Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Invades Canada, Supports Striking Coal Miners of Ladysmith and Nanaimo, Vancouver Island

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Quote Mother Jones, Stick Together, MI Mnrs Bltn p1, Aug 14, 1913—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday June 12, 1914
Mother Jones Invades Canada to Support Miners of Ladysmith and Nanaimo

From The Winnipeg Tribune of  June 5, 1914
-Called to Aid Nanaimo Strikers, Mother Jones Insists, “I’ll go in spite of you!”

Mother Jones Barred from Canada, Wpg Tb p1, June 5, 1914

The coal miners of Nanaimo, British Columbia put out a call to Mother Jones to come and assist them with their strike. They are members of the United Mine Workers of America who have been on strike since August of last year. They have suffered all the usual consequence of the striking coal miner: military despotism and mass arrests. In March, many of those arrested were sentenced, some to six months, and some to four years in prison.

Mother Jones was labeled a “disturbing element” by the chief of the provincial police of British Columbia and was prevented, from boarding a steamer for Victoria by Canadian immigration officers and told that she was barred from Canada.

Labor Secretary William B. Wilson, former official of the U. M. W. of A., was contacted by Frank Farrington, western representative of the mine worker’s union, and Wilson sent a message requesting that Mother Jones “be accorded every right she is entitled to as an American citizen.

“Mother Jones made this statement regarding her status as a “disturbing element” threatening the peace of the citizens of Canada:

I am past 80 years and have never been charged with a crime, and so I cannot understand why I am prevented from entering a friendly nation. I never quarrel and I believe in law and order, and I do not blame the man who stopped me, for he had his order from higher up. He is merely carrying out a policy that means “You shall not educate my slaves,” but it is a mistaken view and is bound to fall finally. I had been invited to go to British Columbia and did not know that I was committing any wrong in accepting the invitation of the mine workers there.

Efforts continued on behalf of Mother Jones to enable her to go to the aid of her boys in Nanaimo.

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Hellraisers Journal: Everett Trades Council Elects Delegate for Upcoming Chicago Tom Mooney Defense Conference

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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 – Sunday January 5, 1919
Everett, Washington – Trades Council to Send Delegate to Chicago

From the Everett Labor Journal of January 3, 1919:

EVERETT’S ORGANIZED LABOR ELECTS
DELEGATE TO CHICAGO
—–
Big Meeting of Trades Unionists Last Wednesday
Night at Red Men’s Wigwam.
—–

Tom Mooney, Chicago Conference, Union Advocate Cfvl KS p1, Dec 29, 1918

Wednesday, January 1, 1919.

The Council was called to order at the usual time by President Gulley.

The Trades Council, having invited the membership of the several trades unions in the city to meet with it a larger hall was necessary and the Red Men’s Hall was secured for the occasion.

Members of nearly all the unions were in attendance and a large meeting was the result.

There were present President Short and ex-President Marsh of the Washington State Federation of Labor, which added zest to the meeting.

Bro. Short addressed the meeting briefly, calling special attention to conditions existing in California growing out of the Mooney case and then discussed the subject of reconstruction. He said the nation had entered the war in a state of unpreparedness and had “made good” in helping to destroy autocracy, but was now confronted by as serious a problem in the reconstruction made necessary by changed conditions. This new problem would tax the deepest thought of the greatest minds in the country and its solution would require all the wisdom, and experience of the people. Relating to the proposed strike in defense of Mooney and his co-defendants he said it was ill-advised. It lacked organization as to its national significance. If there should be a strike it should be confined to the State of California where the trouble lay. Industrially and politically California was so strongly organized by the corporation employers of labor that united effort must be put forth to crush that opposition to the welfare of the workers.

California was the offender and to California should be applied |the drastic remedy implied by a general strike. If a nation-wide strike were necessary there must needs be nation-wide preparation for it if success in the use of this last weapon of labor’s defense be made successful…..

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Hellraisers Journal: From Appeal to Reason: Debs Special Paints the Coast Red-California, Oregon and Washington

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Quote EVD Nature's Bounty, Girard, May 16, 1908
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday October 7, 1908
The Red Special Paints a Crimson Streak Up the Pacific Coast States

From the Appeal to Reason of September 26, 1908:

EVD re Red Special West Coast, AtR p4, Sept 26, 1908

—–

San Bernardino.

T, AtR p4, Sept 26, 1908HE first evening meeting after the crimson flyer left Salt Lake City was held at San Bernardino, California, September 8. For the purpose a large park pavilion had been secured and the largest attendance at any political gathering in the history of the city greeted the speakers from the train and the veteran Comrade N. A. Richardson, well known wherever the Appeal is read as the author of that mighty little pamphlet, “The Introduction to Socialism.”

Excursion trains were run in from neighboring points; and, after 4,000 people had crowded the great auditorium, hundreds were turned away because it was physically impossible to find room for one more. Although the train arrived a half hour ahead of time several hundred were at the station to meet it and listen to the concert by the band which pleased even those benighted brethren whose minds were yet befogged with capitalistic teaching.

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Hellraisers Journal: Red Doran Has Seen Warrant & Warns Editor Watts of Northwest Worker; Wells Jury Hung

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True patriotism hates injustice
in its own land
more than anywhere else.
-Clarence Darrow

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 28, 1917
Everett, Washington – Editor Watts Warned of Warrant

From The Northwest Worker of September 27, 1917:

HOW THEY LOVE US

Northwest Worker, ed HW Watts, Sept 27, 1917

We are informed by “Red” Doran I. W. W. organizer, that he has seen a warrant that has been issued for the arrest of ye editor [H. W. Watts], three other Socialists and four I. W. W. It seems too bad that the authorities will persist in disturbing us from our peaceful pursuits. We have been in jail four times already and if they keep it up it will soon be like home to us. Guess we must be too autocratic and they want to get us out of the way in order that America might be “made safe for Democracy.” We know, dear reader, that you are sick and tired of hearing that term, but it is the only string the jingoes have on their fiddle and we want to help them fiddle it so that it will wear out.

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: Everett Prisoners Freed; IWW Organizing Drives Declared in Lumber, Mining, and Marine Transport

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Don’t Mourn, Organize!
-Joe Hill

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday June 1, 1917
From the International Socialist Review: Telegram from Washington

INDUSTRIAL ACTION NEWS

Everett Massacre, Prisoners Released Telegram, ISR June 1917

—–

Everett Free Speech, Class War Prisoners at Cemetery, May 12, 1917, WCS

ON the 5th of November, 1916, five working men, members of the Industrial Workers of the World, were shot to death on the docks at Everett, Wash., by hirelings of either the mill owners of the State of Washington, or the Commercial Club of Everett, Wash. Forty-six other workers were wounded.

For this crime, seventy-three workers were jailed for six months under various charges and on the 5th day of May, this year, Thomas H. Tracy was acquitted of a murder charge after a trial lasting two months. Now comes the good news of “all prisoners released.” Another clean cut victory for the fighting I. W. W.!
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Hellraisers Journal: Victory for Industrial Workers of the World: Tom Tracy Found Not Guilty by Seattle Jury

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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 May 7, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Victory for Everett Defense!

From The Seattle Star of May 5, 1917:

Everett Massacre, Tracy Freed, Stt Str, May 5, 1917

From the Everett Prisoners’ Defense Committee:

Everett Massacre, Def News #23, Tracy Freed, May 5, 1917

Everett Class War Prisoners 1916-17, Thomas H Tracy

SEATTLE, Wash., May 5th.-Thomas H. Tracy after a trial lasting exactly two months, has been acquitted. It is also exactly six months since the red outrage of Bloody Sunday on November 5. The fifth seems to be a significant date in this case and on November 5th was the trouble; on March 5th Tracy’s trial started and on May 5th he secured his acquittal.

JURY DELIBERATES 21 HOURS.

The case went to the jury yesterday, Friday, at 11:30 a. m. and the verdict was handed to the clerk of the court at 8:30 this morning. The Los Angeles sleuth, Malcolm McLaren, was rushing up to the courtroom to hear the verdict when he met Tracy himself returning in freedom! The famous “defective” did not look very happy at that moment!

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Hellraisers Journal: Albert Brilliant for the Seattle Union Record: “Tracy Defense Scores Heavily”

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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, Wednesday April 25, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Trial of Fellow Worker Tom Tracy Continues

On April 18th the trial of Tom Tracy was taken to the scene of Everett’s Bloody Sunday where deputized company gunthugs shot down five of our fellow workers who were engaged in a struggle there for Free Speech. The description of the Court’s visit to Everett is covered in the article below.

From the Seattle Union Record of April 21, 1917:

TRACY DEFENSE SCORES HEAVILY

By ALBERT BRILLIANT

Everett Massacre, Tom Tracy, Trial Photo, ab Mar 5, 1917

The defense succeeded in striking another blow at the state’s evidence in the trial of Thomas H. Tracy, who is being tried as an abettor in a conspiracy to murder before Judge Ronald of King county superior court, when it subpoenaed Fred Luke, a deputy sheriff who was in the employ of Snohomish county at the time of the free speech fight and whose name has been constantly mentioned by the witnesses in the course of their testimony. This makes the second deputy who disclosed the inside of the Commercial club’s scheme, in stopping free speech.

Luke testified that he was present at Rowan’s meeting but did not hear anything said to which as an officer of the law he could take exception. The reason he caused the arrest of Rowan was because McRae had give him orders to. He denied that any violence or disobedience to authorities was ever advocated at I. W. W. meetings that he attended. He told about the crowd that gathered around the county jail, but it was “easily dispersed.” The fence that been broken down was there for a long time; it had rotten posts, the witness explained. There was no resistance at the time the crowd was dispersed. Mrs. Frenett was around but he did not hear her incite anyone to violence. When he was asked by Attorney Vanderveer why the deputies had white handkerchiefs he replied, “So we would not beat up our own men.”

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Hellraisers Journal: Tracy Defense Presents Its Case: Louis Skaroff Testifies to Brutality at Everett Jail

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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 April 16, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Charles Ashleigh Reports on Tracy Trial

Everett Defense News #20, Apr 14, 1917

Everett Massacre, Snohomish County Jail, WCS p116 w text

SEATTLE, Wash., April 14th.-During the last week the Defense, in the case of Thomas H. Tracy, one of the 73 men charged with murder of a deputy on Nov. 5th in Everett, has been bringing its big guns to bear upon the edifice of lies and falsity which the Prosecution had erected. The covering has been torn away from Everett and the city has been exposed in all its native reek.


EVERETT MAYOR’S BRUTALITY REVEALED.

Last Monday, Louis Skaroff, a young Russian boy, gave his testimony which the Defense announced was intended to impeach the evidence of Mayor Merrill. Skaroff was in Everett on Bloody Sunday, Nov. 5th. He had the courage to get up on the street corner, after the massacre at the dock, and begin to speak. Of course, he was immediately arrested. Following is his account, under examination, of the treatment he received in jail:

On Monday evening following my arrest I was lying on a table in the tank, asleep, when the jailer called for me. Somebody woke me and told me to put on my clothes as the Mayor wanted to speak to me.

THE MODERN INQUISITION.

[Continued Skaroff:]

I was taken into a room in the jail where there was an iron bed. It appeared to be an officer’s rest-room. There were three men in there: the night officer, a man who posed as an Immigration Officer and Mayor Merrill. They sat me in a chair and started asking questions. Then they talked some more; and then the night officer began to beat me up. When he got tired, the Mayor started in on me. He beat me terribly and then threw me on the floor and walked on me. Then they put my fingers under the leg of the bed and the Mayor and another jumped on the bed. Then they took me back to the cell and on the way knocked me down four times.

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Hellraisers Journal: Charles Ashleigh Reports on Tracy Trial: Former Sheriff Don McRae Testifies for Prosecution

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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, Tuesday April 3, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Prosecution Calls Ex-Sheriff Don McRae

Everett Defense News Letter of March 30, 1917:

Everett Defense News #18, Mar 30, 1917

SEATTLE, Wash., March 30th, 1917,-The case of the Prosecution in the trial of Thomas H. Tracy is drawing to a close. It is probable that the Prosecution will rest its case tomorrow, Saturday the 31st.

THE SHERIFF TESTIFIES.

Everett Massacre, Sheriff McRae, Stt P-I, Nov 6, 1916, crpd

EX-Sheriff Donald McRae, famous leader of the Commercial Club vigilantes, was one of the star witnesses for the Prosecution. His appearance and demeanor, however, were not calculated to impress the jury very favorably. McRae showed that he did not belie his reputation for toughness. His callous admissions of brutality in the affair of the launch “Wanderer” on Sept. 22nd, when Capt. Mitten and several passengers were taken off the boat and severely beaten up and jailed, aroused nothing but a keen sense of loathing in the court.

In the matter of the Beverly Park atrocity, McRae also claimed ignorance. He admitted that he had helped to kidnap 41 workingmen and drive them in autos to Beverly Park but, when questioned about the gauntlet-running that took place there, he maintained that he had driven straight back after unloading his human freight, and therefore had witnessed nothing.

WEIRD CONCEPTION OF
SHERIFF’S DUTIES.

The hot cross-examination of Attorney George Vanderveer, for the Defense, disturbed the ex-sheriff a good deal. There were some startling revelations of the manner in which the County officials had taken up the government of the City of Everrett, probably because the Sheriff and his deputies were more willing to carry out the mandates of the lumber barons than were the city officials. The arbitrary jailing of men for no earthly reason other than that they were union men or believed in Free Speech, the beating-up and deportation of others,-all this without any formal charging or commitment-these things were painfully drawn from the enraged but helpless ex-Sheriff by the persistent cross-examination.

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