WE NEVER FORGET Frank Thornton Who Gave His Life in Freedom’s Cause at Troy, Montana During July of 1917

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Pray for the dead
And fight like hell for the living.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WE NEVER FORGET, Frank Thornton, Troy MT, July 1917


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Fellow Worker Frank Thornton

Organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World

Fellow Worker James Rowan, in his work entitled “The I. W. W. in the Lumber Industry,” described the death of Frank Thornton:

LWIU, IWW Label, Lumber Rowan, ab 1920

Near the end of July there occurred at Troy, Montana, an incident of shocking barbarity. A man named Frank Thornton was arrested in a saloon after a quarrel with the bartender, and the constable took him to the jail, a small wooden structure. According to the statements of by-standers who witnessed the arrest, two Lumber Trust gunmen followed them, and the sound of blows was heard coming from the jail, as if they were giving Thornton a terrible beating. That night the jail was burned down and Thornton, the only prisoner, was burned in it. It is thought by some that Thornton was beaten to death by the constable and gunmen on the afternoon of his arrest, and that the jail was purposely set on fire to cover up the crime. Others claimed that while the jail was burning, they could see Thornton writhing in agony among the flames. This much is certain: the jail burned and either Thornton or his dead body was burned with it. Thornton was beaten to death or burned alive in the jail, and the authorities who arrested him and put him in that jail are responsible for his death.

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Hellraisers Journal: Biography of William D. Haywood, Socialist Candidate for Governor of Colorado

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Gabbertized capital must die that
a free people may live!
-Big Bill Haywood

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Hellraisers Journal, Saturday September 22, 1906
From the Appeal to Reason: Bill Haywood, A Man of the Masses

From today’s edition of the Appeal to Reason, we find the story of the life of William D. Haywood, candidate of the Socialist Party of Colorado for the office of governor of that state. Comrade Haywood, Secretary-Treasure of the Western Federation of Miners, received his party’s nomination for governor despite being a prisoner in the Ada County Jail of Boise, Idaho.

haywood-for-co-gov-atr-sept-22-1906

Written for the APPEAL TO REASON
BY WALTER HURT.
—–
WILLIAM D. HAYWOOD,
Candidate for Governor.

haywood-wilshires-magazine-1906

William D. Haywood, Socialist candidate for governor of Colorado, comes rightfully by his revolutionary spirit; for it is a fact, although one to which, being a modest man, he seldom and reluctantly refers, that he is directly descended from a gallant Continental rebel. But the pride of such ancestry, instead of making of him an arrogant snobocrat, as is the case in too many instances, imbues him with the idea that he can best honor his liberty-loving forbear by being an uncompromising democrat in the fundamental meaning of the term.

Comrade Haywood was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 4, 1869, and to him belongs the unique distinction of being the first Gentile male child born within the borders of Zion.

From his earliest days Haywood was dedicated to the mining craft. His first job, when he was nine years old, was with his step-father on the Russian (!) Mine, Ophir, Utah, as tool-nipper and roustabout.

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Hellraisers Journal: Montana Socialists Issue Convention Call, Mass Meeting for Idaho Prisoners in Butte

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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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

Friday August 10, 1906
Helena, Montana – State Socialist to Hold Convention

From the Montana News of August 9, 1906:

SP Conv Call, MTNs, Aug 9, 1906
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Hellraisers Journal: The Duluth Labor World Questions Special Treatment Given by State of Idaho to Steve Adams

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There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday July 15, 1906
From The Labor World: Case of Adams Found “Surprising”

From Saturday’s Duluth Labor World:

Steve Adams, Haywood-Moyer-Pettibone Case of 1906-07, Darrow Collection

Besides Orchard, a man named Steve Adams has been charged with the murder of ex-Gov. Steunenberg of Idaho, and now they are telling some “surprising” things about the case of Adams. He is a voluntary inmate of the penitentiary at Boise, has never been taken before a judge, was not taken before the grand jury, has declined the services of the attorneys of the labor unions when offered to him, and has made no effort to get free, although clearly held illegally.

Some time ago Adam’s wife and children arrived in Boise, penniless and poorly dressed. They became the guests of the superintendent of the penitentiary, were taken out driving each day in the warden’s carriage, had plenty of money, and expensive clothes, and so on.
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Hellraisers Journal: Socialist Party of Colorado Nominates Idaho Prisoner, William D. Haywood, for Governor

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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday July 8, 1906
Denver, Colorado – Socialist Party Nominates State Ticket

From The Topeka Daily Capital of July 7, 1906:

Haywood, Darrow Collection


COLORADO REDS NOMINATE
HAYWOOD FOR EXECUTIVE
—–


If Elected and Release From Caldwell Jail
Is Refused, Would March to Idaho in Force.
—–
SNATCH HIM FROM TEETH OF
DOGS OF CAPITALISM
—–

Denver, July 6.-It has just transpired that the Socialist party of Colorado held a convention in this city on the Forth of July and nominated a full state ticket, headed by William D. Haywood, secretary-treasure for the Western Federation of Miners, now in prison in Idaho, for Governor…
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