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Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 22, 1920
“Centralia Pictures, Elmer Smith” by Anise
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 18, 1920:
Tag: Industrial Workers of the World
Hellraisers Journal: From The Butte Daily Bulletin: “Labor Jury Finds I. W. W. Trial Unfair” -Asserts Grimm Was Conspirator
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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday March 17, 1920
Tacoma, Washington – Labor Jury Finds Centralia Defendants Not Guilty
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 16, 1920:
ASSERT EVIDENCE SHOWS GRIMM HAD CONSPIRED
TO ATTACK CENTRALIA HALL
———-(Special to The Bulletin.)
Tacoma, Wash., March 16.-The “labor jury” composed of six representatives of various labor organizations on the coast who attended the trial of the 10 I. W. W. W. charged with the Centralia Armistice day killings, today announced the result of their deliberation. The “jury” found that:
There had been a conspiracy on the part of Centralia business men to raid the I. W. W. hall at Centralia.
That Warren O. Grimm was a party to the conspiracy.
That the defendants failed to get an impartial trial.
The members of the labor jury were appointed by labor organizations to sit at the trial as spectators and to place themselves in the attitude of fair and impartial jurors and to return a verdict of their findings as the result of the testimony offered at the trial. The jurors, now that they have made their decision, will report to their respective bodies. It can be stated the decision of the “labor jury” represents the official attitude of organized labor, whose accredited representatives the jurors were.
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Hellraisers Journal: From The Butte Daily Bulletin: “Seven of Centralia Defendants Found Guilty in Second Degree”
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Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday March 16, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Seven Centralia I. W. W. Defendants Found Guilty
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 15, 1920:
(Special to the Bulletin.)
Montesano, Wash., March 15.-Ignoring Judge Wilson’s instructions that their verdict must be either acquittal or first degree murder, the jurors in the trials of the 10 I. W. W. charged with killing Warren O. Grimm during the rioting which resulted from the attack of a group of legionnaire paraders on the I. W. W. hall at Centralia last Armistice day, late Saturday night brought in verdicts of acquittal for Elmer Smith, Mike Sheehan and Loren Roberts and second degree murder in the cases of Britt Smith, Ray Becker, James McInerney, Bert Bland, Eugene Barnett, John Lamb and O. C. Bland. Robert’s acquittal was based on the grounds of insanity.
The verdict was the second returned by the jury in the case, the jurors having come in earlier in the evening with the announcement that they had found McInerney, Becker, O. C. Bland and Bert Bland and Britt Smith guilty of second degree murder, and Eugene Barnett and John Lamb guilty of third degree murder. On this occasion Judge Wilson refused to accept the verdict and ordered them to return and deliberate in accordance with his instructions, holding that a verdict of third degree murder was not permissable under his instructions.
Immediately after the last verdict was read to the prisoners and the court, Sheriff John Berry of Lewis county immediately rearrested all of them on charges of having murdered Arthur McElfresh, who also was killed during the Armistice day rioting.
Hellraisers Journal: From The One Big Union Monthly: The Class-War Prisoner with His Cell Mate by Maurice Becker
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 15, 1920
“Cell Mates” by Maurice Becker
From The One Big Union Monthly of March 1920:
Detail:
Hellraisers Journal: From the Industrial Workers: “Spokane Fight for Free Speech Settled” -Prisoners Released
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Hellraisers Journal – Monday March 14, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Spokane Free Speech Fight Settled
From the Industrial Worker of March 12, 1910:
Spokane Fight for Free Speech Settled
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Spokane, Wash, March 6, 1910.—At last the great Spokane battle has been brought to a close. This was effected through the instrumentality of a series of conferences between the city and county officials and an I. W. W. committee. The following is an account of the various conferences and the conclusions arrived at by the contestants in this long battle.
On February 28th “the executive or fighting committee” of the I. W. W. elected a committee of three—Fellow Workers Gillespie, McKelvey, and Foster—and commissioned them to call on the authorities and discuss the situation before opening hostilities on the morrow. This interview terminated in practically a declaration of war on both sides, as the mayor seemed to think the only possible solution of the difficulty was to test the ordinance in the court. He frankly stated that he did not endorse a prohibitive or discriminatory ordinance, but said he had no other choice than to enforce the laws already on the books. He professed willingness to treat on the matter, but claimed lack of jurisdiction. This was considered unfavorable by the committee, and the mayor was told that the fight must continue until the I. W. W. was crushed or free speech assured.
Next day the committee, enlarged by the addition of Fellow Worker Stark, called on the police department, where a general conference was held. The authorities showed a willingness to reasonably consider the situation and asked for specific credentials from the committee, which would show their authority to talk business. These credentials were secured, and on March 3rd the general conference met. The city and county were represented by Mayor Pratt, Prosecuting Attorney Pugh, Corporation Counsel Blair, Chief of Police Sullivan, and Captain Detective Burns. The I. W. W. were represented by Fellow Workers Stark, McKelvey, Gillespie, and Foster.
The conference took on the nature of demands by the I. W. W. These were four in number: First, the promise that landlords would not be intimidated into refusing the rent of halls to the I. W. W. as had been done during the last few months of the fight, and that I. W. W. meetings be absolutely free from police interference, provided, of course, that we kept within the common rules; in short, hall conditions were to be the same as those prior to November 2. Second, freedom of the press and the right to sell the Industrial Worker on the street just as other newspapers are. Third, the release of I. W. W. prisoners in the city and county jails. Fourth, the use of the streets for public speaking.
The first two propositions were granted after but slight discussion. The third proposition was very closely related to the fourth, and after a very unsatisfactory discussion of it the committees turned to the fourth so as to find out how they stood on that. The mayor, corporation counsel, etc., assured the I. W. W. committee that free speech is to be allowed in Spokane in the near future, and though no date was or could be set for this new arrangement to take effect, they were positively assured that it will be in a short while. And meanwhile the regular religious organizations will not be discriminated in favor of, but must await the time when the streets are open to all.
With this proposition established as a working basis, the conference again took up the matter of the release of prisoners, which was a delicate one to handle. Prosecutor Pugh professed to have no animosity against any of the prisoners, but stated that it is impossible to release them all at once. It was agreed that the city prisoners (some 15 in number) should be immediately released, and the county prisoners (14 in number) released on a sliding scale, to begin immediately, without discrimination.
Hellraisers Journal: Victory for Free Speech! Headline from Workingman’s Paper: “Fight in Spokane Is Won”
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Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday March 9, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Free Speech Fight Ends in Victory for I. W. W.
From the Seattle Socialist Workingman’s Paper of March 5, 1910:
Hellraisers Journal: Centralia Trial: Defense Proves IWW Was Attacked Before First Shot Fired, Grimm Lead the Assault
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Hellraisers Journal – Saturday March 6, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Witness Swears Grimm Led Attack on I. W. W. Hall
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of March 1, 1920:
Witness Swears Grimm Leading Attack
on Workers When Killed
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Labor Jury Recommends Demand by Workers for
Removal of Soldiers From Montesano.
—–(Special to the Bulletin.)
Montesano, March 1.-In a telegram sent late Saturday to the labor councils of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Centralia and Portland, and also to the metal trades councils of Seattle and Portland, the labor jury attending the trial here has recommended that the withdrawal of regular troops from Montesano be demanded of the governor. The telegram sent out by the labor representatives follows:
“We, the labor committe, request you to demand of Governor Hart the withdrawal of the troops. They are not needed. They are here to an atmosphere.”
Members of the labor jury based their action on the refusal by Prosecutor Allen of Lewis county, who called for the troops, to reveal the information he claimed to have as a justification for calling the troops.
Hellraisers Journal: Latest News from Spokane Free Speech Fight by Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Part II
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Hellraisers Journal – Friday March 4, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Gurley Flynn Reports from Free Speech Fight, Part II
From the International Socialist Review of March 1910:
Latest News from Spokane
—–ELIZABETH GURLEY FLYNN.
—–[Part II of II.]
Since the release of the majority charged with disorderly conduct, suits have been entered amounting to $120,000 against Chief of Police Sullivan, Captain of Detectives Burns, Captain Miles and Officers Shannon, Warner, Nelson and Jelsett. These suits are based upon the treatment the men received in the sweat box and the Franklin School. Every man injured will certainly cost the city of Spokane thousands of dollars before the fight is settled. The tax payers seem to have no sense of justice or humanity, consequently an appeal to their pocket-books as a last resort will be the most effective. The I. W. W. have already been forced to spend hundreds of dollars from the defense fund caring for sick and disabled members as they were discharged from custody. At the present time one man, George Prosser, is ill at the Kearney Sanitarium, two others, Ed. Collins and M. Johnson, are confined in local hotels with extreme cases of rheumatism, and Frank Reed is in the Washington Sanitarium ill with erysipelas.
This little fellow [Frank Reed] who, by the way is one of Uncle Sam’s ex-soldiers, went through the hunger strike at Fort Wright and but a few days after his release was re-arrested charged with criminal conspiracy and desecrating the flag. When he was taken ill he was allowed to remain for 48 hours without medical treatment and in a terrible delirium. County Physician Webb excused this ill-treatment by saying that Reed had been left in charge of a trustee, in other words-a fellow prisoner. He was put under the care of a special nurse and during the first 48 hours he was in an extremely critical condition. The cost to the I. W. W. for the first two days alone amounted to $166.00. This is not reported in any mercenary sense for dollars are of course not to be considered in the balance with the life of a revolutionist, but the extreme character of his suffering and the costly treatment that it required is a severe reproach to the standard of civilization attained in the Spokane County jail.
Hellraisers Journal: Latest News from Spokane Free Speech Fight by Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Part I
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Hellraisers Journal – Thursday March 3, 1910
Spokane, Washington – Gurley Flynn Reports from Free Speech Fight, Part I
From the International Socialist Review of March 1910:
Latest News from Spokane
—–ELIZABETH GURLEY FLYNN.
—–[Part I of II.]
HE agitation of the I. W. W. and free speech fight in Spokane, Washington, if it brought no other effects has been valuable in that it has forced the officials to take action against the employment agencies. In the beginning of the difficulty they were admitted by Judge Mann to be the cause of all the trouble. Since that time Mayor Pratt has frankly admitted refunding thousands of dollars to working-men who had been sold fictitious jobs by the employment agencies. There were about thirty-one in the city of Spokane but the licenses of all but twelve of these were revoked.
The following statement from Mayor Pratt explains this action: “On the whole we have found that the larger agencies have not been causing so much trouble. Some of the larger men have made a study of the business, understanding human nature, and have been successful. In some cases we find that men who do not understand the business have engaged in it nevertheless and have made a little money and have held on to every dollar that has come into their possession whether they were entitled to it or not.”
Hellraisers Journal: From The Butte Daily Bulletin: “Vanderveer Proves Centralia IWW Killed Grimm in Self Defense”
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Hellraisers Journal – Sunday February 29, 1920
Montesano, Washington – Centralia I. W. W. Defended by Attorney Vanderveer
From The Butte Daily Bulletin of February 28, 1920:
LEGIONAIRES ATTACKED HALL
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Witness Testifies Paraders Broke Ranks and
Smashed Windows Before a Shot Was Fired.
—–(Special United Press Wire.)
Montesano, Feb. 28.-Forrest Cameron, 19, witness in the Centralia trial, today testified the soldiers and paraders broke ranks and started toward the Centralia I. W. W. hall before there was any shooting. Several witnesses told of the movement toward the hall, but more were uncertain whether it preceded or followed the shooting from the hall.
“I heard the crash of glass and saw them breaking in the door,” Cameron said. “After a short interval shooting followed.”
Mrs. Mary Sherman testified she saw the soldiers make a break for the hall, but did not know whether the shooting was before or after they smashed the door.
During cross-examination by Prosecutor Abel, Mrs. Sherman admitted she did not think the defendants were guilty.
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