Proudly went out Joe unto his death
With smiling lips and fearless eyes
this message gave with his last breath
“Don’t mourn for me, but ORGANIZE.”
-Richard Brazier
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Saturday June 1, 1918
“Farewell, Joe” by Richard Brazier
From I. W. W. Songs, “General Defense Edition” of April 1918:
—–
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday May 8, 1918
From I.W.W. Songs, General Defense Edition
From Songs of the Workers, 14th Edition, April 1918:
Such a group of men one is proud to be associated with
-workers, clean hearted, clear eyed;
all fighting for the principles so plainly set forth in
the Preamble of the Industrial Workers of the World.
-Big Bill Haywood
Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday May 7, 1918
Big Bill Haywood on Conditions in the Cook County Jail
From The Liberator of May 1918:
On the Inside
By William D. Haywood
CLANG! clang! a bell rang out, big iron doors slid back, the auto patrol wheeled up to the rear entrance of the Cook County Jail; and here we are.
We are in the wing of the “old jail,” a room about 60 by 60 with a double row of cells four tiers high; our cells face the alley to the west. Cells are six by eight, about eight feet high with ceiling slightly sloping to the rear.
This cell is parlor, bedroom, dining room and lavatory all in one. Decorations black and white-that is, the interior is painted solid black on two walls, black half way on the other two walls. The ceiling is mottled white. Wash bowl, toilet, water-pipe, small bench, a narrow iron bunk, flat springs, corn husk mattress, sheet and pillow case of rough material, blanket, tin cups and spoons, constitute the fittings of our temporary homes where we spend twenty hours out of every twenty-four, involuntary parasites, doing no more service to society than the swell guys who loll around clubs or attend the functions at fashionable resorts.
The reveille of this detention camp is the sharp voice of the “runner,” “Cups out! Cups out!”
It is the beginning of a new day. The light, streams through the grated. door and falls in a checkered pattern across the cell floor.
One stretches his body on the narrow cot and awakens to the fact that he is still in jail, accepting the situation philosophically, wondering, some of us perhaps, what manner of independence and freedom it was that our Forefathers fought for in this country.
A prison cell is the heritage we gain for the blood and lives our forefathers gave; they fought for religious freedom and left us with minds free from superstitious cant and dogma; they waged war for political justice; they carried on the struggle against chattel-slavery-these were the titanic battles that were fought, bringing us to the threshold of the greatest of all wars-the class war-in which we are enlisted as workers, against all kinds of exploiters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 4, 1908
Cities Across the Nation: Despairing Men Search for New Masters
From the Appeal to Reason of May 2, 1908:
Slaves Looking for Masters.
—–In every city of the country there are to be found many sad and despairing men, trudging from place to place, or standing in small groups in earnest conversation. These men are not tramps, hoboes or loafers, but the involuntary idle; men, honest and industrious workingmen, who have lost their jobs and now wander and wonder where and when employment is to be found.
These men are of the wealth producers of the nation, but under the existing competitive system the markets of the world have been overstocked and orders countermanded, and as the employers of labor could no longer employ them with profit, the mill, shop and factory were closed down to await more favorable market conditions, while the unfortunate employes have been set adrift.
But what of those dependent upon the idle workers for food, raiment and shelter? Ah, me, that is not a matter of concern to the employers. When times become extremely severe and threaten revolt, the wife or daughter of the employer, “out of pity for the poor,” will attend a “charity” ball gowned in five thousand dollars worth of silks and diamonds, presenting a ten dollar ticket of admission. Beyond this the employers have little or no interest in their slaves.
When the shop and factory again need labor power, when it can again be employed with profit to the employers-the owners of the machine, the gigantic tool of production-they well know it will be found at the gate knocking and pleading for permission to enter…..
When you wear that button, the “Wobblies” red button
And carry their red, red card,
No need to hike, boys, along these old pikes, boys
Every “Wobbly” will be your pard.
-Richard Brazier
Hellraisers Journal, Monday April 29, 1918
From the Chicago I. W. W. Publishing Bureau:
A new song from Richard Brazier:
For Freedom laughs at prison bars
Her voice re-echoes from the star;
Proclaiming with the tempest’s breath
A Cause beyond the reach of death!
-Ralph Chaplin
Hellraisers Journal, Monday April 22, 1918
From the Chicago I. W. W. Publishing Bureau:
—–
“I. W. W. Prison Song” by Ralph Chaplin:
We want all the workers in the world to organize
Into a great big union grand
And when we all united stand
The world for workers we’ll demand.
-Joe Hill
Hellraisers Journal, Monday April 15, 1918
“I. W. W. Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent”
From the recently released General Defense Edition:
Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday January 2, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – I. W. W. Books Seized by Federal Agents
50,000 “SABOTAGE” BOOKS SEIZED
IN I. W. W. RAID
CHICAGO, Dec. 28.-Some of the results of the recent raid on headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World here were made known by Federal officials today. Among the tons of literature seized were 50,000 copies of “Sabotage,” a book by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, of New York, now under indictment for conspiracy against the government. Thousands of copies of another book called “Sabotage” by Emil Pouget, were seized.
Vast quantities of stickers inscribed “Don’t be a soldier-be a man,” new I. W. W. song books and plates from which they were printed also were taken.
The Michigan Central Railroad to-day sent warnings to all points on its lines giving notice of an alleged I. W. W. plot to destroy grain elevators during the holidays. As a result special police have been detailed to guard every grain elevator in Chicago.
——–
[Photograph added.]
Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 10, 1907
Rathdrum, Idaho – Jury Will Decide Life or Death for Adams
With one jury already unable to decide the guilt or innocence of Steve Adams, Clarence Darrow is once again front and center of this, the second battle, in the fight to save the man’s life. Ida Crouch-Hazlett is also on scene where she is the sole member of the Socialist press reporting on the progress of the trial.
From the Socialist Montana News of November 7, 1907:
STEVE ADAMS JURY COMPLETED
—–
Another Battle in the Class Struggle
Begins at RathdrumSpecial Correspondence.
Rathdrum, Ida., Nov. 5.
The special venire of 80 men summoned for the Adams trial was exhausted yesterday afternoon, and the judge ordered a second venire of 20 men, which the sheriff engaged to deliver in court this afternoon at 2 o’clock. There are but three peremptories that can be used, one for the state and two for the defense. A number will undoubtedly disqualify as opposed to capital punishment, and still others for prejudice, but even taking this into consideration it was thought that 20 men would be ample from which to complete the jury. The opposition to returning a verdict of guilty where the punishment is death, is more marked in this case than in ordinary ones because of the circumstantial evidence feature in the case. Many jurors lay especial stress on this and say that nothing but direct evidence would induce them to return a verdict that would lead to death penalty.
Opinions Formed.
A great number have been dismissed because of opinions already formed and the admission of prejudice. The venire makes a total of 122 men called on this case. The forming of the jury has been almost as difficult as at Boise. The questions asked are about the same as those at Boise on the part of the defense. Knight makes himself ridiculous by asking local questions that have no bearing on the case whatever, and only show that he thinks he is bound to be suspicious and vents his suspicions in the most foolish and irrelevant ways.
Darrow Shows Ability.
Darrow is evidencing much more mastery in this case than he was able to bring to the front at Boise, and he has done some particularly clever work in a number of instances with jury men. This was particularly noticeable in the case of S. Young, a hotel keeper from Post Falls. This man had acted in the capacity of a minister, was an Englishman, a smooth talker, and gave most quiet, guarded and unobjectionable answers to all questions. After most persistent and penetrating questioning that failed to reveal any attitude of mind that was objectionable, Mr. Darrow turned around and said the man was a puzzle. He asked all interested in the defense what they thought about him. Adams didn’t like the man, and Darrow turned around and went at his questioning in a different manner this time, showing open opposition to the juror. The plan worked to a nicety, and in a few moments Darrow drew from the man that he thought Steve guilty. It was an admirable piece of tactical work.
Hellraisers Journal, Thursday August 30, 1917
Fresno, California – Sister-in-Law of Frank Little Pens Poem
Emma Little, staunch supporter of the Industrial Workers of the World, lives in Fresno with her husband, Fred, brother of our martyred Fellow Worker, Frank Little. Emma and Fred have three children: Walter, Lawrence and Victoria.
Fresno was the scene of the famous Free Speech Fight of 1910-1911 in which Frank Little, along with Fred and Emma, played active and heroic roles.
From Solidarity of August 11, 1917:
