Hellraisers Journal: From the Seattle Union Record: Charles Ashleigh Exposes Waterfront “Bomb Plot” Bunk

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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, Thursday February 22, 1917
Seattle, Washington – News from Everett Prisoners’ Defense

From the Seattle Union Record of February 17th:

TRIAL WILL BE HELD IN SEATTLE
—-
Change of Venue From Snohomish County Is Granted
-Waterfront “Bomb Plot” Blows Up
-Help Needed
—–

By CHARLES ASHLEIGH

Moore & Vanderveer, Attorneys Everett Defense

The application of our attorneys for a change of venue from Snohomish County was heard February 9, in Everett, before Judge Ronald. Moore and Vanderveer had filed a mass of evidence showing great prejudice in the county against the defendants and the working-class movement generally. The prosecution did not attempt to rebut the dozens of affidavits of prejudice submitted by the defense and the judge thereupon granted a change of venue to King County, of which Seattle is the county seat.

There is a certain amount of advantage accruing to the change of venue to Seattle, according to most comment. Upon the list of the prosecution’s witnesses are Everett bank managers, cashiers, the most prominent money-lender of the town, and others of financial importance. This means that the jury would be chary of rendering a decision which would discredit the statements of persons to whom probably a number or the jurors would owe money or to whom they would be in some manner obligated. But that does not hold good in a city such as Seattle. A little Everett bank manager would cut merely an inconsiderable figure there. In Everett he would be a large toad in a small puddle, in Seattle, he would be a very little toad in a big puddle.

Press Tries to Arouse Prejudice

The same day as the change of venue was granted, the Post-Intelligencer and The Times of Seattle came out with a frothy story about a “bomb outrage” which, they alleged, was the work of the I. W. W. A little explosion was noted on the roof of the building in which is the office of the Waterfront Employers’ Union, an Open-Shop organization on the water-front. It seems that the “explosion” was probably caused by a fire-cracker thrown out of the window of a neighboring building. The papers reported Mr. Wollen, assistant-manager of the Employers’ Union, and the police, as attributing the affair to the I. W. W. and other “disgruntled”-by which they mean class-conscious-water-front workers.

A representative of the labor press was immediately sent out to investigate the truth of the matter and it turned out that the bosses’ sheets of Seattle had been spinning some of their usual wholecloth. Manager Becker, of the waterfront Employers, said, referring to the press stories: “You may quote me as saying the stories are bunk!” Assistant-Manager Wollen, whom the papers credit with the statement that the “outrage” was perpetrated by the Industrial Workers, said: “I never said anything about an attempt on my life. I said the whole thing was a Chinese New Year’s joke and laughed it off.” Chief of Police Beckingham said he knew nothing about any police theory connecting it with the workers. “The papers will say anything to arouse prejudice against the I. W. W.,” said the chief.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Seattle Union Record: Charles Ashleigh Exposes Waterfront “Bomb Plot” Bunk”

Hellraisers Journal: Everett Defense News Letter No. 12: Caroline A. Lowe Comes to Aid of Class-War Prisoners

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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 February 20, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Caroline A. Lowe Joins Defense Team

From Charles Ashleigh for Defense News of February 17th:

Everett Massacre, Def News Letter 12, Feb 17, 1917

Seattle, Wash., Feb. 17th.

Caroline A. Lowe, Progressive Woman, Sept 1913

The panel of jurors, from which will be drawn the twelve to serve in the cases of the 74 men charged with murder, has been already published. There are 175 jurors on the list, of whom 71 are women.

MISS FLYNN HAS
SUCCESSFUL TOUR.

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn has just returned from a speaking trip through Washington, Oregon, Idaho and part of Montana in the interests of the Defense of the 74 victims of Bloody Sunday. Every where the workers have heard eagerly the facts of the tragic and brutal massacre of November 5th and have given willingly of their time, energy and money to help set free our imprisoned fellow workers. Miss Flynn will now be engaged until the trial in the State of Washington and, more especially, in King County.

WELL KNOWN WOMAN VOLUNTEERS FOR DEFENSE.

The Defense has secured most valuable aid in the services of Miss Caroline A. Lowe, a woman of national prominence, who has entered into the campaign for the release of the 74 working men who are threatened with life-long imprisonment for their belief in Free Speech. Miss Lowe is an attorney-at law, practicing in Kansas and California and was formerly vice-president of the Kansas City Teachers’ Association. She was also National Lecturer for the Socialist Party. Miss Lowe addressed the U. S. Senate Committee on National Suffrage, during the Suffrage hearing in 1911. She was prominent in the fight for Free Speech in Kansas City, Mo., in the winter of 1913-14 when the workers won a clear-cut victory, securing the right to use the streets as a public forum.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Everett Defense News Letter No. 12: Caroline A. Lowe Comes to Aid of Class-War Prisoners”

Hellraisers Journal: Part III-Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare by E. P. Marsh, President Washington State F. of L.

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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, Saturday February 17, 1917
From Everett Labor Journal: Report on Industrial Warfare, Part III

E. P. Marsh, Pres WA FoL, Everett Labor Journal, July 23, 1915, small

Over a period of three weeks, from January 26th to February 9th, The Labor Journal of Everett, Washington, published the “Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare,” by E. P. Marsh, President of the Washington State Federation of Labor, which report he had delivered on Monday January 22, 1917, the first day of that bodies annual convention. Hellraisers Journal republished Part I of that report on Thursday; we offered Part II yesterday, and we conclude the series today with Part III of the Marsh Report.

EVERETT’S INDUSTRIAL WARFARE, PART III

EVERETT’S INDUSTRIAL WARFARE;
REPORT OF PRESIDENT E. P. MARSH
—–

Everett Massacre, Fingers Donated to Lumber Trust, WCS

Shingle Weavers Declare
a Truce

A dangerous situation existed in Everett after the battle of November 5. Public feeling ran high and anything might have happened. Half a thousand citizens were under arms enraged at the Industrial Workers of the World and deadly determined to stamp out their organization in Everett. It is no exaggeration to say that, literally thousands of the working people of Everett were just as enraged toward the members of the Commercial Club who participated in the gun battle. I felt that the time had come when something simply had to be done to ease off the tense situation. As an instance of how high feeling ran let me tell you that on the following morning the mayor of the city appeared on the picket line with a high power rifle and told the union pickets that he had every reason to believe that an attempt might be made by snipers to pick them off. He asked them to scatter as much as possible, make no demonstrations whatever and declared he would defend them with his own life if necessary.

Within an hour after the battle I was in touch with Governor Lister over the situation. He advised me that he had sent the state adjutant general to Everett and would cancel all his remaining campaign engagements and come to Everett and personally take charge of the situation if I thought it necessary. One after another I got in touch with prominent ministers, attorneys and others whom I thought would act and suggested that a conference be immediately called to discuss the situation. On Monday morning a representative gathering met. Several of the most prominent men of affairs, in the city attended that conference. International President Brown, State Labor Commissioner Younger and Federal Mediator Blackman were also in attendance.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Part III-Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare by E. P. Marsh, President Washington State F. of L.”

Hellraisers Journal: Part II-Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare by E. P. Marsh, President Washington State F. of L.

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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, Friday February 16, 1917
From Everett Labor Journal: Report on Industrial Warfare, Part II

Over a period of three weeks, from January 26th to February 9th, The Labor Journal of Everett, Washington, published the “Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare,” by E. P. Marsh, President of the Washington State Federation of Labor, which report he had delivered on the first day of that bodies annual convention, Monday January 22, 1917. Hellraisers Journal republished Part I of that report yesterday; we offer Part II today, and we will concluded the series with Part III of the report tomorrow.

EVERETT’S INDUSTRIAL WARFARE, PART II

Everett Labor Journal, Feb 2, 1917

EVERETT’S INDUSTRIAL WARFARE;
REPORT OF PRESIDENT E. P. MARSH

E. P. Marsh, Pres WA FoL, Everett Labor Journal, July 23, 1915, small

Activity of the Everett Commercial Club.

I wish it were possible with a short homily to end the story here, for the sorriest part of it now begins. It is to be expected that when two men are in a fist fight, the bystander will at least keep his hands off, or, when one has been terribly beaten, insist that the fight end and the men patch up their differences. The business interests of the city were the bystanders in this struggle, but by no means “innocent.” They had every right to say to the contending parties: “You fellows have fought long enough; why don’t you quit, find out what it is all about, and see if you can’t be good friends again?”

The business interests were suffering keenly because of this struggle. The strikers [striking Shingle Weavers of Everett] were living on short rations, little money to spend for groceries, meat and shoes. The strikebreakers were being housed on mill property, fed from a commissary, spending none of their money with Everett merchants. If the Commercial Club members had a right to take a hand in the proceedings, and naturally they felt they had, for they were being hurt, it was their bounden duty to honestly investigate the truth of the statements of the contending parties, approach the whole problem in a spirit of community good, offer conciliation and mediation to both contending parties. Now notice how they went about it.

Some months previously the Commercial Club had been reorganized on the bureau plan, the various activities of the business life of the city being chartered out and turned over to various bureaus. There was an advertising bureau, a transportation bureau, etc. It became a stock concern, stock memberships being issued in blocks to employers and business houses and some distributed among employers and their employes. What a field for an industrial bureau that would have kept in touch with the human side of the city’s industries, striven for industrial peace by studying the vexatious labor problem with an eye to helping along friendly relations between employers and their men. But there was no such bureau, at least not equipped to function in the social relationship of industry. Mistake No. 1 of the Commercial Club.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Part II-Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare by E. P. Marsh, President Washington State F. of L.”

Hellraisers Journal: Part I-Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare by E. P. Marsh, President Washington State F. of L.

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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, Thursday February 15, 1917
From Everett Labor Journal: Report on Industrial Warfare, Part I

Over a period of three weeks, from January 26th to February 9th, The Labor Journal of Everett, Washington, published the “Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare,” by E. P. Marsh, President of the Washington State Federation of Labor, which report he had delivered on the first day of that bodies annual convention, Monday January 22, 1917. Hellraisers Journal will republish the entire report, in three parts, beginning today with Part I:

EVERETT’S INDUSTRIAL WARFARE, PART I

EVERETT’S INDUSTRIAL WARFARE
—–

SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT BY PRESIDENT MARSH
—–

E. P. Marsh, Pres WA FoL, Everett Labor Journal, July 23, 1915, small

For several reasons I have thought best to cover the stirring industrial events transpiring in the city of Everett during the past year in a separate report from that printed and mailed to the delegates prior to the opening of this convention. The main part of my annual report was prepared early in December. This report was prepared one month later that it might bring the situation as near as possible up to date. The seriousness of the situation, the tragedies and clashes that marked the struggle, has attracted the attention of the entire United States and the situation deserves to be dealt with quite apart from any other subject.

To relate in circumstantial detail each step of the conflict that has soiled the pages of Everett’s industrial history, would require more printer’s ink than I am at liberty to use in the Federation proceedings. It shall be my task to attempt to give you a word picture of the restless, resistless forces at work in this community which have produced near anarchy, lessened respect for constituted authority, wounded nigh unto death the community spirit which ought to prevail in every hamlet, city and town, and brought bloodshed and death in their wake. It will not be a pretty picture to look upon, but it is drawn with the hope that it will be truthful rather than fanciful, may point the way toward a different viewpoint upon the part of those who have hitherto held aloof from the industrial struggle, holding the eternal conflict between capital and labor to be no particular concern of theirs.

The labor interests, the manufacturing and commercial interests; the business and professional interests, all played a part, some unwittingly, in the weaving of their drama which ended in tragedy, and all have suffered alike from the misunderstandings, the cupidity, the bigotry, the hatred, which, mixed in the alchemy of class conflict, brought forth class hatred and its handmaiden, the law of physical force, as an arbiter of human problems. If this report shall be some times narrative, sometimes argumentative, it is with a very definite end in view. Dame Rumor shall play small part in this report, but I shall try to set forth clearly established facts. You may not agree in the end with the deductions I shall draw from the struggle, but I intend that at least none shall successfully dispute the statement of facts set forth.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Part I-Report on Everett’s Industrial Warfare by E. P. Marsh, President Washington State F. of L.”

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Speaks on Behalf of Everett Prisoners; Defense Wins Change of Venue

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It is no wonder the Statue of Liberty
has her back to the United States.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday February 12, 1917
Everett, Washington – Prisoners Championed by Miss Flynn

Jail at Everett, WCS

While the Everett Class-War Prisoners remain locked behind the bars of the Snohomish County Jail under conditions described as “barbarous,” they nevertheless can take comfort in knowing that they have, as their champion, Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the “Rebel Girl” of Joe Hill’s famous song, fighting on their behalf.

From the Portland Morning Oregonian of February 5, 1917:

I. W. W. COLLECT FUND
—–

ELIZABETH G. FLYNN TALKS IN
EVERETT PRISONERS’ BEHALF.
—–
“No Wonder Statue of Liberty Has Back
Turned to United States,”
Speaker Declares
—–

EGF, Ad mtg on 4th, Morning Oregonian, Feb 3, 1917, p11

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, speaking in behalf of the defense of the I. W. W.’s to be tried as participants in the Everett affair of November 5, addressed a capacity audience at the Eleventh-street playhouse yesterday afternoon.

While there were many interruptions of applause during the speaker’s address, the meeting was orderly. A collection, taken up by the girl ushers amounted to $175. Miss Flynn announced that it was not enough, and she called for another passing of the basket to make up the sum of $200. This will be added to the sum needed to defend the men who are charged with murder and complicity in the demonstration on the steamer Verona in Everett, Wash.

Miss Flynn attacked the “lumber trust and other forces of oppression.” She declared that the I. W. W.’s of Everett had been beaten with rubber hose and tortured. She said that the trouble started when the men were told to get off a certain street corner in the heart of the town, on the main street of Everett. “Why, if you got two blocks off the main street of Everett you’d be in the woods,” declared Miss Flynn.

What she termed as the lack of freedom of speech made Miss Flynn say: “It is no wonder the Statue of Liberty has her back to the United States.” She said that while the Salvation army wants “pie in the sky when you die,” the Industrial Workers want “pie here and now.”

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Speaks on Behalf of Everett Prisoners; Defense Wins Change of Venue”

Hellraisers Journal: From Everett Defense: Date Set for Trial; Gurley Flynn Speaks before State Federations of Labor

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Quote, Charles Ashleigh, EDNL9, Jan 27, 1917

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday January 29, 1917
From Seattle, Washington: Everett Defense News Letter No. 9

Everett Massacre, Def News Letter 9, Jan 27, 1917

Everett, Wash, Jan. 27th.

The date of the first trial has been set! The first man to be tried is Fellow Worker Thomas H. Tracy and his case comes up on March 5th. This was decided yesterday in Everett when the 74 boys pleaded “Not Guilty!” The presiding judge was J. T. Ronald, of King County, who has been appointed by Governor Lister to hear the case, as prejudice was charged by our attorneys against the Two Superior Court judges of Snohomish county.

APPLICATION MADE FOR CHANGE OF VENUE.

Our attorneys gave notice of an application for a change of venue. They will now prepare affidavits proving that there is too much prejudice in Snohomish county to warrant the boys a fair and impartial trial. The affidavits will be submitted on Feb. 2nd and the motion for change of venus will be decided upon by judge on Feb. 9th.

OUR MEN IN GOOD SPIRITS.

The 74 boys made a fine showing in the court-room on Friday. They marched in heavily guarded by a swarm of deputies, but were entirely unabashed. They answered to their names and rose, one after the other, giving, in ringing tones, their plea-it sounded more like a statement than a plea-of “Not Guilty!” There was much favorable comment in the court on the clear-cut and self-possessed appearance of the prisoners.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From Everett Defense: Date Set for Trial; Gurley Flynn Speaks before State Federations of Labor”

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn for Everett Defense: “Now is the time to defend yourselves in the persons of those 74.”

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The heritage we leave to
the next generation
will be in the conditions
that we make now.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday January 23, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Miss Flynn Speaks at Dreamland Park

From The Seattle Star of January 22, 1917:

MORE THAN 5000 HEAR
ELIZABETH GURLEY FLYNN
—–

EGF, Everett Northwest Worker, Jan 18, 1917

Before a record-breaking crowd at the Dreamland rink, Sunday afternoon, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, noted woman labor speaker, and H. Scott Bennett, former labor member of the Australian parliament, spoke under the auspices of the Everett Defense league, in behalf of the 74 I. W. W. held for murder.

Charles Ashleight [Ashleigh] presided.

Forceful, vigorous, speaking with intense feeling, Miss Flynn fired volley after volley against the capitalistic system, which, according to her, permitted the murder of five I. W. W. at Everett.

Bennett also carried tremendous force in his remarks as he reviewed the labor struggle.

Resolutions asking a federal investigation of the affair at Everett were passed, and a collection netted $331.52 for the defense fund. More than 5,000 attended the meeting.

A dance in the evening netted $200.

———-

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn for Everett Defense: “Now is the time to defend yourselves in the persons of those 74.””

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn in Seattle to Aid Everett Prisoners’ Defense; Speaks at Dreamland Today

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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, Sunday January 21, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Arrives

EGF, Everett Northwest Worker, Jan 18, 1917

The best woman labor speaker in America is in Seattle. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, “the Joan of Arc of the Labor Movement,” will devote the next few weeks of her time to the defense of the 74 men in jail in Everett charged with murder.

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn has been an agitator since her fifteenth year. She has been brought up in the atmosphere of the working class movement and it has entered right into her soul. Her vivid and appealing oratory can sway thousands of workers because it proceeds out of an intense sincerity.

She has been in nearly every great fight the Industrial Workers of the World have engaged in for the last seven years. In Spokane, Wash., during the Free Speech Fight in 1909, she was arrested. Since then her arrests have been many; Philadelphia, Paterson, New York, Missoula and other towns have known her in the clutches of the law for her upholding of the rights of Free Speech and labor organization.

The great strike of 20,000 iron ore miners in the Mesaba Range in Minnesota was the last scene of Miss Flynn’s activities. There she was a power in the building up of the miners’ solidarity. She is known from coast to coast and every place that she visits there is a revival of enthusiasm among the workers for the cause of labor.

Miss Flynn will be the principal speaker at a great demonstration to be held at the Dreamland Rink on Sunday, Jan. 21st, at 2 p. m. This meeting is called in the interests of the Defense of the 74 men in jail in Everett for their active advocacy of free speech for labor.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn in Seattle to Aid Everett Prisoners’ Defense; Speaks at Dreamland Today”

Hellraisers Journal: “The Day of Blood” by the Everett Prisoners’ Defense Committee. The True Story of November 5th.

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Everett Massacre, Quote, Pamph Bloody Sunday, Def Com, Nov 1916

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday January 19, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Pamphlet Tells of “Everett’s Bloody Sunday”

On Wednesday we presented one of two pamphlets, published by the Everett Prisoners’ Defense Committee, which told the actually story of events leading up to the Everett Massacre. Yesterday we featured part one of the second pamphlet which reveals the horrific vigilante terror at Beverly Park just a few days before the Massacre. Today we present part two of the second pamphlet which documents that terrible day in Everett, now known far and wide as “Bloody Sunday.”

EVERETT’S BLOODY SUNDAY
———-

THE TRAGEDY THAT HORRIFIED THE WORLD!
———-

A STORY OF OUTRAGED TOILERS
[Part Two.]

The Day of Blood.

Everett Massacre, Verona Returns to Seattle, ISR Dec 1916

It was decided to hold a meeting in Everett on Sunday, November 5th, at 2 p. m. A big attendance of friendly citizens was promised by local sympathizers. A handbill was widely distributed in both Everett and Seattle which read as follows:

CITIZENS OF EVERETT!
Attention!

A meeting will be held at the corner of Hewitt and Wetmore Aves., on Sunday, Nov. 5th, 2 p. m. Come and help maintain your and our constitutional rights.

-Committee.

The above was given out some days before the event. It certainly does not appear as though desperadoes, plotting a dark deed of murder, would advertise the fact by means of handbills! Yet, the bosses would characterize this simple announcement of a peaceful meeting as “inciting to riot” and “intent to resist lawful authority!”

The steamer “Verona” left the Seattle docks with some 250 men on board. About forty left later on the S. S. “Calista,” but never reached their destination.

The men aboard the “Verona” had all paid their passages in the regular manner, entitling them to a landing in Everett. They were cheerful on the boat, and full of enthusiasm. The conquest of free speech seemed assured. They never for a moment considered that the Everett mob,-at whose hands they had previously suffered such grievous outrage,-would dare to continue their criminal tactics in the light of day and before a host of conscientious citizens.

Therefore, they sang, that day on the boat, and made merry. They were class-conscious men, enlightened workingmen who believed in the glorious future of their class and who were willing to give their all in the great fight of the workers for bread, happiness and liberty. Little did they think, that bright morning, that the hour was so near in which some of them would be called upon for the supremest of all sacrifices,-life itself.

There were men of many trades and callings on the boat: laborers, loggers, railroad clerks, seamen, farm-hands; members of the Longshoremen’s Union, the I. W. W. the Truckmen, the Seamen’s Union and others. But they were all united in the one common desire: the desire to see established free expression of the voice of labor.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “The Day of Blood” by the Everett Prisoners’ Defense Committee. The True Story of November 5th.”