Hellraisers Journal: Washington State Supreme Court Rules Against Centralia IWWs Who Defended Their Union Hall

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Quote Wesley Everest, Died for my class. Chaplin Part 15—————

Hellraisers Journal – Monday April 18, 1921
Olympia, Washington – State Supreme Court Rules Against Centralia Defendants

From Oregon’s La Grande Evening Observer of April 14, 1921:

I. W. W. MUST SERVE TERM
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OLYMPIA, Wash., Apr. 14.-The state supreme court today upheld the conviction of seven of the alleged I. W. W. members convicted of second degree murder in connection with the Centralia armistice day killings. The court refused to grant a new trial. the men will be transferred from the Montesano county jail to the state prison to begin serving their sentence of from twenty-five to forty years.

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Centralia Trial, IWW Convicted, Spk Chc p1, Feb 7, 1920 Names WA Sp Crt p 407

[Emphasis and photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: I. W. W. Aniversaries – In November We Remember: Joe Hill, Wesley Everest, and Everett Massacre

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Quote Wesley Everest, Died for my class. Chaplin Part 15———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday November 3, 1920
Industrial Workers of the World – Some November Anniversaries

From The One Big Union Monthly of November 1920:

Some I. W. W. Anniversaries

Joe Hill, Funeral Program page 1, small, Chicago Nov 25, 1915

The month of November is particularly rich in memories for the I. W. W.

The events of the day are crowding upon us so fast that we cannot devote much time or space in our publications to the memories of the past, but not for a moment should the workers of this country be allowed to forget the outrages committed upon us in years gone by.

For the time being we shall content ourselves with a very brief review of some of the most horrid anniversaries of the I. W. W., which should be “celebrated” this month, not forgetting such anniversaries as that of Frank Little, whose anniversary falls in a different month.

On November 19, 1915, Joe Hill was legally murdered in the prison of Salt Lake City, Utah. His ashes are scattered by loving friends, who believe in his innocence, over the flower beds of this and other countries, and his memory lives in the songs which the I. W. W. members sing on every occasion.

Joe Hill Sig, OBU Mly p60, Nov 1920

Besides being a writer of songs which made the workers of all countries listen, Joe Hill, the miner, was also an amateur cartoonist. We reproduce here with a couple of his cartoons.

On November 5th, 1916, The Everett Massacre took place. We shall not try to describe this terrible tragedy of the class struggle. We refer every body to the account of it, issued in a book of 302 pages by the I. W. W. This book, “The I. W. W. Massacre,” is written by Walker C. Smith and sold by the I. W. W. Should be read by every red- blooded worker. Five were killed and scores wounded.

The Everett Massacre was one of the foulest deeds ever committed by the dirty hirelings of the capitalist class. It can be compared only to the indescribable horrors of Armistice day in Centralia, Wash., on November 11, 1919. The gruesome death of our Fellow Worker Wesley Everest on that day is enough to stagger the world. We cannot go into details. Read the book “The Centralia Conspiracy,” by Ralph Chaplin. It describes in word and illustration those terrible days.

Fellow Worker Bert Bland, who with a number of others is now serving a sentence equal to life imprisonment in Montesano as a result of the Centralia conspiracy, writes a touching tribute to the memory of the martyr Wesley Everest, which is published herewith.

Wesley Everest’s last greeting was: “Tell all the boys I did my best.” Joe Hill’s last message was: “Don’t mourn. Organize!” Frank Little’s last message is known only to his murderers, but we have no doubt it was like Joe Hill’s.

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Hellraisers Journal: IWWs Get Heavy Sentences; “Centralia: An Unfinished Story” by Anna Louise Strong

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Quote Wesley Everest, Died for my class. Chaplin Part 15———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday April 21, 1920
Centralia Defendants Get Heavy Sentences; Anna Louise Strong Reports on Trial

From the Washington Standard of April 6, 1920:

HEAVY SENTENCES GIVEN I. I. W.’S
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TWENTY-FIVE TO FORY YEARS GIVEN MEN CONVICTED OF
SECOND DEGREE MURDER; PRACTICALLY MEANS LIFE
TO MOST OF THEM; CASE TO BE APPEALED.
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Centralia Trial, IWW Defendants Names, Spk Chc p1, Feb 7, 1920—–

The seven men convicted at Montesano March 13 of second degree murder for the slaying of Warren O. Grimm, Centralia Armistice Day parade victim, were sentenced to not less than 25 years in state’s prison and not more than 40 years, by Judge John M. Wilson Monday afternoon.

Defense Attorney Vanderveer took exception to the sentences and gave notice of appeal.

Judge Wilson said that he could not pay any attention to the jury’s plea for leniency in the case of John Lamb and Ray Becker in the light of the evidence submitted. He said he regarded the case against all of the men as identical. Loren Roberts, whom the jury found insane, was ordered sent to the criminal insane ward at Walla Walla penitentiary.

The seven men sentenced to 25 to 40 years were O. C. Bland, Bert Bland, John Lamb, Eugene Barnett, James McInerney, Ray Becker and Britt Smith.

Motion for a new trial was made by Vanderveer, and argued at length but was denied by Judge Wilson before the sentence was passed.

The minimum sentence for second degree murder is 10 years, the maximum life imprisonment. The defense has 90 days in which, to carry the case to the supreme court.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

From The Nation of April 17, 1920:

Centralia: An Unfinished Story

By ANNA LOUISE STRONG

Anna Louise Strong, Stt Str p 5, Mar 4, 1918

NEITHER side was satisfied with the compromise verdict rendered by the jury at Montesano in the trial of the eleven members of the I. W. W. charged with the murder of Warren 0. Grimm in connection with the Centralia tragedy on Armistice Day. The prosecution asked that all eleven be convicted of murder in the first degree, as having conspired to commit murder. The defense asked that all be acquitted, as men who had planned only to defend themselves and their hall against a threatened raid. One of the defendants was freed on a directed verdict. Of the ten considered by the jury, two were acquitted, one adjudged insane, and seven convicted of murder in the second degree. Even to the jury itself this verdict was not satisfactory. It brought in first a verdict of murder in the third degree for two of the defendants, but was informed by the judge that this was inadmissible, and upon further consideration changed the verdict to that of murder in the second degree. It is generally conceded that three of the jurors held out for some time for absolute acquittal of all defendants.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Butte Daily Bulletin: “Seven of Centralia Defendants Found Guilty in Second Degree”

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Quote Wesley Everest, Died for my class. Chaplin Part 15———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday March 16, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Seven Centralia I. W. W. Defendants Found Guilty

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 15, 1920:

BDB, in Interest of WC, p1, Mar 15, 1920IWW Centralia Trial, Seven Found Guilty, BDB p1, Mar 15, 1920

(Special to the Bulletin.)

Montesano, Wash., March 15.-Ignoring Judge Wilson’s instructions that their verdict must be either acquittal or first degree murder, the jurors in the trials of the 10 I. W. W. charged with killing Warren O. Grimm during the rioting which resulted from the attack of a group of legionnaire paraders on the I. W. W. hall at Centralia last Armistice day, late Saturday night brought in verdicts of acquittal for Elmer Smith, Mike Sheehan and Loren Roberts and second degree murder in the cases of Britt Smith, Ray Becker, James McInerney, Bert Bland, Eugene Barnett, John Lamb and O. C. Bland. Robert’s acquittal was based on the grounds of insanity.

Centralia Trial, IWW Defendants Names, Spk Chc p1, Feb 7, 1920

The verdict was the second returned by the jury in the case, the jurors having come in earlier in the evening with the announcement that they had found McInerney, Becker, O. C. Bland and Bert Bland and Britt Smith guilty of second degree murder, and Eugene Barnett and John Lamb guilty of third degree murder. On this occasion Judge Wilson refused to accept the verdict and ordered them to return and deliberate in accordance with his instructions, holding that a verdict of third degree murder was not permissable under his instructions.

Immediately after the last verdict was read to the prisoners and the court, Sheriff John Berry of Lewis county immediately rearrested all of them on charges of having murdered Arthur McElfresh, who also was killed during the Armistice day rioting.

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Hellraisers Journal: Centralia IWW Defendants Forced to Stand Trial in Montesano Where Lynching Is Threatened

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Quote Wesley Everest, Died for my class. Chaplin Part 15———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday January 27, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Centralia I. W. W. Defendants Threatened

From The Butte Daily Bulletin of January 26, 1920:

Centralia, Montesano Trial Armed Camp BDB p1, Jan 26, 1920———-

CENTRALIA I. W W. FORCED TO TRIAL IN TOWN
WHERE LYNCHING IS THREATENED

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(Special United Press Wire.)

Montesano, Wash, Jan. 26.-An attempt by George Vanderveer, chief counsel for the defense, to introduce articles and editorials printed in a Gray’s Harbor newspaper during November and December, as the basis of his request for a change of venue for the I. W. W. defendants accused of the Centralia Armistice day killings, met defeat when the trial began this morning. Judge Wilson ruled that only new matter arising since his previous ruling denying a change of venue can be considered now.

The accused were freshly shaven when they entered the courtroom this morning. For the most part their faces were expressionless.

Montesano, lying in a valley between wooded hills, doesn’t seem unduly excited. There is, however, a rather grim determination to mete out “justice” apparent in the faces of the citizens who thronged the corridors of the courthouse.

Elaborate precautions have been taken by the authorities to prevent any trouble during the trial. Twenty-four deputy sheriffs are constantly patrolling the streets. Sheriff Barten announced he had deputized 100 members of the American Legion at Centralia, 300 at Hoquiam and 100 at Elma, who will be called if trouble arises.

The hundreds of witnesses who will be called during the trial will be fed in a huge dining room established at the city hall.

The defense’s application for a change of venue was denied by Judge Wilson at the end of the morning session. The court held that the showing of the defense was insufficient to cause the trial to be shifted from Montesano and that the law does not permit a second change of venue in a case of this kind.

All doubt that self-defense will be the keynote of the defense was swept away by Attorney Vanderveer in his argument on a motion for a change of venue.

[He declared:]

That the legionaires attacked the I. W. W. hall will not even be disputed before we finish this trial. Even from the prosecution’s own witnesses we will prove the attack was made before a shot was fired.

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