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 – Friday August 1, 1919
Leavenworth Penitentiary – Ralph Chaplin Released on Bond
From the Madison Capital Times of July 31, 1919:
I.W.W. Leader to Gain Release From Prison
Fellow Worker Ralph Chaplin, Prisoner #13104
CHICAGO – Bonds for the release of Ralph H. Chaplin, one of the ninety-three I. W. W.’s sentenced to the Leavenworth penitentiary last August were approved in federal court here on Tuesday. William Bross Lloyd, Chicago’s millionaire socialist; Harry Morris, an accountant, and Jacob Bruning, a farmer of Dekalb county, were on the sureties.
[Photograph and emphasis added.]
From The Topeka Daily Capital of July 31, 1919:
ANOTHER I. W. W. RELEASED.
Leavenworth, July 30.–Ralph Chaplin, sent to the federal prison here in 1918, upon conviction with ninety-two other I. W. W.’s of violating the espionage act, was released today on $10,000 bond, pending an appeal and has left for Chicago.
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday July 31, 1919
Leavenworth, Kansas – Haywood and Miller Released on Bond
From The Leavenworth Times of July 29, 1919:
HAYWOOD WILL GO ON SPEAKING
TOUR OF THE U. S.
—–
Says That I. W. W.’s Want Him to
Address Them in Many Places.
—–
NEVER WAS DISLOYAL, HE SAYS.
—–
Is Opposed to War, but Wanted America to Win
-Has No Personal Complaint to Make
About Prison Treatment.
—–
William D. Haywood, I. W. W. leader, was released from the Federal penitentiary shortly after 10 o’clock yesterday morning. He did not get out Sunday as expected, because the letter containing his approved bond did not reach the prison until yesterday morning. Haywood was already for departure and he went out within half an hour after the bond was received.
The bond for $15,000 for the release of Haywood was signed by Otto C. Cristienson [Christensen], William Bross Lloyd and Mary C. Marcy. They are all said to live in Chicago, although the palace of residence of the signers was not given. There has been considerable trouble about getting a bond for Haywood that Judge Landis of the Federal court in Chicago would approve, and it can be taken for granted that this is a guilt edge one.
A bond came in on the same mail for the release of Francis C. Miller, another I. W. W. leader serving a ten year term. It was for $10,000 and was signed by Otto C. Christienson, Margaret Schipman, Albert De Silvers and John Metzen. The bond for the release of Ralph Chaplin did not come in and he was unable to go out with Haywood and Miller.
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday July 17, 1919
Chicago, Illinois – Arrested for Speech Critical of Government
-Dissident to be “turned over to the government.”
From The Chicago Sunday Tribune of July 13, 1919:
Find Red Flag Poem on
Peace Treaty Assailer
—–
Frank Michalucine, of 14 West Superior street, was arrested in a poolroom at North Clark and West Huron streets yesterday after he is said to have made derogatory remarks about the government and the treaty which is now before congress for ratification.
When searched at the detective bureau a copy of a poem called “The Red Flag” and said to have been written by Ralph Chaplin an inmate of the Leavenworth penitentiary, was found in his pocket.
Michalucine was arrested some time ago by federal agents on the same charge but was released. He will be turned over to the government tomorrow.
We respect [the IWW] as one of the
social and political movements
in modern times that draws no color line.
-WEB DuBois for The Crisis ———-
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday June 7, 1919
Fellow Worker Ben Fletcher, Prisoner at Leavenworth, Remembered
From The Crisis of June 1919:
I. W. W.
[by W.E.B. Du Bois]
Fellow Worker Ben Fletcher
AN editorial in the Easter CRISIS (written during the Editor’s absence) has been misunderstood and was, perhaps, itself partially misleading.
Mr. F. H. M. Murray of Washington, D. C., writes us:
In a recent editorial in your magazine the statement is made that there are no Negroes among the Industrial Workers of the World. While I am certain that the statement is erroneous, I am not at this moment able to lay my hands on anything in print to confirm my denial, except the following from an article in last Sunday’s New York Call magazine, by David Karsner, who reported the trial of the big batch of members of the I. W. W- in Chicago last summer and later the trial of the five Socialists at the same place. He is writing about Judge Kenesaw M. Landis, who presided at both trials and who imposed upon the hundred or so I. W. W., who were convicted, and the five Socialists, sentences aggregating over nine hundred years in prison and fines aggregating over two millions of dollars. Mr. Karsner says:
“There was only one defendant among the I. W. W., to my knowledge, who refused to believe in Judge Landis [during the trial]. He was Ben Fletcher, the sole Negro defendant. One day in the corridor I asked Ben what he thought of Judge Landis. Ben smiled broadly, ‘He’s a fakir. Wait until he gets a chance; then he’ll plaster it on thick.’ Ben was a sure-thing prophet, for the Judge plastered him with ten years, and his counsel said with not enough evidence to invite a reprimand.”
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday May 28, 1919
From Leavenworth Penitentiary Comes Urgent Request for Bail
From The New Solidarity of May 24, 1919:
BAIL URGENTLY NEEDED BY LEAVENWORTH MEN
[-by Fellow Workers Joseph J. Gordon and Pietro Nigra.]
—–
This communication explains the necessity of getting some of the Fellow Workers out of jail as early as possible.
Four Fellow workers, Walsh, Lorton, Hamilton and Plahn are in permanent isolation, segregated from the others and have no way of keeping in communication with the other boys. These boys are always in danger of violence from the officials and should be gotten out on bonds immediately.
Fellow Worker Perry is in the hospital with tuberculosis, has had several relapses. Has no one who can go his bonds. Also Andreytchine is tubercular but has funds. Several of the Fellow Workers of the one year men will be released about June 18, 1919. Those who will be held for deportation will be arrested upon their release from prison and will have to stay in jail until the disposition of the cases by the Appellate Court, which may be from six months to a year or two. If these men can be released on bonds of $1,000.00 the authorities will have to pay their transportation to their homes.
———-
———-
———-
———-
———-
———-
———-
———-