Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for May 1919, Found in West Virginia

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Quote Mother Jones, Fight for Flag Apr 8, Rockford IL Morn Str p4, Apr 9, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday June 20, 1919
Mother Jones News for May 1919
-Found Speaking to Coal Miners in Watson, West Virginia

From the Fairmont West Virginian of May 31, 1919:

Mother Jones at Parade for Soldiers, WVgn p1, May 31, 1919
Mother Jones Speaks, WVgn p1, May 31, 1919

Organized labor paid its tribute to the returned soldier boys yesterday when a parade was held in the morning between Fairmont and Watson under the auspices of United Mine Workers’ local union 4005, of Watson which closed with an open air meeting at the grove at Watson. Two thousand United Mine Workers participated in the parade.

The parade started at Fairmont avenue and Twelfth street and was escorted by Chief of Police Harr and a cordon of police. W. M. Rogers, Fairmont, president of the State Federation of Labor lead off the procession.

The Moose band, of Fairmont, was next in line, wearing their new uniforms, which are composed of a pretty blue with appropriate trimmings. The band rendered a fine program of march music. Thirty-five service men who reside near Watson, were in line. There were 200 members of local 4005, United Mine Workers, in line. One hundred and twenty-five members of local 4006, Kingmont, were in line and local 4017, Norway, had 55 men in line. Local union 4021, of Dakota, had 58 men in line and local 4027, of Barnstown had 120.

Local 4006, Rivesvllle, had 50 men, while local 2358 Rivesville, had 56 men. United Mine Workers, local 4048, Carolina, had 41 men. Then came the largest delegation in the parade that of local 1643 Monongah, which had 500 United Mine Workers in line. The next largest delegation was from local 4047, Grant Town, which had 400 men.

Mother Jones occupied a seat in an auto that led off the parade. R. E. Fitzhugh, of Watson, was marshal of the parade, which was a great success.

After the parade the column moved to Crawford’s Grove Watson, where meeting was held in the presence of 3,000 United Mine Workers and their families. W. M. Rogers, Fairmont, president of the State Federation of Labor, introduced the speaker in well chosen words.

“Mother Jones” was the first speaker. She urged all of the United Mine Workers to remain loyal to their organization. Later she paid a high tribute to the returned soldiers, many of whom appeared in uniform at the meeting. She praised the democracy of America.

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Hellraisers Journal: National Civil Liberties Bureau Corrects Attorney General on Number of Political Prisoners

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Quote Ralph Chaplin, Prison Reveille, Lv New Era p2, Apr 4, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday April 28, 1919
New York, New York – National Civil Liberties Bureau on Political Prisoners

From the Appeal to Reason of April 26, 1919:

Deny Attorney General’s Statement Regarding
Number of War Prisoners

Remember Political Prisoners by Bingo, OH Sc, Mar 10, 1918

(The National Civil Liberties Bureau of New York City makes public the following statement in reply to the assertion of the Attorney General that the number of political prisoners in the United States has been greatly exaggerated:)

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In a published statement the Attorney General intimates that the current estimate that there are 1,500 political prisoners in the United States is the result of either frenzied imagination or deliberate intent to deceive the public.

We accept full responsibility for the estimate in question and wish to reassert our belief in its moderation and accuracy. The Attorney General evidently does not regard a person who is under indictment or is out on bail pending appeal as a political prisoner. His view is that liberty on bail is the same thing as liberty without the threat of prison. Such an assertion needs no comment. Nor does the Attorney General include conscientious objectors. The following table shows how our estimate has been derived and we challenge the Attorney General to show that it is inaccurate in any substantial particular. The figures for prosecution under the Espionage Act are taken from the report of the Attorney General for the year ending June 30,1918, and are the most recent published officially. We have repeatedly requested more recent figures but our requests have been refused.

Clas War n Political Prisoner Numbers per NCLB, AtR p3, Apr 26, 1919
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Hellraisers Journal: IWW Attorney Fred Moore and Miss Caroline Lowe Report on Brutal Conditions at Leavenworth

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Quote Frank Little re Guts, Wobbly by RC p208, Chg July 1917

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday January 15, 1919
Leavenworth Penitentiary, Kansas – Brutal Treatment of Prisoners Reported

From The New Appeal of January 11, 1919:

AtR HdLn re IWW SPA in Leavenworth, p1, Jan 11, 1919

[Part 1 of 2.]

In its issue of last week The New Appeal reproduced a report of conscientious objectors at Camp Funston, Kans., detailing the brutal treatment to which they were subjected at the command of certain officers, contrary to the express directions of the war department in Washington. This report was published primarily as a matter of record, the guilty officers having been dismissed from the service and the conditions complained of corrected.

We are now in the way of making a more important exposure-an exposure of brutalities committed upon Socialists, I. W. W.s. and others imprisoned in the Federal penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., brutalities that we have reason to believe have not been brought to the notice of the higher authorities since the efforts of interested persons to investigate these brutalities have been baffled at every turn by prison officials. Enough evidence has been dragged into the light, however, to make it shamefully plain, to use the words of Mrs. Floyd Ramp, wife of a Socialist prisoner, “that things are occurring in this penitentiary which citizens of a democracy should not knowingly countenance.”

Could Not Question Prisoners.

On December 12, F. H. Moore, a Chicago attorney, went to Leavenworth to discuss certain legal steps with the group of prisoners sentenced under the Chicago indictment of the I. W. W. alleged anti-war agitators. He also desired to make personal inquiry of the treatment the prisoners were receiving, disquieting reports of which had reached him through “underground” channels. In company with Miss Caroline A. Lowe, who assisted in the defense of the prisoners at the trial, Mr. Moore called upon the warden. They were told by the warden that they could talk over legal matters connected with the case, but they were absolutely forbidden to question the prisoners as to conditions in the penitentiary.

Mr. Moore, in a somewhat lengthy communication sent to The New Appeal, repeatedly emphasizes this autocratic censorship of the warden. As they interviewed, separately, each one of twenty-two prisoners held in solitary confinement with unusual punishment, the deputy warden, who was present during the interviews, sternly suppressed every attempt to question the prisoners as to the manner in which they had been handled and as to their physical condition at the time. Nor were Mr. Moore and Miss Lowe, when they met and conferred with the majority of the prisoners in a body permitted to refer to the condition of their fellow prisoners who were “in solitary.”

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Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: 121 IWW & Socialist Party Men Enter Chicago Jail

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Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 24, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Anti-War Prisoners Enter Bridewell

Cover of the International Socialist Review for August 1917:

A reminder of our Fellow Workers and Comrades now behind the prison bars-

WWIR, Inside For You, Aug 1917

———-

121 Behind the Prison Bars

 

WWIR, IWW SP AntiWar Prisoners, ISR Aug 1917
One hundred twenty-one men entering Bridewell Work House, Chicago.
They were sentenced to one year’s hard labor by Judge Landis for refusing to register.

—–

One Hundred and Twenty-One Men

THE following accounts of the trial and imprisonment of 121 Socialists and members of the I. W. W. who voluntarily gave themselves up to the sheriff rather than register is taken from the Chicago newspapers.

Judge Landis first won fame by fining the Standard Oil Co., $29,000,000.00—which of course was never paid.

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