Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday March 17, 1920
Tacoma, Washington – Labor Jury Finds Centralia Defendants Not Guilty
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 16, 1920:
ASSERT EVIDENCE SHOWS GRIMM HAD CONSPIRED
TO ATTACK CENTRALIA HALL
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(Special to The Bulletin.)
Tacoma, Wash., March 16.-The “labor jury” composed of six representatives of various labor organizations on the coast who attended the trial of the 10 I. W. W. W. charged with the Centralia Armistice day killings, today announced the result of their deliberation. The “jury” found that:
There had been a conspiracy on the part of Centralia business men to raid the I. W. W. hall at Centralia.
That Warren O. Grimm was a party to the conspiracy.
That the defendants failed to get an impartial trial.
The members of the labor jury were appointed by labor organizations to sit at the trial as spectators and to place themselves in the attitude of fair and impartial jurors and to return a verdict of their findings as the result of the testimony offered at the trial. The jurors, now that they have made their decision, will report to their respective bodies. It can be stated the decision of the “labor jury” represents the official attitude of organized labor, whose accredited representatives the jurors were.
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:
(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.
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.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday March 6, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Witness Swears Grimm Led Attack on I. W. W. Hall
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 1, 1920:
Witness Swears Grimm Leading Attack
on Workers When Killed
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Labor Jury Recommends Demand by Workers for
Removal of Soldiers From Montesano.
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(Special to the Bulletin.)
Montesano, March 1.-In a telegram sent late Saturday to the labor councils of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Centralia and Portland, and also to the metal trades councils of Seattle and Portland, the labor jury attending the trial here has recommended that the withdrawal of regular troops from Montesano be demanded of the governor. The telegram sent out by the labor representatives follows:
“We, the labor committe, request you to demand of Governor Hart the withdrawal of the troops. They are not needed. They are here to an atmosphere.”
Members of the labor jury based their action on the refusal by Prosecutor Allen of Lewis county, who called for the troops, to reveal the information he claimed to have as a justification for calling the troops.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 29, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Centralia I. W. W. Defended by Attorney Vanderveer
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of February 28, 1920:
LEGIONAIRES ATTACKED HALL
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Witness Testifies Paraders Broke Ranks and
Smashed Windows Before a Shot Was Fired.
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(Special United Press Wire.)
Montesano, Feb. 28.-Forrest Cameron, 19, witness in the Centralia trial, today testified the soldiers and paraders broke ranks and started toward the Centralia I. W. W. hall before there was any shooting. Several witnesses told of the movement toward the hall, but more were uncertain whether it preceded or followed the shooting from the hall.
“I heard the crash of glass and saw them breaking in the door,” Cameron said. “After a short interval shooting followed.”
Mrs. Mary Sherman testified she saw the soldiers make a break for the hall, but did not know whether the shooting was before or after they smashed the door.
During cross-examination by Prosecutor Abel, Mrs. Sherman admitted she did not think the defendants were guilty.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday February 3, 1920
Centralia, Washington – Lumber Barons Plot Murder, Never Charged
From the New York Liberator of February 1920:
Murder in Centralia
By J. T. Doran of the I. W. W.
ON Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1919, a mob broke into the I. W. W. hall at Centralia, Washington, and five of them were killed. The attackers came from a passing parade of ex-service men. The same day an ex-serviceman, Wesley Everetts [Everest] by name, was seized by a mob, dragged through the streets and lynched.
The Truth About Centralia by Maurice Becker —–
The lynchers of Wesley Everetts are known. They have not been indicted. They will never be tried for their crime. That is because Wesley Everetts was a member of the I. W. W.
But ten members of the I. W. W. (including five ex-servicemen) have been arrested and charged with conspiring to fire upon and kill the men in the parade as it passed their hall; they are charged with having plotted and planned to do this thing for two weeks in advance of the act; they are charged with doing this as an attack upon the Government. They are going to be tried for murder.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday January 27, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Centralia I. W. W. Defendants Threatened
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of January 26, 1920:
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CENTRALIA I. W W. FORCED TO TRIAL IN TOWN
WHERE LYNCHING IS THREATENED —–
(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.
Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 15, 1919
Seattle, Washington – Union Record Editor and Staff Arrested
From The Nation of December 13, 1919:
A Newspaper Confiscated—And Returned
By ANNA LOUISE STRONG
[Part II of II.]
Spokane Spokesman-Review November 15, 1919
Meantime [as more facts came to light concerning the Centralia outrage] The Record had been seized. Two hours before the seizure the other competing newspapers knew of it, and proclaimed it on the streets. Reporters, camera men, and moving-picture men accompanied the deputies. The editor, and the president and secretary of the board of trustees, were arrested and later released on bail. The employees were cleared out of the building which was then searched. Much material was carted away. The seizure occurred while the presses were turning out the regular home edition, and their work was stopped. The staff was told, rather vaguely, that the place was closed. Later in the evening the proprietors again obtained possession of the plant, with the assurance that there was no intention of holding it. However, on the following day, when the main edition was on the press, the marshal again arrived, stated that the plant was indefinitely closed, and gave the employees half an hour to clear out. The first act of one of the deputies was to take down the telephone, call up a competing newspaper, and announce “We’ve shut her down tight.”
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