Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 12, 1917
Cartoonists Depict the Lynching of Fellow Worker Frank Little
From the American Socialist of August 11, 1917:
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 8, 1917
Butte, Montana – Thousands March to Honor Martyr Frank Little
—–
On Sunday August 5th there was held the largest funeral ever held in the city of Butte, and, perhaps, in the state of Montana. Thousands of mourners marched behind the casket carrying the remains of Frank Little, the valiant warrior who gave his life in freedom’s cause.
From The Anaconda Standard of August 6, 1917:
The voice of the mine owners could not refrain from sniping at the striking miners, their union (not affiliated with the I. W. W.), nor the union represented by Frank Little, the Industrial Workers of the World. Nevertheless, the report on FW Little’s funeral appears to be, for the most part, accurate.
LARGE FUNERAL NO DISORDER
—–
DEMONSTRATION AND A SPECTACLE
MARK FINAL TRIBUTE TO FRANK LITTLE
—–MANY FRIENDS MARCH
—–Women in the procession, which is made up of more than three thousand-Red sashes and other I. W. W. emblems displayed- Moving pictures are taken-Stars and Stripes shown for a while, then removed. No religious service-Brief remarks were made at the grave.
—–
—–
Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 4, 1917
Butte, Montana – Strikers’ Bulletin Names Names
The Butte Bulletin, voice of the striking metal miners in that city, devoted its entire edition of August 2nd to the lynching of Fellow Worker Frank Little.
One article was entitled: “Frank Little Murdered by Gunmen, Companies in Desperation Resort to Deadly Violence.” William F. Dunn, editor, stated that there is “sufficient evidence to indicate the names of five men who took part, every one of whom is a company stool pigeon. Two of these men are in business, two are gunmen, and one is connected with law enforcement… Every man, woman, and child in this country knows that company agents perpetrated this foulest of all crimes.” The Bulletin went on to name names: “William Oates, Herman Gilles, Pete Beaudin, a rat named Middleton and two dozen others working under a chief gunman named Ryan.”
From the Seattle Star of August 3, 1917:
HAYWOOD IN CHARGE OF
I. W. W. FUNERALBy United Press Leased Wire
CHICAGO, Aug. 3.-The funeral of Frank Little, I. W. W. leader, lynched in Butte, probably will be held in Butte tomorrow, Wm. D. Haywood, secretary of the national organization, said today. He received a message from Little’s sister [sister-in-law], Emma Little, of Fresno, Cal., placing arrangements for the funeral in his hands.
—–
Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 3, 1917
Butte, Montana – Union Men Arm for Self Defense
Frank Little was taken from his room by vigilantes before dawn on August 1st. His body was found hanging from a railroad trestle by a neighborhood man on his way to work. Pinned to the body of Fellow Worker Frank Little was a note bearing the Montana Vigilante Code and a grim warning to “Others.” The men of the Butte Metal Mine Workers Union are seeking permits in order to arm for self-defense.
From The Anaconda Standard of August 2, 1917:
Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—–
Frank Little was lynched in Butte, Montana, at 3 A. M. on August 1, 1917, by vigilantes who, many alleged, were in the employ of the Anaconda Copper Company. He came to Butte to support striking metal miners despite having been warned of the dangers involved in that assignment. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn said of him:
He was tall and dark, with black hair and black eyes, a slender, gentle and soft-spoken man…He was dependable in all situations.
FW Little was much admired by the miners of Butte, and his funeral was one of the largest ever held in that city. His coffin was covered by a red silk banner, inscribed:
A MARTYR TO SOLIDARITY
———-
I stand for Solidarity.
-Frank Little
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 31, 1917
Butte, Montana – Frank Little Stands with Striking Metal Miners
Frank Little, organizer and executive board member of the Industrial Workers of the World, has been in Butte, Montana, since July 18th where he has been active in the strike of the Butte Metal Mine Workers Union-Independent. Although Fellow Worker Little represents the Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union No. 800, the striking miners of Butte have invited him into their union meetings, and he is respected as one of the leaders of the ongoing strike.
Lately, FW Little has been encouraging not only the striking miners, but the working women of Butte also. The kept press complains that:
Little is now trying to get the Finn women to organize a strike among the laundry workers and chambermaids of the city.[!]
Editorial in Industrial Worker of July 28, 1917:
An editorial by Frank Little was published in the most recent edition of the Industrial Worker in which FW Little declares his strong opposition to the war now raging in Europe. Frank Little believes that the only war the workers should involve themselves in is the class the war. This bloody war is one between the capitalists of the warring nations, and does not concern us as workers. Frank declares emphatically:
I stand for Solidarity.
Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 25, 1917
Butte, Montana – “Agitators” Support Striking Miners
The Anaconda Standard, voice of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, declared recently that the “agitators” of Butte are “against everything.”
Yet the striking miners have made it quite clear exactly what they stand against-i.e., the blacklist (Rustling Card system), long hours, low wages, and unsafe working conditions such as led to the deaths of 168 copper miners in the Speculator Mine Fire Disaster just a few short weeks ago.
From the Anaconda Standard of July 23, 1917:
AGITATORS TALKING AGAINST EVERYTHING
—–A mass meeting for miners of the Butte district, held last evening at the ball park, was attended by about 2,000 men. All the speakers urged the miners to stay out and said the modifications of the rustling card and the weekly pay day announced by the Anaconda Copper Mining company on Saturday should be disregarded.
Joe Shannon made a fiery speech in which he urged every miner to start picket duty today, and he remarked that the Campbell union [Butte Metal Mine Workers Union] had the “number of every miner now working.”
R. L. Dunn, strike leader of the electricians, who had pledged the miners the electricians would not go back to work until the miners were underground, said the papers had called him an I. W. W. and he would admit it.
[Said Dunn:]
This strike is an expression against the form of society which allows a few to control the wealth of the nation and a protest against the system of society which keeps workingmen from enjoying the comforts and good things of life.
Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday July 24, 1917
Butte, Montana – Fellow Worker Frank Little Speaks
Fellow Worker Frank Little arrived in Butte, Montana, on July 18th as a representative of the Industrial Workers of the World. The Butte Metal Mine Workers Union is officially unaffiliated with the I. W. W., and yet, Frank Little, a leader of the Metal Mine Workers Industrial Union No. 800, was welcomed whole-heartedly by the striking miners and was invited to speak at a mass meeting held on July 19th at the Columbia Garden Baseball Park.
As he spoke, a light rain began to fall. Frank looked upward into the raindrops, raised his hands and remembered the miners left in the New Mexican desert following the Bisbee Deportation:
Oh man, if this rain could only descend upon that bull pen in the hot, sun-parched desert of New Mexico, and bring some relief to the two thousand noble men held there by the uniformed federal thugs, it would be appreciated.
Frank Little closed his speech with a call for Solidarity and Unity, the only means by which the working class can gain liberty from oppression.
Link up in one socialist company;
Evil must perish!
Only together and united!
Long live the Western Federation of Miners!
-Alex Obremski
In 1907, Alexander Obremski was a union organizer for the Western Federation of Miners, working in the very dangerous field of the Trinidad area of southern Colorado. The field was considered to be so dangerous that organizers took the precaution of traveling in pairs.
On the evening of May 18, 1907, Brother Obremski was shot down in a saloon in Rugby, Colorado, near Trinidad, by Juan Espinosa, “a Mexican allegedly hired by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company (CF&I) for this purpose.” [See below.]
A large funeral was held in Trinidad on May 22nd to honor the intrepid union organizer. He was survived by two brothers who lived in Starkville, Colorado.
According to M. E. White who had charge of WFM headquarters in Trinidad:
Much credit is due for the three hundred members initiated here in the last five months, and at Pueblo, to the faithful and diligent work of your organizer, Brother James Peretto, and the late Brother Obremsky who took their lives in their hands in the work of educating the slaves of this district.
SOURCE I
Essays in Colorado History, Issues 5-10
Colorado Historical Society, 1987
(Search with “alex obremski” reveals signature: “Alex. Obremski.”)
https://books.google.com/books?id=_ngjAQAAIAAJ
Note: not available online except in snippet view. By using various search-words, I was able to bring up some relevant information. I will be attempting to track down this source in a library.
Page 55-
Alexander Obremski (1876-1907)
Correspondence from Trinidad, Colorado
Published as “Korespondencje. Trinidad, Colo.” in Robotnik Polski
He knew he was taking his life in his hands
in going to Trinidad, but as he was ordered there
he would not shirk his duty.
-Henry Morris of Pueblo on murder of
WFM Organizer Alex Obremski
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday June 29, 1907
Denver, Colorado – W. F. of M. Convention Wants Investigation
From the Albuquerque Evening Citizen of June 15, 1907:
WILL INVESTIGATE THE SHOOTING
OF A MINER
—–
Murdered Western Federation Organizer
May Have Been Victim of Conspiracy.
—–LETTER CONTAINS STRONG ALLEGATION
—–
Denver, Colo., June 15.-The Western Federation of Miners’ convention today received a communication from a member in Las Animas county, suggesting an investigation of the killing of Alexander Obrenski [Obremski], a Federation organizer, by Juan Eskinas [Espinosa], at Rugby, Colo., about one month ago [May 18th].
The killing was alleged, at the time, to have occurred in a barroom row, but the writer of the communication suggested that it was the result of a conspiracy to injure the Federation.
Strong Statement.
He makes the statement that the row was not participated in by the organizer, but that the belligerents managed to gather around Obrenski, and before he could get away a shot was fired, and he fell to the floor, [..and..?] The fighters melted into obscurity immediately.
