agnes Thecla Fair Describes Jail Horrors
From Seattle Workingman’s Paper of November 20, 1909:
THE SHAME OF SPOKANE
—–We publish the following letter without the consent of its author. We believe the interests of truth demand its publication. When we first read it we could not believe it. Even now it seems impossible that such cowardly and brutal treatment could be accorded a helpless woman, even among savages. Yet we know the capitalist system has developed far lower moral types than savagery or barbarism ever knew. We know, too that daily revelations are made of jail horrors almost as bad as this. Read what Mrs. [Bessy] Fiset tells in her department, “The Woman,” in this paper [page 4].
Those who know Agnes Thecla Fair will not hesitate to credit what she testifies to. She is a quiet, frail, unassuming little woman, some 25 years old, who is publishing a book called “The Sourdoughs’ Bible.” She was drawn into the Spokane Free Speech Fight because she happened to be in that city soliciting for her book, and wherever she is she cannot refrain from taking the side of the under dog….
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MISS FAIR’S LETTER
—–Spokane, Wash., Nov. 11, ’09
Dr. Hermon Titus and Mrs. Titus.
Dear Comrades and Friends:Well, to put it mildly, Mrs. Titus came very near getting that copyright. I am now labeled by police as a DANGEROUS CHARACTER. My offense was mixing in free speech fight and behaving so different from other women arrested.
I made four jumps, as the box filled with dry goods, standing at Howard and Riverside in front of the White House was a high one. I talked for ten minutes and had a large crowd, when a detective came up and took me down from my high pedestal. He wanted me to walk to the station, but as I had never rode in a hurry-up wagon I asked to ride.
While waiting for a private automobile the crowd grew to thousands. Taking out a red handkerchief as I entered the wagon, I stood up and waved it at the crowd. Cheers went up for Free Speech.
Little did I dream of what was coming after in this enlightened age. You will pardon language used to get at facts, as I never heard anything so vile. They put me in a cell with a fallen woman and left. They were gone but a few minutes when two officers returned and (although the other woman was not to go until Monday, she told me), they told her to get ready in two minutes and get out.
When she was gone they put me in a dark cell, and about ten big burly brutes came in and began to question me about our union. I was so scared I could not talk. One said, “We’ll make her talk” Another said, “She’ll talk before we get through with her.”
Another said,”F–k her and she’ll talk.” Just then one started to unbutton my waist, and I went into spasms which I never recovered from until evening.
I have a sharp tongue and a hat pin,
and know how to put any man down and out
who gets foolish.
-Agnes Thecla Fair
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday February 13, 1917
Portland, Oregon – Agnes Thecla Fair Journeys On
We are saddened to hear of the death of Sister Agnes Thecla Fair who took her own life on January 11th in Portland, Oregon. The Oregon Daily Journal of January 12th reported:
Convinced that failing health made it impossible for her to continue her work in behalf of the downtrodden in the ranks of labor, Agnes Thesla [Thecla] Fair, noted street lecturer and writer on sociological subjects, yesterday afternoon ended it all by throwing herself in front of an Oregon City electric car on Spokane avenue in Sellwood [a neighborhood of Portland]. She was 37 years of age…
A Tribute from the Appeal to Reason of February 10, 1917:
Agnes Thecla Fair
[“Sister Agnes”-as she was called by thousands-is dead. All through the west, Agnes Thecla Fair’s name is known to the workers in almost every mining and lumber camp. Wherever union men needed help-Agnes was there. Wherever the Socialist had a particular difficult job-Agnes was there. Wherever the victims of the system endured especially trying hardships-Agnes was there with a helping hand. She was a rare character-a real woman hobo. She never hesitated to ride the rods. She went to hundreds of cities via the boxcar route. On such trips she wore overalls. The following appreciation of “The Good Angel of Labor” appeared in the Oregon Journal of Portland, on January 14. Agnes was killed under a train:]
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BY ALFRED D. CRIDGE.
Agnes Fair has gone again, this time never to return. She was a frail and earnest little woman, whose experiences had been many and varied for her thirty-seven years of life. She never spoke of her early life or parentage to me, but in a way we were friends.
Agnes was the friend of every man who was down and out. That we were not better friends is because I never was in a position to need her help.
Agnes was first heard of by me as being active in the free speech fight in Spokane some years ago.
She was known before that in Seattle and in the Yukon territory and Alaska as the advocate, nurse and provider for the under dog.
Agnes never sought help for herself. She always sought help for others. She would sell the clothes she had on to help the down and outs. I have known her literally to do so.
