Tag: IWW Federal Trial Chicago 1918

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for July 1918, Part IV: Found Speaking at Mooney Protest in Rockford, Illinois

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Mother Jones, Flag Organize, Evle IN Prs, Mar 29, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 25, 1918
Mother Jones News for July 1918, Part IV: Found in Rockford, Illinois

From The Rockford Daily Register-Gazette of July 26, 1918:

MOTHER JONES, REW, CARBINE
—–

WILL BE SPEAKERS AT UNION LABOR MASS
MEETING SUNDAY AFTERNOON
—–

BIG PARADE IS PLANNED
—–

Mother Jones, Ft Wy Jr Gz p3, Dec 17, 1917

Rockford’s union labor hosts expect many union men from other cities to be here Sunday to take part in the street parade and the mass meeting at Fair Grounds park. The local committees are confident it will be the biggest showing of the kind that union labor has made in Rockford in years.

Lieut. Col. William H. Brogunier will be marshal of the day and John E. Peters will be chairman. Mayor Robert Rew, Mother Jones and Ed Carbine will be the speakers…

The meeting is to be made the occasion of Rockford Union Men’s protest against the sentencing to death of Thomas Mooney as a result of the preparedness parade explosion in San Francisco. Mother Jones will tell about the parade. Mooney has been removed to the California state penitentiary where he awaits execution.

The program will be continued in the evening at People’s park, where it is hoped Mother Jones will find it possible to speak for a few minutes. There will be other speakers. The program for the park will be announced at the close of the Fair Grounds park meeting.

———-

[Photograph added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Coverage of IWW Convictions from The Chicago Sunday Tribune: “Disloyalists Hampered War”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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When our cause is all triumphant
And we claim our Mother Earth,
And the nightmare of the present fades away,
We shall live with love and laughter,
We who now are little worth,
And we’ll not regret the price we have to pay.
-Ralph Chaplin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 19, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Jury Out for Just 55 Minutes

From The Chicago Sunday Tribune of August 18, 1918:

100 I.W.W. Leaders Convicted-

IWW Guilty, Headline, Chg Tb p1, Aug 18, 1918IWW Guilty, All to Jail, Chg Tb p1, Aug 18, 1918

Fellow Workers Prashner, Doran, Haywood, and St. John-

Guilty, BBH, Prashner Doran, St John, Chg Tb p7, Aug 18, 1918

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago Trial: IWWs Found Guilty in Blanket Verdict, Taken to Cook County Jail Singing “Hold the Fort”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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How often have court rooms served as undertaking parlors
for the aspirations of rebellious workers?
-Harrison George
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 18, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – “Guilty Is Verdict Against I. W. W.”

At 5:30 p. m. on Saturday August 17, 1918,  the Federal Trial of the leaders of the Industrial Workers of the World ended when the jury announced its verdict:

Guilty as charged in the indictment.

Asked for his response to the verdict, Fellow Worker Harrison George stated:

If America can stand it, I am sure the I. W. W. can.

Report from Harrison George:

Chg IWW Trial, Guilty Verdict, Reno GzJr p1, Aug 17, 1918

NEBEKER concluded his speech at 10:33 a. m. [August 17th], and the crowded courtroom listened expectantly for Vanderveer to open the floodgates of oratory. Nebeker had used less than one hour of the two allotted to the prosecution, and his assistant, Claude R. Porter, was to finish the presentation of their side with a flag-waving broadside of denunciatory eloquence that was not only to sway the jury, but was intended to elect him governor of Iowa. For, thoughtful of his campaign in that state, he had on the previous day sent advance copies of his speech to a great many of his partisan papers in Iowa for release on that day, when he intended to talk himself into immortality.

Judge, oh, ye gods! how deeply he was wounded when Vanderveer forbore to orate, only rising to thank the jury for their patience during the long trial and asking their consideration for a “Christian judgment.” The spectators were nonplussed at such an unusual situation, while Porter, pale and stunned, sat voiceless, trying to grasp the fact that Vanderveer, by refusing to address the jury, had cut off further argument, and that he, Porter, was up against wiring those Iowa papers to kill his oration, already going into the presses.

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Big Bill Haywood on the Stand, Part II-The Class War 1903 to Present Day

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Abolish the wage system, is our battle cry.
With an idea that is imperishable,
Organization and Education as our weapons,
we are invulnerable.
-Big Bill Haywood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 15, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Haywood Takes the Stand, Part II

Report from Harrison George:

BBH ab 1918, fr Haywood at Chg IWW Trial, GEB

Asked if he did any violence in the Cripple Creek strike days [1903-1904], Haywood said he had not, but had received some upon his body, the marks of which remain today.

The Western Federation of Miners had issued a poster bearing a U. S. flag on every stripe of which was an inscription: “Habeas Corpus denied in Colorado”; “Free Speech denied in Colorado,” etc. Under the flag was a photograph of John [Henry] Maki, a union miner, chained to a telegraph pole in the snow by militiamen. Over the flag was the caption: “Is Colorado in America?” Charles H. Moyer, president of the Western Federation of Miners, was arrested at Telluride by militia for “desecrating the flag,” and kept in the bull-pen for one hundred and ten days. Haywood was in Denver, under arrest, but paying a deputy $5 a day to remain out “looking for $300 bail.”

“Couldn’t you get $300 bail?” asked Vanderveer.

“Sure,” was the reply, “but as long as I paid that deputy $5 a day while looking for bail, I would not have to go to Telluride where the militia ruled.”

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Big Bill Haywood on the Stand, Part I-Mother Jones & Gene Debs in Courtroom

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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We think such people [Plutocrats]
ought to work for what they get.
We do not want to take away what they have,
but we want to prevent them from taking
anything more away from us.
-Big Bill Haywood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday August 14, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Haywood Takes the Stand, Part I

Report from Harrison George:

BBH ab 1918, fr Haywood at Chg IWW Trial, GEB

It was 12:30 p. m., [Friday] August 9, when [Defense Attorney] Vanderveer called: “Mr. Haywood.” Reporters broke for the door to release the word that at last William Dudley Haywood, termed by them “Big Bill,” and charged with being “chief conspirator,” had taken the stand in defense of himself and of the organization of which he was the General Secretary-Treasurer. In a few minutes the press table was crowded with writers and cartoonists flocking in to “cover” the story of the big man in the chair. For the major part of four hot days the big man sat there, wiping away perspiration, answering questions with that remarkable memory of his; now smiling, now placid, now and again on cross-examination overawing the petty-souled [Prosecutor] Nebeker, as his heavy voice rose in defiance against the accusers of “The One Big Union.” During those four days the spectators’ benches were full, among the crowd being faces familiar to labor. There were Scott Nearing, Anton Johanssen, “Mother” Jones, and the loved old battler, ‘Gene Debs.

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Vincent St. John, “The interest of wage workers the world over is bound together.”

Janet RayeFrank Little
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[In Lawrence] they were striking
to maintain the human race
in that part of the country—and all over—
because the interest of wage workers
the world over is bound together.
-Vincent St. John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 13, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – I.W.W. Trial, The Saint Takes the Stand

The Saint Speaks on the Workers’ Right to Life

On August 6th, Defendant Vincent St. John, former General Secretary-Treasurer of Industrial Workers of World, took the stand. Harrison George offers the following report:

Vincent St John, Gen Sec-Tre IWW, Reuther, about 1906

From the beginning of the trial the prosecution harped upon that sentence in St. John’s “History and Structure of the I. W. W.,” which says: “The question of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ does not concern us.”
Q. Why did you put those words in quotation marks?

[Answer:] For the reason that in every struggle the wage earners have made during my experience, no matter what they have done, the exponents of the employing class, the press, platform, politicians of all degrees and stripes, have always told them that no matter what they were after, that it was not ‘right’; something they did was ‘wrong.’ The only time a strike is ‘right’ with them is when you have no chance to win it; when they want you to strike; when they want to wipe out whatever vestige of organization you have, then the strike is ‘right,’ that is, a good time to strike.

The Lawrence strike was not entirely a question of getting better wages for those mill operatives, but it was a question that involved the very life and death not only of the men, women and children who were on strike, but also of unborn generations of these same operatives. The death rate in that section among children is 400 out of every 1,000 before they are 1 year of age.

When they were striking in Lawrence they were striking not only for an immediate proposition, but they were striking to save the lives of those 400 unborn children, if you please. They were striking to maintain the human race in that part of the country—and all over—because the interest of wage workers the world over is bound together.

[Photograph and emphasis added.]

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: With Silk Ribbons, Red & Black, Fellow Workers “Remember August 1, 1917”

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 12, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Defendants Honor Frank Little

Report on the Chicago I. W. W. Trial from Harrison George:

Trial Notes: Thursday August 1, 1918

Remember Frank Little Button, see HG IWW Trial, Aug 1, 1918

9 A. M. on August 1 every defendant appeared, wearing upon his breast two strips of silk ribbon, red and black, attached to a small button bearing the picture of Frank H. Little, and upon which were inscribed the words, “Remember August 1, 1917.” This anniversal tribute to the memory of our murdered fellow worker aroused no small comment among the deputies and court attaches.

The first witness on that day was C. O. Carlson of Minot, North Dakota, who had hired I. W. W. threshing crews season after season without having anything horrible happen to either himself or the machinery. Charles W. Westphal of Outlook, Montana, who followed him, told much the same story. Westphal farms1,400 acres of land in co-operation with three brothers. When asked how ranchers’ crops would get along without migratory workers, he said, “I don’t know; that’s a question I couldn’t answer.” Westphal said he always hired all the organized men he could get.

“How do you know they are organized in the I. W. W.?” asked [Prosecutor] Porter.

“Because I always demand their red cards,” was the reply.

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: “Free speech is necessary to social change and to maintain freedom.” -J. A. McDonald

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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“Yaas,” said the farmer reflectively,
“all the I.W.W. fellers I’ve met
seemed to be pretty decent lads,
but them ‘alleged I.W.W.’s’ must be holy frights.”
-Little Red Songbook, 1919
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 11, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – J. A. McDonald on Free Speech and Freedom

Report on the Chicago I. W. W. Trial from Harrison George:

John A. McDonald, IWW, ISR Jan 1918

John A. McDonald, editor of the “Industrial Worker,” occupied the chair for some length of time. He told of the origin of his ideas and how his experiences in the southern timber strike had made an I. W. W. of him.

[He said:]

The experience of all thinkers in the past is that free speech is necessary to social change and to maintain freedom.

[Photograph added.]

Trial Notes: Tuesday July 30, 1918:

On the morning of July 30, Chas. Thompson and Corporal Reynolds were recalled by Vanderveer. They told the jury that when leaving the court room the day before they had been arrested and detained by Department of Justice men in the office of Hinton G. Clabaugh. Over Nebeker’s strenuous objection they told of this attempt to intimidate defense witnesses and said that other soldier witnesses might be fearful of coming to testify. It was rumored about the court that Judge Landis had told Nebeker privately that if another soldier witness would be treated that way he would dismiss the case by a directed verdict. Following this, three Finnish witnesses were called in support of Laukki’s story that the registration trouble in Minnesota was a Finnish issue solely.

Fred Jaakkola, also an editor of “Industrialisti,” and a defendant, contradicted a government witness by proving by a church certificate that he was not a “slacker,” having been born in 1885. Nebeker in a nasty-mannered examination of the big, stolid Finn, thought to get an acknowledgement that Finlanders called a “slacker” a martyr or a hero. “Slacker” had been mentioned and Nebeker said, “You know what I mean by a slacker, don’t you?” “Yes,” said Jaakkola. “By the way,” said Nebeker, “what do you Finns call a slacker?’” “We call it ‘Vitkastelija,’” replied Jaakkola, and everybody laughed. And that was all the answer Nebeker got.

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Fellow Worker Francis Miller on Early Death in the Textile Mills of New England

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday August 6, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Francis Miller on Textile Mills and Early Death

Report on the Chicago I. W. W. Trial from Harrison George:

WWIR, In Here For You, Ralph Chaplin, Sol Aug 4, Sept 1, 1917

The first witness to take the stand on Monday, August 5, was Francis P. Miller, defendant and member of the General Executive Board. Miller was born in France in the region known as the Department of the Seine, where the great textile mills were before the war. He came to America in 1892, and has worked continuously in the textile mills of the east, and at the time of his arrest was employed by the American Woolen Company as inspector on government goods.

Testifying upon conditions in the textile mills of New England, Miller said:

The development in the textile industry has been both a development of machinery and the process of ‘speeding up.” In the cotton industry the looms and other machinery have been improved so that the worker produces 300 or 400 per cent more than he did a generation ago. In the woolen mills the machinery has not been improved to any great extent, but the workers usually have to run two machines where they ran one twenty years ago. The pay has increased a little, but not in keeping with the cost of living at all. Factory owners and trade papers say that production has increased one thousandfold, that is, over hand production. It has certainly increased 300 or 400 per cent in the last twenty-five years.

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Ralph Chaplin on the War and the Draft, Advice and Statement Was His Alone

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Ah, slaves, you fight your masters’ battles well-
The reek of rotting carnage fills the air!
Your swollen bodies yield their noisome smell,
Sweet incense to the ghouls who sent your there…
-Ralph Chaplin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 29, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Ralph Chaplin on the War and the Draft

From The Bisbee Daily Review of July 20, 1918:

CHAPIN ADMITS HE PERSONALLY OPPOSED WAR
—–
I. W. W. Defendant Assumes Full Responsibility
for Editorial Advice to Wobblies of Nation
—–

(By Review Leased Wire)

CHICAGO, July 19.-Ralph R [H]. Chaplin editor of Solidarity, one of the chief organs of the I. W. W. a defendant, was on the stand today in the trial of the 101 I. W. W.

Chaplin, in his direct testimony, had dwelt on the evil of the exploitation of labor and told of the vast amount of money wrested from the toilers by such means.

The attention of Chaplin was called to an editorial printed in Solidarity defining the attitude of the I. W. W. toward the war and the draft. It advised any member drafted to claim exemption as an I. W. W., and to write on his card: “The I. W. W. is opposed to war.”

Chaplin assumed full responsibility for this article.

“The Red Feast” by Ralph Chaplin:

Ralph Chaplin, The Red Feast, Long, When Leaves, 1917

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