Tag: C. W. Anderson

Hellraisers Journal: I. W. W. Class-War Prisoners of Kansas Assigned to Outside Work at Leavenworth Penitentiary

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Frank Little re Guts, Wobbly by RC p208, Chg July 1917———-

Hellraisers Journal -Friday December 26, 1919
Leavenworth Penitentiary – I. W. W. Prisoners of Kansas Will Work Outside

From The Leavenworth Post of December 22, 1919:

WORK AT PRISON
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All Were Assigned to Outside Work
By Deputy Warden This Morning…
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IWW KS Class War Prisoners, CW Anderson 14801, Leavenworth Dec 18, 1919—–

The twenty-six I. W. W. received at the federal prison last week following their conviction in Kansas City, were assigned to work by L. J. Fletcher, deputy warden, this morning . They were “mugged,” dressed in and assigned to permanent cells last Saturday.

IWW KS Class War Prisoners, Frank J Gallagher 14802, Leavenworth Dec 18, 1919—–

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Hellraisers Journal: Winthrop D. Lane for The Survey: “Uncle Sam: Jailer” – IWWs in Kansas Hell Holes-Insanity & Death

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Ralph Chaplin, When we claim our Mother Earth, Leaves 1917———-

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday September 11, 1919
I. W. W.’s Languish in Kansas Hell Holes, Part V & VI of Series by W. D. Lane

From The Survey of September 6, 1919:

IWW KS, Uncle Sam Jailer by WD Lane, Survey p806, Sept 6, 1919
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IWW KS, Investigation by WD Lane, Survey p806, Sept 6, 1919
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[Parts V & VI of VI.]

V

Several times in this account I have referred to the jails described as having been “chosen” by the United States government for the confinement of prisoners awaiting trial. Let us see what justification there is for the use of this word.

The thirty-four men held under the Wichita indictment were originally taken into custody November 21, 1917. These men were all engaged in the oil industry in Kansas. They were, for the most part, young men, some of them married, some not. Judging from their names-Anderson, Boyd, Gordon, Forbes, Stark, Sapper, Barr, Poe, Gossard, Davis, etc.—many of them were of American or Allied extraction; some foreign names were among them, but only five, so far as I learned, were accused of being enemy aliens. The indictment against them charged violation of the espionage law, the food control law and the selective service law.

On March 10, 1918, a motion to quash this indictment was filed by their attorneys. No ruling on this motion was ever made. The attorneys stood ready, therefore, to go to trial on September 24, the day set. To their surprise, a new indictment was returned on that very day. This was drawn on lines similar to the previous Chicago indictment, which had resulted in sending nearly a hundred I. W. W.’s to prison for terms varying from a few days to twenty years. The attorneys could not at once accept trial on this new indictment, and so they were granted until March 10, 1919, in which to plead.

The men who, in September, had already spent ten months in jail awaiting trial, thus faced another five and a half months of confinement. Miss Lowe, their attorney, undertook to find as comfortable jails as possible, in which, she hoped, they might be allowed to spend the winter. They were then in the Sedgwick county jail, having been transferred to it for the trial. Sheriff Sprout, at Hutchinson, agreed to take twelve of the men, and the sheriff in Winfield, where there was a modern, sanitary jail, agreed to take sixteen. Thinking that she had thus arranged accommodations for twenty-eight, Miss Lowe reported her action to the United States district attorney, Fred Robertson, who was prosecuting the case. Mr. Robertson turned a deaf ear to her plea. In vain did she dwell upon the physical condition of the men and the consequences of spending another five months amid overcrowding and filth. Mr. Robertson said that prisoners had no voice in choosing their places of incarceration, and declared.that he intended to ask Judge John C. Pollock, judge of the United States district court for Kansas, to have all of the men placed in the Wyandotte county jail in Kansas City. This was one of the worst in the state.

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Hellraisers Journal: Winthrop D. Lane for The Survey: “Uncle Sam: Jailer” – IWWs in Kansas Hell Holes-Sedgwick County Jail

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Ralph Chaplin, When we claim our Mother Earth, Leaves 1917———-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday September 10, 1919
I. W. W.’s Languish in Kansas Hell Holes, Part III & IV of Series by W. D. Lane

From The Survey of September 6, 1919:

IWW KS, Uncle Sam Jailer by WD Lane, Survey p806, Sept 6, 1919
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IWW KS, Investigation by WD Lane, Survey p806, Sept 6, 1919
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[Parts III & IV of VI.]

III

Another jail chosen by the United States for the confinement of its prisoners awaiting trial is the Wyandotte county jail at Kansas City, Kan. I shall not go into detail about this. As at Topeka, the men are kept in an inside stockade or “tank;” this has fourteen or sixteen cells and a somewhat larger bull pen than the other. The pen is artificially lighted. Little attention is paid to ventilation. Although there were upwards of thirty men in the jail at the time of my visit, only one of the thirty-six windows was opened wide and another was opened about two inches. The men complained bitterly of the cold nights, a complaint that I could readily understand when I saw what was provided them for covering. For two nights I had been cold underneath three thicknesses of blanket and a spread, and on one of these nights had got up and placed my overcoat over me. Yet these men had a single blanket apiece, which they could fold at most into two thicknesses.

The toilets, located in an end cell, were dirty and had broken seats. The men ate their meals in their cells, after wards washing their own pans and dishes. The only places where they could wash these were in the bathtub or in the tub in which they washed their clothes. The smell of garbage was almost constantly in their nostrils, since the can for the refuse from their meals was kept inside the tank and was emptied only two or three times a week. It was full when I saw it and gave off a strong odor.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the New York Rebel Worker: “Wichita Defendants Go Back to Dungeons” by FW C. W. Anderson

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Frank Little re Guts, Wobbly by RC p208, Chg July 1917———–

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday April 20, 1919
Wichita, Kansas – I. W. W. Prisoners Appear in Court

From the New York Rebel Worker of April 15, 1919:

WICHITA DEFENDANTS GO RACK TO DUNGEONS
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Starve In Jail Awaiting Trial
—–

C. W. Anderson

The Rebel Worker of Apr 15, NY Tb p88, May 25, 1919

On March 10 the former Newton group were taken to Wichita for trial, as had the other boys a day or two before. On the 12th of March all defendants were marched to the Federal court. This first day in the squared arena was taken up with the selection of a jury composed almost wholly of “farmers.” At the end of that first day the 12 men who were supposed to judge us “guilty” or “not guilty,” consisted of one banker and eleven farmers. What would you have given for our chances?

Judge Pollack suggested that the jury be picked first of all so as to enable the empaneled men to either be accepted or sent home and not to be kept waiting while the arguments were heard on the bill of particulars, demurrers, and motion to quash the indictment.

The second day in court, March 13, was taken up almost wholly by Attorney George F. Vandeveer for the defense on arguments for quashing the indictment, the return of papers illegally seized, and many other matters. Vandeveer was at his best and his talk was so clear cut and convincing that he held the attention of the entire court, including the judge, the entire period. The five counts of the indictment was literally torn to shreds.

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Hellraisers Journal: International Socialist Review “Labor Notes,” Show IWW Still Active Despite Arrests of Leaders

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Howard’s camp at Alder Creek is also working eight hours.
Twelve men from this camp donated $47 for the Idaho cases.
The camp is 100 per cent organized.
-Fellow Worker Fred Hegge

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday November 9, 1917
“Labor Notes” from the International Socialist Review

If the Plutocrats, fat on war profits, believe the ongoing round-up the leaders of the Industrial Workers of the World will put an end to the work of the One Big Union on behalf of the underpaid and overworked common laborers of the nation, the following report from the Review should disabuse them of that notion.

Labor Notes

Labor Notes, ISR Nov 1917

Agricultural Workers

THE convention of the A. W. I. U. No, 400 convened at 9:30 a. m. October 15 with about 150 members present, and adjourned October 17, 1917. Mat K. Fox was chairman of the proceedings and M. G. Bresnan recording secretary. C. W, Anderson was elected secretary-treasurer. Mat K. Fox, O. E. Gordon, M. Sapper, W. Francik, James Rohn, Louis Melis and M. G. Bresnan is the new organization committee. The convention sent greetings to all members of the I. W. W. and all class war prisoners. The A. W. I. U. No. 400 has pledged all support possible to those indicted on federal charges.

It has been suggested that all members of No. 400 donate one day’s wages toward the defense of the men in jail. Members in Chicago have already voted to do this.

From the Sacramento Valley comes the report that bumper crops are the expectation for the bean and rice growers. Shortage of labor is becoming acute. Wages are low according to the high cost of living. Workers are dissatisfied, discontent is becoming greater, and spontaneous strikes are accruing in numerous localities of these two industries. Delegates are needed by the hundreds to get into this field and organize the workers. Remember, one good man on the job is worth a dozen off the job. Everybody place your shoulder to the wheel and make this year the banner year for the agricultural workers in California. This harvest will last up to the rainy season of winter. Larger wages can be gotten by a little determination.

— C. W. Anderson, Sec’y-Treas., Minneapolis, Minn., Box 1776.

Butte and Anaconda Strike

LWIU, IWW Label, Lumber Rowan, ab 1920

FOUR months we have been on the firing line. It has been one of the greatest battles ever waged on the industrial field, and when we have won (which we will, and that shortly) the mine owners will know that they have been thru some battle. They will think twice the next time before trying to place their heel on the miner’s neck. They have run over this community for so long they thought it was theirs to do with as they pleased, without question.

Here’s to him of the hot-box, with the courage and strength to have rudely jarred and punctured their arrogant dream! To him is due a debt of gratitude for having questioned the right of the plutes to run over this community and state rough-shod; out of it is going to issue not only betterment for ourselves underground, but social and political betterment for the community and state.

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