Tag: Maritime Transport Workers IWW

Hellraisers Journal: Ben Fletcher, John Walsh and Walter Nef, IWW Class War Prisoners, Freed by President Harding

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Matilda Robbins ed, Ben Fletcher, p132 PC—————

Hellraisers Journal – Friday November 3, 1922
Fellow Workers Fletcher, Walsh and Nef Freed from Leavenworth Penitentiary 

From The Washington Times of November 1, 1922:

THREE I. W. W. PRISONERS
PAROLED BY PRESIDENT

IWW, Ben Fletcher ed, 13126 Leavenworth, Sept 7 or 8, 1918
Fellow Worker Ben Fletcher

The sentences of Walter T. Nef, Ben Fletcher and John Walsh, political prisoners, have been conditionally commuted by President Harding, it was announced at headquarters of the amnesty committee here today.

The men are from Philadelphia, but were sentenced with other I. W. W. members from Chicago.

The commutation is conditional upon their future good behavior. They must be law abiding in future and “not encourage or be connected with lawlessness” of any sort, otherwise they can be recommitted to prison by the President without hearing. The fact that the men were given such conditional pardons was criticised by the amnesty committee in making the announcement.

Fletcher and Walsh were serving ten years and Nef twenty.

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IWW, John Walsh, 13147 Leavenworth, Sept 7 or 8, 1918Fellow Worker John Walsh

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Walter T Nef, Lv Pen 13110Fellow Worker Walter T. Nef

[Photographs and emphasis added.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Messenger: “Miscarriage of Justice” by Chicago IWW Class-War Prisoner, Walter T. Nef

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Quote Frank Little re Guts, Wobbly by RC p208, Chg July 1917———————-

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday November 9, 1921
Walter T. Nef  Writes from Leavenworth Penitentiary 

From Then Messenger  of November 1921:

MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

[by Walter T. Nef]
(Continued)

IWW Chg Class War Prisoners bf Leaving for Leavenworth, Late Apr 1921, with Names fr Messenger p235, Aug 1921

On July 16, 1916, I left the office in Philadelphia andwent to work as a longshoreman and worked most of the time on ammunition and powder, general cargofor Murphy, Cook & Co., and sometimes on lumber,to which I can get many members to testify. There have been no explosions on the docks of Philadelphia or on any ships out of that port and all the ammunitionwas loaded by members of the I. W. W.and there were no guards on the docks. The head foreman, called  “Billboro,” can testify to my work asa longshoreman. Besides there are many members who can testify to my position in regard to Germany and the war.

As I stated before Honorable Judge K. M. Landis before sentence was passed, I know of no conspiracy andif there had been a conspiracy against the government then explosions and obstructions would havetaken place. But there were none. We had lotsof members on the Panama Line, which is under governmentcontrol, and there was no trouble. Besides the members liked to work on those boats and notime was lost on any trips. The Bulletins testify to this, I think. The Bulletins were published in  “Solidarity,” I think, and “Solidarity” was introduced as evidence.

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