Tag: Duluth MN

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Greets Carlo Tresca and Other Defendants in Minnesota Courtroom

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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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, Friday September 15, 1916
Duluth, Minnesota – I. W. W. Defendants in Court

From The Duluth News Tribune of September 14, 1916:

EGF, Tresca, MN Iron Miners Strike, Logansport (IN) Daily Tb, July 29, 1916NINE I. W. W.’S AWAIT, DECISION
—–
Attorneys for Prisoners Argue Motion
to Quash Indictments for Murder.
—–
COURT TO DECIDE TODAY
—–
Other Prisoners Indicted for Offenses
on Range Plead Guilty.
—–

Whether or not the nine prisoners indicted for murder in the first degree for the alleged killing of James Myron, deputy sheriff, at Biwabik, will go free or whether they will have to face trial will be known this morning at 9:00 o’clock when Judge Bert Fesler will give his decision in the district court on a motion made by attorneys for the defense to quash indictments on the grounds of illegal search and seizure of certain property of the defendants by Sheriff John Meining.

Arguments lasted all day and were concluded late yesterday afternoon. Assistant County Attorney Boyle of Virginia represented the state while Attorney John A. Keyes of Duluth assisted by Attorneys Arthur Le Seur of Fort Scott, Kansas and L. O. Whitsell of Denver, Colo., appeared for the defendants.

Prisoners Greet Friends.

The prisoners sitting in the front row of chairs just inside the railing waved greetings to scores of friends, who attended the hearing. Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, noted I. W. W. speaker was an interested spectator. Carlo Tresco sat with Sam Scarlet [Scarlett] and Joseph Schmidt, all indicted I. W. W. agitators, listened intently to the proceedings. Tresco has raised a luxuriant goatee since his imprisonment, giving him a rather distinguished look. He appeared to be unable to keep his hands away from it. Mrs. Marsonovitch [Masonovich] sat with her husband and from time to time talked excitedly with much gesticulation.

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Hellraisers Journal: Repression on the Mesabi Range: The Masonovich and Andreytchine Cases

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: Friday September 8, 1916
From the International Socialist Review: Minnesota Justice

The Masonovich Case

INVADING MINERS’ HOMES

By OTTO CHRISTENSEN

p-m-masonovich-boarders-isr-sept-1916

ON the afternoon of July 3rd mine guard Nick Dillon, in company with three guards, invaded the home of Phillip Mesomovich [Masonovich]. Now Dillon, who led the guards, has served as a mine guard for several years both in Minnesota and Colorado. He has also served as a strong arm man identified with the assignation house in the neighborhood of Virginia, Minnesota. The notorious Dillon is known to most of the people on the range, and he was the only mine guard of the four that was known to any of the Mesomovich family.

When the guards entered the house Mrs. Mesomovich offered them chairs to sit down, but Nick Dillon replied that they had not come to sit down, but came to take Phillip Mesomovich and Joe Hercigonovich to jail. Mrs. Mesomovich replied to Dillon, “You fellows will not take my husband to jail before Old Man O’Hara comes from Biwabik.” O’Hara was the village marshal of Biwabik and the Mesomovich family lived at the Chicago location, which is within the village limits of Biwabik. Mrs. Mesomovich’s husband was asleep at the time, but came out of the bedroom shortly after the guards had entered the home. Mesomovich asked for his shoes and Mrs. Mesomovich started toward the bedroom when Dillon assaulted her. Mrs. Mesomovich told her story as follows:

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Hellraisers Journal: George P West on Mesabi Iron Range Strike: 1000 Gunthugs Deputized by Sheriff Meining

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: Thursday September 7, 1916
International Socialist Review: George P. West on Minnesota Strike

THE MESABA STRIKE
By GEORGE P. WEST

masonovich-p-m-boarders-isr-sept-1916

The following are extracts from a report on the strike of iron miners now in progress on the Mesaba range in northern Minnesota which has been submitted to the Committee on Industrial Relations by George P. West, author of the report of the United States Commission on Industrial Relations on the Colorado strike. It is based on a field investigation.

The City of Duluth, the County of St. Louis, and the State of Minnesota, as represented by Governor Burnquist and other public officials, have joined hands in a relentless effort to crush out the strike of 15,000 iron miners now in progress on the Mesaba range, 70 miles north of Duluth.

With the support and good will of the United States Steel Corporation and affiliated interests as the stake, Governor Burnquist, Sheriff John R. Meining of Duluth, County Prosecutor Green and the Duluth Chief of Police are playing at ducks and drakes with the most sacred rights of the foreign workmen who mine the ore that goes down to the ships at Duluth for shipment to the Pittsburgh mills.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mary Heaton Vorse on the Mesabi Iron Miners’ Strike in Minnesota, Part I

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, Wednesday August 30, 1916
Mesabi Range, Minnesota – “A Fierce and Important Struggle”

From The Outlook: Report of Mary Heaton Vorse, Part I:

THE MINING STRIKE IN MINNESOTA
-FROM THE MINERS’ POINT OF VIEW

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE OUTLOOK

March, Mesabi, Marcy, ISR Aug 1916

ONE of the most sinister aspects of life in this country is the failure of the serious and thinking people to obtain prompt information about the various industrial struggles and to get at the causes which are at the root of our industrial unrest.

Since June 3 a strike has been waged on the Mesaba Range, Minnesota, whose largest single owner is the Oliver Iron Mining Company, an arm of the Steel Trust. This strike has affected the life, not only of the twelve thousand miners employed on the Range, but of ten towns and villages from Aurora to Hibbing, a distance of sixty miles. The strike has been characterized by the prompt deputizing of a large force of gunmen, numbering, according to Sheriff J. R. Meining, of Duluth, over a thousand; more, according to residents of the Range towns.
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Hellraisers Journal: War on the Mesabi, Forts and Searchlights Part of Plan Against Striking Iron Miners

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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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, Friday August 18, 1916
Mesabi Iron Range, Minnesota-I. W. W. Leaders Under Arrest

From Indiana’s Evansville Press of August 17, 1916:

LEADERS OF MESABI MINE STRIKE KIDNAPPED?
FORTS AND SEARCHLIGHTS PART OF WAR PLAN!

Special Correspondence.
EGF, Tresca, MN Iron Miners Strike, Ev IN, Aug 17, 1916

HIBBING, Minn., Aug, 17.-“Forts” are being erected by gunmen of the steel trust interest in the hills of Mesabi iron range; searchlights play by night over the mining villages, up and down the main streets of Hibbing, Virginia and Eveleth; kidnaping, the “bullpen” and wholesale intimidation are said to be an attempt to crush the growing strike of workers.

Put in Jail

On the smaller Cuyuna range, south of this district, the strike already has resulted in a miners’ victory, and this fact is spurring the Mesabi strikers on to greater effort and sacrifices in their own strike.

The county jail at Duluth, 75 to 100 miles from the scene of the strike, is filled with miners’ leaders arrested on technical charges of “murder,” the only excuse for which seems to be in the fact that in a free-for-all fight at Biwabik, responsibility for which has not been yet fixed, two men were killed!

All the miners arrested on “murder” or “riot” charges are railroaded down to Duluth, where there is a large colony in jail, including Joe Schmidt, Carlo Tresca, Frank Little, Sam Scarlett and Jos. Gilday all prominent strike leaders.
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Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Speaks to Striking Miners on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 14, 1916
Mesabi Range, Minnesota – Miss Flynn Fights for MinersFrom the Duluth News Tribune of July 12, 1916:

GURLEY FLYNN IS SORRY SHE WASN’T
ON RANGE EARLIER
—–

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Reno Gz-Jr, July 12, 1916

GILBERT, Aug. 12.-“I wish that I had been in charge of this strike at the start. The demands of the miners would have been higher that $3 per day,” was the statement of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, strike agitator, speaking to a crowd at the Socialist hall here.

Joseph J. Ettor, Miss Flynn and other I. W. W.s have been addressing crowds on all parts of the range during the week. All of the meetings are almost the same, the press, the mining companies and the government being flayed on each occasion.

At each meeting strikers are asked to make out affidavits of abuse at the hands of mining companies or the captains and these are being present to the federal investigators.
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Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Urges Miners to Leave the Mesabi and Head Out to Harvest Fields

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday July 29, 1916
Mesabi Range, Minnesota: Miss Flynn Speaks to Striking Miners

EGF, Tresca, MN Iron Miners Strike, Logansport (IN) Daily Tb, July 29, 1916


From The Duluth News Tribune of
July 24, 1916:

I. W. W. LEADER GOES BACK TO STRIKE ZONE
—–
Elizabeth G. Flynn’s Departure Causes
Postponement of Rallies in Duluth.
—–

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, I. W. W. leader, returned to the range yesterday, forcing the postponement of last night’s meetings here, at which she was scheduled to appear to renew her local efforts for funds with which to continue the strike.

It was announced at local I. W. W. headquarters that Miss Flynn, after arriving in the city Saturday night to fill Sunday’s speech-making engagements, received orders to return immediately to the range. Louis Meles, secretary of the local branch of the organization, professed ignorance of the contingency requiring her presence in the strike zone.

J. S. Randolph substituted for Miss Flynn at a street meeting last night at Sixth avenue West and Michigan street. A few dollars was collected from the throng who heard his plea for financial assistance in behalf of the miners.

“Conditions on the Range” were discussed by Einar Ljungberg, Socialist orator, in an address last night before 300 Duluth Scandinavians at the Woodman hall. It was Ljungberg’s last speech in this country before returning to his home in Stockholm, Sweden.

—–

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Hellraisers Journal: Attorney Keyes Describes Arrests of Strike Leaders Without Warrants All Along the Mesabi

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

Wednesday July 26, 1916
From The Labor World: “Facts Regarding Strike,” Part II

From the Duluth Labor World of July 22nd:

FACTS REGARDING STRIKE BECLOUDED
—–

Duluth Attorney Scores Mining Company Police,
Courts and Daily Press.
—–
LEADERS ARRESTED WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE
—–
Fate of Republic Hangs Upon Settlement
of Trouble on Range, He Says.
—–

John Arnold Keyes, Labor World, Sep 12, 1896

The real facts concerning the strike of the miners on the Mesaba range have been beclouded by misrepresentation and much prejudice aroused against the miners according to Attorney John A. Keyes of Duluth, who is acting as counsel for some of the leaders who have been placed under arrest. Mr. Keyes denounces the mining corporation police, the “gunmen” as termed by the miners, and the courts and daily press in part. Stories from the range have been highly colored Mr. Keyes declares, and so for the sake of justice, he has made the following statement regarding the cause and development of the strike and conditions up to the present time [Part II of statement by Attorney Keyes]:

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Hellraisers Journal: Attorney Keyes Speaks Out on Behalf of Mesabi Range Strikers and I. W. W. Leaders, Scores Company Police

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

Tuesday July 25, 1916
From The Labor World: “Facts Regarding Strike,” Part I


FACTS REGARDING STRIKE BECLOUDED
—–


Duluth Attorney Scores Mining Company Police,
Courts and Daily Press.
—–
LEADERS ARRESTED WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE
—–
Fate of Republic Hangs Upon Settlement
of Trouble on Range, He Says.
—–

John Arnold Keyes, Labor World, Sep 12, 1896

The real facts concerning the strike of the miners on the Mesaba range have been beclouded by misrepresentation and much prejudice aroused against the miners according to Attorney John A. Keyes of Duluth, who is acting as counsel for some of the leaders who have been placed under arrest. Mr. Keyes denounces the mining corporation police, the “gunmen” as termed by the miners, and the courts and daily press in part. Stories from the range have been highly colored Mr. Keyes declares, and so for the sake of justice, he has made the following statement regarding the cause and development of the strike and conditions up to the present time [Part I of statement by Attorney Keyes]:

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Hellraisers Journal: I. W. W. Will Attempt to Organize Dock Workers in Sympathy with Mesabi Iron Miners

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday July 20, 1916
Duluth, Minnesota – Haywood Seeks Strike Funds

From The Duluth News Tribune of July 19, 1916:

MN Iron Strike, BBH seeks funds, DNT, July 19, 1916

 

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: I. W. W. Will Attempt to Organize Dock Workers in Sympathy with Mesabi Iron Miners” →