Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: “All Aboard for Fresno…Free Speech Fight On”

6th September 202015th August 2020 Janet RayeFrank Little

Quote Frank Little, Fresno Jails Dungeons, FMR p6, Sept 2, 1910 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday September 6, 1910
Fresno, California – Free Speech Fight On; St. John Issues Call for Volunteers

From the Spokane Industrial Worker of September 3, 1910:

Fellow Workers: The police have been harassing us for some time. Do not allow us to speak on streets and have arrested four of us for no cause at all. Trial set for August 31st. We have decided that we must whip the city or quit. Can you back us with men?

We think it a good plan to have the old-timers who took part in the Spokane and Missoula fights to arrive first, so that we may get the benefit of their experience in bringing the matter to a culmination and see that everything goes through in good shape to the end that we give the wage workers a good example of what we can do. There will be no lawyers or defense fund, except a jungling fund.

Yours for the I. W. W.
AN AGITATOR.
2022 Mariposa St., Fresno, Cal.

—————

[Emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: “All Aboard for Fresno…Free Speech Fight On”” →

Hellraisers Journal: Fellow Worker Frank Little in Fresno, Thrown into Dark Cell, Sings Rebel Songs All Day Long

5th September 202015th August 2020 Janet RayeFrank Little

Quote Frank Little, Fresno Jails Dungeons, FMR p6, Sept 2, 1910 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday September 5, 1910
Fresno, California – Frank Little Thrown into Dungeon, Sings Rebel Songs

From The Fresno Morning Republican of September 1, 1910:

JURY IN POLICE COURT RENDERS
4 VERDICTS IN AFTERNOON
——-
F. H. Little Found Guilty;
Victor Vogel Is Acquitted.
——-
W. F. Little and Wm. Flanagan
May Be Tried Second Time.
——-

Four members of the local branch of the Industrial Workers of the World were tried before a jury in the police court yesterday. The trial occupied the entire afternoon, but was devoid of sensational features. F. H. Little was found guilty of disturbing the peace. Sentence will be pronounced by Judge Briggs at 10 o’clock this morning. Victor Vogel was acquitted on the same charge and W. F. Little and William Flanagan will be discharged today as the jury failed to reach an agreement in their cases. The jury, of which E. C. Van Buren was foreman, rendered three separate verdicts, although the four I. W. W. members were tried jointly on the same charge.

The Little brothers appeared as counsel for the quartet of defendants. Assistant District Attorney Manson McCormick conducted the prosecution.….

The Little brothers called Detective Sam Drenth to the stand in an effort to get an admission that the police were trying to break up the local order of the I. W. W. The questions propounded by Little were overruled and Drenth did not give any testimony. The four defendants then took the stand and gave their side of the case.

The witnesses for the prosecution told conflicting stories, although the facts simmered down to a little loud talking on the part of F. H. Little, Victor Vogel and William Flanagan. The men were discussing the rooms in a certain lodging house on H street. Little talked a trifle too loud. Patrolman Piemens approached the trio and asked Little and his friends not to talk so loud. The men refused and defied the officer, whereupon he took them to jail. W. F. Little joined the party in the courthouse park and he too was placed under arrest.

—————

[Newsclip added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Fellow Worker Frank Little in Fresno, Thrown into Dark Cell, Sings Rebel Songs All Day Long” →

Hellraisers Journal: Free Speech Denied in Fresno, California, Four Members of Local 66 Arrested for Speaking on the Street

28th August 202010th August 2020 Janet RayeFrank Little

Quote Frank Little, re Fresno Sure to Win, IW p4, Aug 27, 1910 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 28, 1910
Fresno, California – Fellow Workers Arrested for Speaking on Street

W. H. Little, secretary of Local 66, his wife, Emma Little, brother, Frank Little, and one other Fellow Worker, were arrested Wednesday evening, August 24th, for street-speaking. A call for assistance has been issued.

From the Industrial Worker of August 27, 1910:

[Page 1:]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Free Speech Denied in Fresno, California, Four Members of Local 66 Arrested for Speaking on the Street” →

Hellraisers Journal: From Industrial Worker: Frank Little, Horse and Wagon Agitator, to Organize Ranches Near Fresno

1st August 202019th July 2020 Janet RayeFrank Little

Quote Frank Little, re Fresno FS May, IW p2, June 11, 1910 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday August 1, 1910
Frank Little Calls for Good Agitators to Come to Fresno

From the Industrial Worker of July 30, 1910:

A HORSE AND WAGON AGITATOR.

[-by FW Frank Little]

FRESNO, Cal., July 23.-To the Editor of I. W.-Am back in Fresno, and will take up the work of organizing the ranch employes and packing house employees. Will start out with horse and wagon and travel from ranch to ranch, holding meetings in all of the small towns. But we are up against a hard fight. The masters will do all in their power to keep us from organizing the slaves. The A. F. of L. is going to try to organize, and, of course, the masters will aid them to defeat the I. W. W., and they have the money to put their labor fakirs in the field, while the few of us who are trying to build up the I. W. W. have to depend on working for a master to make a jungle stake.

I have been sick for some time, but will get out and hustle now. I will try and hustle some subs for the Worker on my trip.

Now is the time for work in this valley. I. W. W. men can get work and we need some good job agitators to get out in the fruit country and get control of the boss and make the masters raise the wages; and also build up the organization. It can be done if all of us will get in and hustle.

So, fellow workers, let us keep the work going. Yours for action,

F. H. LITTLE.

———-

[Photograph, newsclip and emphasis added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From Industrial Worker: Frank Little, Horse and Wagon Agitator, to Organize Ranches Near Fresno” →

Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little Reports to Industrial Worker on Fight of Local 66 to Speak on Streets of Fresno, California

13th June 2020 Janet RayeFrank Little

Quote Frank Little, re Fresno FS May, IW p2, June 11, 1910 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Monday June 13, 1910
Fresno, California – Fellow Worker Little Reports on Fight to Organize Local 66

From the Industrial Worker of June 11, 1910:

LIBERTY VS. THE LAW.

Fresno, Cal., May 29, 1910.

Editor Industrial Worker: The meeting of the I. W. W. in the public park today was suppressed by the county officials, backed by the uniformed thugs of the city. The constitution of the nation and state was stolen by the chief of police. The Industrial Worker was taken from one of the members. This park is supposed to belong to the people of Fresno county.

So you can see we are up against a big fight here in the near future. All fighters must prepare to come to Fresno when the call is sent out.

The chief of police says he will call on the G. A. R. and the Spanish War Veterans to wipe out the i. W. W.

Yours for Industrial Freedom,
F. H. LITTLE,
Organizer of the I. W. W.

———-

We are taking in new members every day, and the sentiment is strong for Industrial Unionism. We expect to do something here this summer, as this is one of the best places in the west for agitation. There are lots of Germans and Russians here and they are ripe for organization. The Mexicans, Japanese and Chinese are lining up.

We have a bunch of agitators here-English, Mexican, German and Japanese-and are stirring things up. The masters see that we are jarring the workers loose from their conservative ideas.

The papers have announced that the A. F. of L. will organize the laborers-that is, the white slaves. They are going to run the Japanese out of the country.

They are also going to organize the farmers and the farm employes into one union. Ye gods and little fishes! Just think. The man who sweats and toils out in the hot sun, the man who produces all things good and has nothing, to belong to the same union as his master, who does nothing and has all. But I think they will fail, for the blanket stiff who is forced to hike over the road and carry his home on his back is too wise for the A. F. of L. labor faker.

All Fellow Workers who are looking for a master and who want to do good work for the I. W. W. would do well to stop at this place. We need as many agitators in this part of the country as we can get, for we expect to tie up this whole country this fall. We have the silent strike on. It is on a job for the Southern Pacific. The slave drivers are wild-the slaves won’t work as hard as they want them to. We have a bunch of I. W. W. men on the job and we swill get control soon. Then we expect to give them a dose of I. W. W. direct action. So keep your eye on Fresno and watch Local No. 66 grow. Will send you a line from time to time and let you know what is doing. Yours for Freedom.

F. H. LITTLE

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little Reports to Industrial Worker on Fight of Local 66 to Speak on Streets of Fresno, California” →

Tag: Fresno Free Speech Fight of 1910-1911