Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: “The Shame of San Diego” by Hartwell S. Shippey, Part II

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Quote re San Diego FSF Fire Hose Emerson, LA TX p11, Mar 11, 1912—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday May 4, 1912
“The Shame of San Diego” by Hartwell S. Shippey, Part II

From the International Socialist Review of May 1912:

The Shame of San Diego

by HARTWELL S. SHIPPEY

[Part II of II]

San Diego FSF Fire Hose, ISR p718, May 1912

Up to and preceding March 14, the fight was the conventional free speech fight; but on that date (Sunday) the police took the initiative and ceased booking their prisoners, though the original captives who are charged with criminal conspiracy and jail breaking are still reposing behind the bars. (The “jail breaking” consisted of supposed smashing of jail windows by prisoners who were denied food and water and were compelled to drink from the toilet.) At a meeting held in front of the city jail, outside of the proscribed district, the fire department was called upon and three fire engines played powerful streams of water upon the speakers, knocking down Mrs. Emerson, Miss McKamey, Mrs. Wightman, a religious speaker, but a courageous and high-minded woman, Miss Ruth Wightman, 44 years of age, and overturning a baby carriage, the baby being swept into the gutter by the heavy stream of water.

Mrs. Ray Holden, an innocent by stander, was clubbed over the abdomen by a guardian of the “peace,” being unconscious for two hours following. When her husband called at the police station to investigate, he was locked up and a charge of sending in false fire-alarms was preferred against him.

Egged on by the violent and incendiary press, the local real estate dealers and other capitalists and members of the M. and M. formed themselves into vigilance committees and mob law was instituted. With the connivance and open aid of the police, bands of semi-disguised ruffians, appeared nightly at the police station, from whence, at the dead of night automobile loads of prisoners, industrial unionists, trades unionists in good standing, Socialists, and some with no affiliation, were carried from twenty to thirty miles into the hills and there beaten, clubbed, kicked while helpless on the ground and left with bloody heads and bruised bodies and with threats of death should they return. But return they did, to make affidavits of their persecutions.

[Martyr Michael Hoey]

March 28 died Michael Hoey, the first martyr of the San Diego battle. An old man, was Michael, but in perfect health, having walked 140 miles to the seat of war from Imperial Valley in the space of 5½ days. Kicked in the stomach and groin by a policeman, Hoey complained continually of pain in the swelling on his side but was laughed at by the official physician, Dr. Magee, until Hoey was removed from the jail and taken to Agnew Hospital by the Free Speech League, remaining there until his death. He was cared for by Dr. Leon De Ville, a Socialist, and a devoted soldier of the revolution.

[The Funeral of Michael Hoey]

The following Saturday, March 29, sorrowing fellow-battlers of Michael Hoey’s gathered on a vacant lot where, under the pitying smile of sunny California’s blue sky, they paid their last respects to the fallen hero of labor’s struggle. Waving sadly over his bier was the red flag, the emblem of brotherhood for which Michael Hoey had offered up his life. Not an insignia of violence and hatred, as conceived in the maggot-eaten brains of hired murderers and prostituted “journalists,” but a token of peace and love. And then-ah, well is this article entitled “The Shame of San Diego”-then Harvey Sheppard, a minion of armed and brutal violence, invaded the sanctity of their victim’s funeral and wrested the banner of brotherhood from the hands of the unresisting workingman who bore it, and placed the bearer under arrest! As I write all this I am seized with a feeling that the readers will deem that my story is an exaggeration. But the official organ of the trades-unionists, the Labor Leader, and the Weekly Herald, an independent, profit-making sheet, will fully verify my tale.

Vincent St. John, secretary-treasurer of the I. W. W., has published a reward of five thousand dollars for the conviction of those who were the cause of Hoey’s death.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: “The Shame of San Diego” by Hartwell S. Shippey, Part II”

Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: P. L. M. Junta Arrested at Behest of Mexican Government

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Quote Freedom Ricardo Flores Magon, Speech re Prisoners of Texas, May 31, 1914—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday July 14, 1911
Members of P. L. M. Junta Arrested in Los Angeles

From the Spokane Industrial Worker of July 13, 1911:

Magon Junta Arrested, IW p3, July 13, 1911

SAN DIEGO, Cal., June 28.-Already Madero the Dictator, has shown “the claw and the fang.” He has, through his Governor Vega of Lower California, demanded the return of the Liberals to Mexico, and warrants have been issued by the United States calling for the arrest of every man who participated in the capture of Tijuana on May 9. The charges are “murder and arson.” The charge is merely a pretext to get them into the power of Madero., where unarmed they will be slaughtered like lambs.

It will be impossibles to arrest the privates as they can’t be identified, but the officers have been arrested and the Mexican government has commenced extradition proceedings. It is now up to every revolutionist to let the government know that if these men are turned over to Mexico, we will have OUR INNING. We must not permit this deal to come off.

The men now arrested are: C. R. Pryce, former commander at Tijuana; J. R. Mosby, J. B. Laflin, Jos, Reed, and two Mexicans. These six men are arrested in San Diego, and as IMMEDIATE ACTION WAS IMPERATIVE, E. E. Kirk, a radical attorney, has been engaged by us to defend them.

Besides this, through Madero’s orders, four members of the Los Angeles Liberal Junta have been arrested, and the capitalist class will try to put them in prison again, where they have already served several years for being Mexican revolutionists. The case the Junta members is being handled by a Los Angeles lawyer. Kirk is a San Diego attorney and as we are without funds to defend our fellow workers, we appeal to every “RED”  to remit what he can. If you cannot afford to send us a dollar or fifty cents or more, send it as a loan. Send the money to E. E. Kirk, Union Building, San Diego, Cal., who will issue a receipt for it. These receipts will be treated as notes if you so desire and we will repay them later, as soon as we can.

Remember, we must not let our fellow workers be returned to Mexico to be shot. Stir up public sentiment about this. Get busy. These men fought like men, on the deserts of Mexico. YOU do your part of a man. Yours in the Perpetual Revolution.

STANLEY M. GUE.

—————

[Emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: Magonista Rebels Defeated at Tijuana, But Not Conquered

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Quote Joe Hill, All aboard for Mexico, IW p1, May 25, 1911—————

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday July 8, 1911
Second Battle of Tijuana Ends in Defeat for Rebel Forces

From the Spokane Industrial Worker of July 6, 1911:

REBELS ARE DEFEATED BUT NOT CONQUERED
—————

Tijuana Tierra y Libertad May 29, 1911, Wike n Bartoli, 11of 32

The liberal campaign in Lower California was practically ended with the defeat of the hundred men under General Jack Mosby at Tijuana, Mexico, on June 22nd, although there is yet two bands of armed rebel Mexicans, one near Santa Rosalia, in the southern end of the peninsula and another of about twenty-five men in the mountains between Tijuana and Mexicali in the north

[…..]

The rebels who surrendered were held at Fort Rosecrans for three days and then released with the exception of thirteen who were deserters from the army and navy and Mosby and [Adjutant Bert] Laflin, whom the Madero government is trying to extradite to torture and murder in Mexico. Boys, will we stand for it? I’ll leave it to your actions. Will you act?

About the same time the battle took place the Liberal Junta in Los Angeles were arrested. They have already served three years in our vile American prisons and we must not let them serve any more years.

Subscribe for “Regeneracion” (address 519½ East Fourth street, Los Angeles) and learn the facts of the case.

Remember although the little campaign in Lower California has been smashed the Mexican people are not through revolting. Madero did not start the revolution NOR WILL HE END IT.

Yours in the eternal revolution,
CHILI-CON-CARNE.

—————

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: Magonista Rebels Defeated at Tijuana, But Not Conquered”