Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial Proceeds with Jury Selection; “Red Sweetheart” Found in Courtroom

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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday April 9, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – “Red Sweetheart,” Now Bride, Observes Trial

Miss Genevieve Semashko, formerly known as the “Red Sweetheart,” is now married to FW George Andreytchine, according to The Chicago Tribune. She has recently been found in attendance at the great I. W. W. trial as the process of jury selection continues.

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of April 4, 1918:

TWO JURYMEN ARE ACCEPTED
FOR I.W.W. TRIAL
—–
Ten Veniremen Locked Up for
Examination Today.
—–

WWIR, IWW, Andreytchine Red Sweetheart, Chg Tb Nov 11, 1917

Two jurymen tentatively accepted yesterday afternoon to sit in the trial of 112 members of the I. W. W. were ordered locked up last night along with ten others selected for examination today. They were ordered by Judge Landis to avoid discussing the case and not to read anything bearing upon it.

The men chosen, who may still be challenged by either the government or the defense, are:

A. J. McKEE, druggist, Morrison, Ill.

WILLIAM MALLOW, plumber, 4343 Lincoln avenue.

Two Challenges Used.

Two of the six peremptory challenges allowed the government were used yesterday by Charles F. Clyne, United States district attorney, who personally questioned the veniremen.

One of the two challenges used up by the government eliminated Thomas W. Allinson, father of Brent Dow Allinson, the pacifist, of Swiss embassy fame, ordered classed as a deserter yesterday for failure to respond to orders to report at Camp Grant.

Sixty brand new metal spittoons made their appearance yesterday on order from Judge Landis in the name of comfort for those being tried. Simultaneously a variety of plug and fine cut appeared from hip pockets.

Judge Landis also made his way to the “chuck house,” alias Judge Evans’ court, where the men are fed at noon. He wanted to see if the feeding was up to standard. He tasted about a bit and tried the coffee.

“The coffee will have to be stronger,” was his verdict.

Walter T. Neff, whose illness of Tuesday delayed the opening of the trial, was on hand, his throat wrapped warmly. “The Girl in Red,” Miss Genevieve Semashko, who figured some time back in an alleged attempt at jail delivery, appeared yesterday.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial Proceeds with Jury Selection; “Red Sweetheart” Found in Courtroom”

Hellraisers Journal: Drumright Follows Tulsa: IWW Hall Raided, FWs Forced to Throw Bricks Thru Window

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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday November 17, 1917
Drumright, Oklahoma – Takes Cue From Tulsa “Knights of Liberty”

From The Leavenworth Weekly Times of November 15, 1917:

DRUMRIGHT TAKES CUE;
ORDERS ALL I.W.W.’S TO FLEE
—–

ARE FORCED TO HEAVE BRICKS THROUGH
HEADQUARTERS WINDOWS
—–

IN FOR GENRAL CLEAN-UP
—–

Sheriff Issues Statement Urging Shooting on Sight of
Any I. W. W. Suspect Caught Molesting Property-
Plot to Aid I. W. W. Prisoners to Escape
Cook County Jail Frustrated-
Workers Call Convention in Omaha-
4,000 to 5,000 Members Will Be Present
—–

WWIR, IWW Flog Tar Feather, Morn Tulsa Dly Wld, Nov 10, 1917

Tulsa, Okla. Nov. 10.-Taking their cue from the actions of the “Knights of Liberty” of Tulsa who last night flogged, tarred and feathered seventeen members of the I. W. W. and warned all others to flee, officers at Drumright today raided the I. W. W. headquarters there, arrested the secretary and at the point of the pistol forced the men found in the hall to throw bricks through the window on which the sign had been painted. Then all were ordered to “get out.”

Drumright recently was the center of a threatened I. W. W. uprising in the adjacent fields.

Sheriff Griff Graham of Washington county issued a statement today urging the shooting on sight of any I. W. W. suspect caught molesting property.

Several letters were received today by Tulsa newspapers asking if they could put the writers in touch with the “Knights of Liberty” saying they would like to organize other bodies of the same order. No one here can be found who will admit knowing anything of the inside workings of the order.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Drumright Follows Tulsa: IWW Hall Raided, FWs Forced to Throw Bricks Thru Window”

Hellraisers Journal: “Red Sweetheart” Taken into Custody While Visiting With FW Andreytchine at Cook County Jail

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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday November 13, 1917
Cook County Jail, Illinois – “Girl in Red” Detained

Miss Genevieve Semashko, dubbed the “Girl in Red” by the Tribune, was detained at the Cook County Jail on Saturday, November 10th, while attempting to communicate with her sweetheart, George Andreytchine. FW Andreytchine is one of the I. W. W. class war prisoners currently held as a guest of that institution. The “Red Sweetheart” was suspected of aiding a plot to “battleship” the jail.

From The Chicago Sunday Tribune of November 11, 1917:

WWIR, IWW, Andreytchine Red Sweetheart, Chg Tb Nov 11, 1917

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “Red Sweetheart” Taken into Custody While Visiting With FW Andreytchine at Cook County Jail”

Hellraisers Journal: From Behind the Bars of Cook County Jail, Big Bill Haywood Interviewed by Carl Sandburg

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If one man has a dollar he didn’t work for,
some other man worked for a dollar he didn’t get.
-Big Bill Haywood

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Hellraisers Journal, Saturday November 3, 1917
Cook County Jail, Illinois – Big Bill Haywood Speaks

From the International Socialist Review of November 1917:

HAYWOOD LONGS FOR “OTHER BOYS” IN JAIL
—–
Wants All I. W. W. Prisoners Brought Here—
“It Will Be so Homelike”
—–
By Carl Sandburg

Big Bill Haywood, ISR, Nov 1917

Thru a steel cage door of the Cook county jail, Big Bill Haywood today spoke the defiance of the Industrial Workers of the World to its enemies and captors.

Bill didn’t pound on the door, shake the iron clamps nor ask for pity nor make any kind of a play as a hero. He peered thru the square holes of the steel slats and talked in the even voice of a poker player who may or may not hold a winning hand. It was the voice of a man who sleeps well, digests what he eats, and requires neither sedatives to soothe him nor stimulants to stir him up.

 

The man accused of participation in 10,000 separate and distinct crimes lifted a face checkered by the steel lattice work and said with a slow smile:

Hello, I’m glad to see you. Do you know when they’re going to bring the rest of the boys here? We’d like to have them from all over the country together here. It would be homelike for us all to be together. Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From Behind the Bars of Cook County Jail, Big Bill Haywood Interviewed by Carl Sandburg”