Hellraisers Journal: Debs Reflects on Haywood Verdict: Thinks Roosevelt Should Tender an Apology

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A thousand times rather would I be
one of those men in Ada county jail
than Theodore Roosevelt in
the White House at Washington.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday August 10, 1907
From the Montana News: Debs Reflects on Haywood Verdict

Readers of Hellraisers will remember the controversy begun by Roosevelt when it was revealed, last April, that the President had declared Haywood, Moyer, Pettibone and Debs to be “Undesirable Citizens.”

In the Appeal to Reason of May 18th, Comrade Debs confronted Roosevelt:

Henry Maki WFM Telluride, Chained to Pole Mar 2, 1907

Were a mob of workingmen to seize Theodore Roosevelt and chain him to a post on a public street in Washington in broad daylight, as a mob of his capitalist friends seized and chained a workingman [Henry Maki] in Colorado, or throw him into a foul bullpen, without cause or provocation, prod him with bayonets and outrage his defenseless family while he was a prisoner, as was done in scores of well-authenticated cases in both Colorado and Idaho, would he then be in the mood to listen complacently to hypocritical homilies upon the “temperate” use of language, the sanctity of “law and order” and the beauty of “exact justice to all”?

And if he heard of some man who had sufficient decency to denounce the outrages he and his family had suffered, would he then “conceive it to be his duty,” as he tells us, to condemn the language of such a man as “treasonable and murderous” and the man himself as “inciting bloodshed,” and therefore an “undesirable citizen”?

[Photograph added.]

If fighting for the rights of working people makes one an undesirable citizen, then let us hope that millions more would be proud and happy to be classed with the likes of Comrades Haywood and Debs.

In this weeks edition of the Montana News, Eugene Debs suggests that President Roosevelt should tender an apology to the man he declared guilty in advance of the trial. Comrade Debs declares the acquittal of Big Bill Haywood to be a great victory for the American labor movement and a rebuke to the prosecution and to their masters, the Mine Owners’ Association, whose interest the prosecution endeavored to serve. Comrade Debs expresses his great respect for Comrade Haywood and proposes that Haywood should be nominated as the Socialist Party’s candidate for president.

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Hellraisers Journal: Socialists Praise Ida Crouch-Hazlett of Montana News for Reportage on Haywood Trial

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To advocate peace with things as they are
is treason to humanity.
This is a class struggle and on class lines
it must be fought out to a finish.
-Ida Crouch-Hazlett

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 9, 1907
Helena, Montana – “Comrade Hazlett is a dandy.”

Now that Big Bill Haywood has been freed from the Ada County Jail and has returned in triumph to Denver, Colorado, Ida Crouch-Hazlett has also been able to return to her home in Helena, Montana, where she can resume her duties as editor of the Montana News. During the past several months, she has been working as a correspondent, residing first in Caldwell and later in Boise, Idaho, from where her reporting on the Haywood Trial has been read eagerly by Socialists, especially those of Montana and Milwaukee.

From the Montana News of August 8, 1907:

WHAT OTHERS THINK

Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Socialist, Montana News, Aug 3, 1904

The Social Democrat Herald says:

It is fitting just at this time for us to partly discharge a debt of gratitude to our correspondent at the Haywood trial, Comrade Ida Crouch-Hazlett, editress of the “Montana New.” Her reports were remarkably comprehensive and graphic and gave our readers an actual look in at the trial through socialist eyes. We are only sorry that more socialist papers did not avail themselves of her fine reports. And we regret also that we were not able from considerations of the limitations of our space, to print every word of the reports she sent us.

One paper did so, the Montana News, and we venture the belief that the readers of that paper secured a better idea of the work and progress of the historic trial than did the readers of any other party paper. Through the long and wearing trial, in a torrid courtroom, Mrs. Hazlett stuck to her post, and after the exhaustion of the day, spent long hours in the evening preparing her copy and telling the Social-Democrats of the country how the great inquisition was progressing. She was peculiarly fitted, also, for this task, from the fact of having formerly been a resident of Colorado and being familiar with the shocking and inhuman tyrannies of the mine owners in the great labor war of 1904.

[Paragraph break added.]

—–

The reports of the trial that the News printed from the pen of Comrade Hazlett have brought us a large number of compliments. Below a few of them that have reached this office: Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Socialists Praise Ida Crouch-Hazlett of Montana News for Reportage on Haywood Trial”

Hellraisers Journal: Mother Jones Comes to Denver to Congratulate Haywood; Big Bill Back at Work at His Desk

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A year ago, when I was kidnaped,
some of my friends told me
I would never leave Idaho alive.
But I am here,
and I did not come back in a box,
as they told me I would.
-Big Bill Haywood

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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 7, 1907
Denver, Colorado – Mother Jones Visits Big Bill Haywood

From The Rocky Mountain News of August 6, 1907:

Mother Jones, Mar 11, 1905, AtR

MOTHER JONES SEES HAYWOOD
—–
Makes Trip to Denver to Congratulate
Federation Leader.

Mother Jones, the famous woman labor leader, made a trip to Denver especially to see and congratulate William D. Haywood on his return home. She paid the secretary of the Western Federation of Miners a call at his office in the Pioneer building yesterday, and they enjoyed a short talk. During the Trinidad strike, and other Colorado labor difficulties, Mother Jones was in Colorado and was as active worker for the union cause.

———-

[Photograph added.]

Haywood Found Back at Work

HAYWOOD, WITH HIS COAT OFF,
BACK AT WORK
—–
Visits Headquarters, Greets Friends
and Attacks Pile of Telegrams.
—–

HMP, BBH back at desk, DP p2, August 5, 1907

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Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood Welcomed Home to Denver by Enormous Crowd and “Thunder of Roaring Cheers”

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Workingmen of all kinds stood by us
in this ordeal,
both morally and financially.
I thank them.
-Big Bill Haywood

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 6, 1907
Denver, Colorado – Massive Crowd Celebrates Haywood’s Return

From The Rocky Mountain News of August 5, 1907:

Haywood Reaches Home
in a Thunder
of Roaring Cheers
—–

‘Hello, Bill’, Salutation of Crowd,
Which Surges Trough Gates
of Union Station.
——

FIRST CARES FOR WIFE; THEN GREETS FRIENDS
—–

Haywood Family Reunited, Boise, Wilkes-Barre Leader, May 10, 1907, Crpd

William D. Haywood arrived in Denver at 10:45 last night [August 4th], one year, five months and eighteen days after he left it [was kidnapped] to go to Boise to face a charge of conspiracy to murder Governor Steunenberg.

No one saw him start for Boise. Thousands cheered him on his return.

All day yesterday, on the journey through Colorado, Haywood was greeted at the stations by crowds, which shouted themselves hoarse and tried to drag him from the train to make a speech.

Haywood’s first care on arriving at his home city was his wife. He carried her tenderly from the train, put her into her invalid’s chair, and wheeled her through the shouting crowd to a waiting carriage. Mrs. Haywood was pale but smiling, and seemed supremely happy at the reception given her husband.

The crowd surged through the gates at the union station and pressed up close to the train. When Haywood appeared with Mrs. Haywood in his arms the crowd let loose, and men, women and children yelled their greetings. The crowd outside could not see Haywood, but they knew he had arrived, and the cheering swelled out and up Seventeenth street.

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Hellraisers Journal: Socialist Newspapers, Appeal to Reason & Montana News, Celebrate Haywood Victory

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Keep the Red Flag
of universal brotherhood flying.
-Big Bill Haywood

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 5, 1907
Socialist Newspapers Celebrate Haywood Acquittal

From the Appeal to Reason of August 3, 1907:

HMP, AtR HY Not Guilty, Aug 3, 1907

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Hellraisers Journal: Haywood Slept Soundly While Jury Debated His Fate, Mother to Hospital, Family at His Side

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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, Tuesday July 30, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Haywood Verdict Proves Orchard a Liar

Haywood Awaiting Verdict
HMP, Haywood Reads at Jail Window, Tpk Dly Jr, July 29, 1907

—–

The news of the acquittal of Big Bill Haywood continues to be celebrated by the worker’s of the nation, and by the hard rock miners of the W. F. of M.

The verdict proves the assassin, Harry Orchard, to be a liar and, by extension, the Pinkerton Detective, James McParland, who coached Orchard’s testimony and the state of Idaho who paid for the coaching.

In Boise, a crowd stood vigil at the court house all night long awaiting a verdict. However, it is reported that, while the jury was up all night debating his fate, Big Bill retired at the usual hour Saturday night and slept soundly until he was called to court Sunday morning for the announcement of the verdict.

The Jury
HMP, Haywood Jury, Tpk Dly Jr, July 29, 1907

—–

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Hellraisers Journal: Jury Finds Big Bill Haywood “NOT GUILTY”

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If they hang Moyer and Haywood,
they’ve got to hang me.
-Eugene Victor Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 29, 1907
Boise, Idaho – William D. Haywood Acquitted of Murder

From The Minneapolis Tribune:


JURY ACQUITS HAYWOOD OF COMPLICITY
IN DEATH OF FORMER GOV. STEUNENBERG
—–


“NOT GUILTY” VERDIICT RETURNED
8 O’CLOCK ON SUNDAY MORNING
—–

HMP, NOT GUILTY, Mpls Tb, July 29, 1907

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Hellraisers Journal: Clarence Darrow: “Haywood can die, if die he must, but..others..will come to take his place.”

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I plead for the poor
and the weak and the weary.
-Clarence Darrow

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday July 27, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Darrow Pleads for Life of Big Bill Haywood

HMP, Clarence Darrow, Cresco IA Pln Dlr, July 2, 1907

The defense placed the life of Big Bill Haywood in the hands of the jury as Clarence Darrow sat down next to the defendant at 4:20 p. m. on the afternoon of July 25th.

Having begun his closing argument on the evening of July 24th, Clarence Darrow continued the next day, speaking throughout the morning and afternoon sessions of the court. He concluded his address to the jury with an eloquent appeal for the life of William D. Haywood, Secretary-Treasurer of the Western Federation of Miners:

Mr. Hawley says that he believes in this case. I believe in it as I believe in my life. I’ve given 30 years of my life to the poor. I have pleaded cases for them, but never before have I pleaded a cause in which I felt such an interest, and never did I hope for a verdict in favor of my client as I hope for this….

But it is not for Bill Haywood I plead or for his widow or his orphans. If he dies 10,000 men who work in the mines will send their mite to support the widow and the little ones and a million people send their message of sympathy. I dont plead for Haywood. Don’t think for a moment that, if you kill Haywood, you will kill the labor movement of the world, or the hopes and aspirations of the poor. Haywood can die, if die he must, but there are others who will live if he dies, and they will come to take his place and carry the banner which he lets fall. I plead for the poor and the weak and the weary. The eyes of the world are on you 12 men of Idaho tonight, and wherever the English tongue is spoken and throughout the civilized world they are wondering about your verdict. If you decree his death the spiders and the vultures of Wall street will send up peans of praise and wherever men live who hate Haywood because he works for the poor you will receive your meed of praise.

But if you acquit this man there are millions of men-out on the broad prairies, on the wide ocean, in the factories and mills and down deep in the earth-there are-women and children who will pray for you. These men and women and children stand here with me tonight stretching out their hands and imploring God to guide your judgment and imploring you to save Haywood.

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Hellraisers Journal: Darrow for the Defense, Praises Western Federation, Denounces Orchard and McParland

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Hawley says the Western Federation of Miners
has made trouble. It has, and I am glad of it,
for when we cease to cause trouble
we become slaves.
-Clarence Darrow

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday July 26, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Clarence Darrow for the Defense

HMP, Clarence Darrow, CdA Prs, July 25, 1907

In the course of his closing speech in the sweltering Boise courtroom on Wednesday July 24, Clarence Darrow reminded the jury that the State’s attorneys had allowed William Dewey to return to Colorado unhindered after confessing to murder on the witness stand. Dewey had testified for the prosecution and had admitted that he took part in the mob attack upon the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mill.

He then turned to face the prosecuting attorneys and demanded to know:

Were you asleep? or was your witness lying? Are you honestly in this prosecution, or is there here some damnable conspiracy to pick up the president of the Western Federation of Miners, and the secretary and treasure of the Western Federation of Miners and hang them by the neck for the pleasure and benefit of the Mine Owner’s association?

He then addressed the jury:

There, gentlemen of the jury, you have the real, strong, iron hand behind this prosecution. The mine owners of Colorado are pulling the wires to make you dance like puppets. They gathered these officers of the Western federation of Miners up and sent them here to be tried and hanged with Idaho to hold the bag. Idaho has a fine privilege in this trial-to pay for it. And you men of this jury will have the pleasure of working to pay up the deficiency warrants which have been issued by the State to meet the expenses of the prosecution.

Darrow praised the men of the Western Federation of Miners and spoke of the beauty of self-sacrifice typical of the “struggle for humanity when only the working man is found.”

Orchard and McParland were roundly denounced as liars of the worst sort, the kind that will conspire to hang innocent men.

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Hellraisers Journal: Mrs. Steve Adams and Mrs. George Pettibone Visit with Husbands Through Barred Windows

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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 July 21, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Wives of Prisoners at Barred Windows

From The Pittsburg Press, we find this touching photograph of Mrs. Steve Adams and Mrs. George Pettibone speaking to their husbands through the barred windows of the Ada County Jail.

HMP, Love Thru the Bars, Ptt PA Prs, June 19, 1907

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