Tag: Buffalo Labor Journal

Hellraisers Journal: Little Children of William Blizzard “Quiet as Mice” During Treason Trial of West Virginia Mine Leader

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Fred Mooney, Mingo Co Gunthugs, UMWJ p15, Dec 1, 1920—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday May 5, 1922
Charles Town, West Virginia – Children of Billy Blizzard at Treason Trial

From Indiana’s Richmond Palladium of May 3, 1922:

Children at Mine Trial

(By Associated Press)

William Blizzard, Regina Leader Pst p16, May 4, 1922

CHARLESTON, W. Va., May 3-A flaxen haired, chubby faced little girl of four years slept curled in her mother’s arms and an equally round faced, tow-headed boy, a year older, sat on his father’s knees and studied with grave blue eyes his unusual surroundings, during a considerable part of yesterday’s sessions of circuit court. They were “quiet as mice” throughout their stay, with far more respect for the dignity of the court than some of their elders, and many times eyes in the courtroom turned wearily away from the witness stand to brighten with smiles at the somber little tots who had much at stake in the proceedings.

The father was William Blizzard, youthful union official who sat by his attorney while a jury heard evidence on which the state of West Virginia bases a charge of treason against him. The mother had been sitting by his side, watchful of every detail since the trial started but this was the first visit of the two children to Charles Town. William, junior, known in the family circle as “Billy” and Marguerite, whose home name is “sister” are sturdy youngsters, full of life outside the courtroom, and showing in their features a striking resemblance to both father and mother.

———-

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

Billy Blizzard at Bat

From the New York Daily News of May 4, 1922:

WV Miners Trials, Blizzard at Bat Close Up, NY Dly Ns p24, May 4, 1922

From Wisconsin’s Sheboygan Press-Telegram of May 4, 1922:

WV Miners Trials, Blizzard at Bat, Sheboygan WI Prs p1, May 4, 1922

Between court sessions at which they are being tried for murder and treason at Charles Town, W. Va., miners enjoy a friendly baseball bout. Here “Bill” Blizzard, first on trial, is shown at the bat.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Little Children of William Blizzard “Quiet as Mice” During Treason Trial of West Virginia Mine Leader” →

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1920, Part II: Speech at Williamson WV Described, Found in Indianapolis, Indiana

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones, Un-Christ-Like Greed, IN DlyT Ipls p1, July 15, 1920———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 22, 1920
-Mother Jones News for July 1920, Part II
Speech at Williamson, W. Va., Described; Found in Indianapolis

From the Buffalo Labor Journal of July 8, 1920:

MOUNTAIN MEN AROUSED
—–

Mother Jones, Williamson WV Conv, UMWJ p8, July 1, 1920

Williamson, W. Va. [June 20, 1920]-“The motto of West Virginia, ‘Mountainers are always free,’ will be made effective,” declared Mother Jones in an address to over 5,000 miners of Mingo county. A drenching rain did not deter the workers from coming out of the mountains, the tent colonies of evicted strikers and neighboring towns. Mayor Porter of this place assured the meeting that he was in perfect sympathy with their efforts to rid the state of Baldwin-Feltz detective thugs, employed by the coal owners.

Secretary Pauley of the West Virginia Federation of Labor told the miners that trade unionists through out the state are behind them in this fight for law and order.

The recent murder of the mayor of Matewan and other citizens by the Baldwin-Feltz detective thugs, who were attempting to evict miners without due process of law, has aroused organized labor to greater activity against these private armies of the coal owners. The same condition prevails in Logan and McDowell counties. Governor Cornwell ignores these outlaws while delivering lectures and issuing statements on the need for “100 per cent. Americanism.”

[Photograph added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1920, Part II: Speech at Williamson WV Described, Found in Indianapolis, Indiana” →

Hellraisers Journal: Gunthugs Cross Tug River from Mingo County to Inflict Reign of Terror on Pike County Miners

Janet RayeBattle of Blair Mountain of 1921
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Quote Mother Jones, Doomed, Wmsn WV, June 20, 1920, Speeches Steel, p213———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday June 26, 1920
Pike County, Kentucky – Miners Marched in Chains by Company Gunthugs

From The Buffalo Labor Journal of June 24, 1920:

Pike Co KY Terrorized by Gunthugs, Ellsworth Co Ldr KS p1, June 24, 1920

EVICTED MINERS IN CHAINS
—–

Charleston, W. Va.-When Pike county (Ky.) miners joined the union they were evicted from company houses, chained together and marched in mud and rain 30 miles by armed guards.

This is one of the sensational statements made in a report to President Keeney, district No. 17, United Mine Workers’ union, by Thomas West, attorney, who investigated Pike county mining troubles. Pike county is opposite Matewan, where several persons were recently killed by Baldwin-Feltz detectives.

[Said the investigator:]

The miners were chained together and were walked in a pouring rain to Pike, 25 or 30 miles away. Mud was almost knee deep. Pike county deputies shot a man’s hands off on the Kentucky side of Borderland. About 30 of them were terrorizing both sides of the river. The Pike county deputies were all drunk. In my opinion they constitute one of the most dangerous gangs of men I ever came in contact with.

[Newsclip added from Ellsworth County Leader of Kansas of June 24, 1920.]

From the Duluth Labor World of June 26, 1920:

MINERS HAVE NO TIME FOR
W. VA. PRIVATE POLICE
—–
Protest Against Continued Use-
Demand That U. S. Senate
Make Investigation.
—–

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., June 25.— Every possible effort is being made by the United Mine Workers of America to bring about a full and thorough investigation of conditions in West Virginia under which coal miners are employed. The recent battle between coal miners and coal company gun­men at Matewan, W. Va., in which 10 men were killed, has caused the officials of the union to redouble their efforts to induce congress to make a sweeping probe of the situation.

Operating under the guise of private detectives, hundreds of gunmen and thugs, nearly all with criminal records, are employed by coal operators of some fields of West Virginia, and these men enforce a reign of terror among the miners and their families. Miners are beaten, slugged and shot. They are arrested and thrown in prison on no valid pretext whatever.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Buffalo Labor Journal: “Steel Strikers Holding Firmly” & Message from William Z. Foster

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Strikes are not peace Clv UMWC p537, Sept 16, 1919———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday October 7, 1919
Buffalo, New York – Steel Strikers Standing Firm as Gibraltar

From Buffalo Labor Journal of October 2, 1919:

STEEL STRIKERS HOLDING FIRMLY
—–
Propaganda in Sunday Papers Fails in Desired Effect
-Gunmen Modest in Their Retirement
-Big Mill and the Assessors

GSS William Z Foster, Binghamton Prs n Ldr, p11, Oct 1, 1919

A flood of printer’s ink and a mountain of good white paper was utterly wasted in the campaign of propaganda which the barons of the Steel Trust and their affiliations poured forth in last Sunday’s papers of this good, old America of ours.

According to the writings of the lads employed by Kaiser Gary and his entourage, the gates of the big mills would be choked on Monday morning with the men, eager to bend their backs to the crack of the driver’s whip

Their fond anticipations failed to realize and there was no response to the weasel voice of the hired scribblers. The men are standing as firm as the rock of Old Gibraltar.

None went back-divel the wan.

In all this pyrotechnical display of the propagandists we fail to catch the sonorous voice of our old friend, False Alarm Donner. In the first week of the strike Donner could be heard with his discordant bray over the thunderous voices of both master and men. That lad made a high mark for himself as the Grand Claimant of All. He spouted interviews like a Texan oil gusher.

They have put the soft pedal on Donner and the atmosphere no longer vibrates with his amazing prognostications.

So much for friend Donner; now for the big mill with its company houses, its Moses Taylor hospital, its Smokes Creek and its favored assessments. All are interwoven closely with its desire for welfare work and its Oh! Be Joyful efforts at uplifting.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Buffalo Labor Journal: “Steel Strikers Holding Firmly” & Message from William Z. Foster” →

Hellraisers Journal: From the Duluth Labor World: Workingmen Demand Freedom for Tom Mooney

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, Monday August 5, 1918
Duluth, Minnesota – Workingmen Demand Freedom for Mooney

Labor mass meetings, demanding justice for Tom Mooney, were held across the nation on Sunday July 28th. The labor unions of Duluth, Minnesota, joined the nationwide protests, listened to speeches, and passed resolutions.

From The Labor World of August 3, 1918:

DULUTH WORKINGMEN ASK
“TOM” MOONEY’S FREEDOM
—–
Declare Condemned Man Was Convicted
on Perjured Evidence and Demand
He Be Granted New Trial Without Delay.
—–

Tom and Rena Mooney, crpd, ISR, Dec 1916
Rena and Tom Mooney

Duluth workingmen, at a largely attended meeting held at Owls’ hall last Sunday evening [July 28th], joined in the nation-wide protest against the proposed legal murder of Thomas J. Mooney at San Francisco. A. G. Catlin of Duluth Typographical union served as chairman and speeches were made by W. E. Towne of Duluth and Arthur Le Sueur of St. Paul.

Mr. Towne reviewed the history of the Mooney case, pointing out that all other persons charged with being participants in the alleged conspiracy had been acquitted by juries, including Mrs. Mooney, wife of the condemned man. He revealed the fact that since Mooney was tried it has been conclusively proven and admitted by the attorney general of the state that two of the witnesses against him were self-confessed perjurers and had been so found in other cases where they seemed to have served as professional witnesses.

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Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1917, Part II: Found at Miners’ Convention at Kansas City

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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That old blood sucker,
the kaiser, ought to
be kicked off his throne.
-Mother Jones

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday December 22, 1917
Mother Jones News for November, Part II: Supports President Wilson

From the Pittsburg, Kansas, Sun of November 15, 1917:

MINERS VOTE TO REJECT THE
AUTOMATIC PENALTY
—–

MAJORITY WAS 18 WITH KANSAS MINERS
OUTVOTING THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
—–

Howat Stands Pat in a Fiery Speech
—–

President John Wilkinson and “Mother Jones”
Urges Miners to Vote for Wilson
and Against the Kaiser
—–

Alex Howat, UMW Dist 14 Prz, crpd, Sun Ptt KS, Dec 12, 1917

Kansas City, Nov. 14.-Delegates representing the coal miners of Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas in convention here tonight voted to reject the automatic penalty clause insisted on by Dr. H. A. Garfield, federal fuel administrator, as a part of their working agreement. The vote was 185 to 167…

Kansas Outvoted Others.

…It was announced that the vote by districts was as follows: Kansas, for the resolution, 129; against, 11; Oklahoma-Arkansas, for 22; against, 105; Missouri, for, 34; against 51.

Howat for Rejection.

The adoption of the resolution came at the end of a day of debate in which “Mother Jones” and John Wilkinson, president of district 21, counseled against the rejection of the clause and Alexander Howat, president of district 14, vehemently urged its rejection.

“Mother Jones” and Wilkinson urged the acceptance of the clause on the ground of patriotism.

[Mother Jones declared:]

It’s our to stand by the president and the nation in this crisis. Our business now is to help the government lick hell out of the Kaiser and then we will lick hell out of the operators. President Wilson and Dr. Garfield will see that no injustice is done you through the working of this hateful clause. And I pledge myself to go before the president and Mr. Garfield and obtain relief if you want me to.

As “Mother Jones” left the platform she said:

Vote for the clause, boys, it’s a vote for Wilson and he’ll vote for you.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for November 1917, Part II: Found at Miners’ Convention at Kansas City” →