Hellraisers Journal: W. F. of M. Officials Granted Change of Venue to Ada County; Trial Date to Be Announced Monday

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday March 30, 1907
Caldwell, Idaho – Judge Wood Grants Change of Venue

From the Montana News of March 28, 1907:

COURT DECISION
—–

Judge Grants Change of Venue-
Trial Will Take Place in Boise-
Date Will Be Set on April First

Special to the Montana News.

Caldwell, Idaho, March 25, 1907

HMP, Pettibone Moyer Haywood, AtR, Feb 16, 1907

Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone were all in court this morning to hear Judge Wood’s decision on the change of venue motion. The court room was crowded. The judge said it was not necessary to rehearse the facts connected with the case, that he had come to the decision that the trial should go to Ada county. With the consent of the defendants or to over-rule the motion. There were certain conditions existing at Caldwell that were different from those elsewhere but a large part of the showing would pertain equally to all other counties in this portion of the state, that there was a large portion of the county out side of Caldwell where a jury could be obtained. Attorney Nugent for the defense asked if providing the case changed to Ada, whether they were supposed to stay there no matter what condition might be revealed. On getting a reply in the affirmative he said they would have to have time for deliberation. The judge said they should have all the time they wished, and a half hour was named as sufficient. Prisoners and attorneys then retired.

They returned in twenty-five minutes and Mr. Nugent stated that since they had been given no alternative and since it was dangerous to go to trial in Canyon county they would abide by the judge’s decision, and go to Ada county. He called attention to the advantages of Washington county and to the fact that Mr. Steunenberg had resided for four years in Boise. The judge replied that Washington county was in no wise fitted for the trial. Mr. Hawley then asked the judge if it was understood that the prisoners were forced to remain at Boise no matter what the conditions were. The judge replied that he did not intend to take any rights away from the prisoners that the law allowed them. The motion was allowed and the case changed to Boise.

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Hellraisers Journal: Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Editor of Montana News, Has a Little Talk with Big Bill Haywood

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday March 22, 1907
Caldwell, Idaho – Socialist Editor Reports on Moyer-Haywood Case

From the Socialist Montana News of March 21, 1907:

Side Lights on the Trial
—–

Making Laws to Suit Prosecution-
Gooding and His Body Guard


by Ida Crouch-Hazlett.

HMP, Pettibone Moyer Haywood, AtR, Feb 16, 1907

Caldwell, Idaho, March 13.-Perhaps the chief feature that will make the Moyer-Haywood case historic is the part the government has played in the matter from the beginning. The governor of the state, supposed to be a disinterested party, is a prosecuting complainant. His boast that the men would never leave Idaho alive, before any trial, leaves no room for his recognition as an unprejudiced party. Senator Borah is one of the leading attorneys for the prosecution. Indeed, we have been informed privately that he is the real push behind Gooding, and that Gooding is a mere puppet in his hands. Borah tells Gooding what to do, makes all the plans, but he is skulking behind the governor so far as responsibility is concerned. The legislature is controlled entirely by Borah and Gooding. Its appropriation of $104,000 on this case has already been noted.

This session it has passed two measures altering the criminal code, with emergency clauses, showing that they were passed entirely for this case. One had to do with the selection of a judge according to the attorneys employed in a case. The prosecution at first had sixteen attorneys and the defense four. But the addition of the firm of Groffith Brothers at Caldwell, removed the advantage that the new law would have given, when another twist was made. Another case was the passage of a law making the number of peremptory challenges the prosecution was allowed equal to that of the defense. For forty years the statute has been that the defense should have the right of ten challenges and the prosecution five. That the change should have been made at this time with an emergency clause to equalize it immediately, can admit of but one interpretation for such unseemly haste as this at this time, which is unprecedented in the modification of the criminal code.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Editor of Montana News, Has a Little Talk with Big Bill Haywood”

Hellraisers Journal: Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Editor of Montana News, Discovers a Socialist Local in Caldwell, Idaho

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday March 16, 1907
Caldwell, Idaho – Editor Crouch-Hazlett on the Scene

The editor of the Montana News is now reporting from the scene of the attempted frame-up of the officials of the Western Federation of Miners, and, to her surprise, she has found an active and effective Local of the Socialist Party in that small western town.

From the Caldwell Socialist of August 18, 1906:

HMP, Waiting by Ryan Walker, Caldwell Socialist of Aug 18, 1906

From the Montana News of March 14, 1907:

Socialist Activity in the Idaho Conspiracy.

[By Ida Crouch-Hazlett]

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Montana News: Ida Crouch-Hazlett in Caldwell, Idaho, Interviews Mrs. Steunenberg

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday March 15, 1907
From the Montana News: Ida Crouch-Hazlett Reports From Caldwell

GOV. STEUNENBERG’S WIDOW
—–
Interview by Ida Crouch-Hazlett

Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Socialist, Montana News, Aug 3, 1904

Since the kidnapping case has been put off till the close of Steve Adams’ trial, which is simply the preliminary skirmish of the same conflict, I took the time on March 5 to walk out to the Steunenberg residence, and have a talk with the widow of the bull-pen governor. The house stands at the extreme edge of the little country town of Caldwell, it is modest modern cottage with no signs of great wealth about it, but an air of comfort and indications of sufficient means to cover ample middle class wants. Mrs. Steunenberg is a pleasant-faced, portly woman, short in stature of those general characteristics that are ordinarily called “motherly.” She was not averse to giving any information asked for and indeed seemed to think it her duty to satisfy the public curiosity. She is an ardent adherent of the Adventist faith, and seems to reconcile everything with the idea that it is “God’s will.” She says she knows nothing of papers and politics.

A neighbor who sometimes did little chores about the house was at first arrested for the terrible crime. She always strenuously opposed any suspicion being laid upon this man. She showed me the fragments of clothing that were gathered up about the fatal spot. The largest one was not over six inches long. She said she had formed no opinion as to the perpetrators of the deed, that there were those whose business such matters were and she left everything to them.

The depth of the class struggle between the economic forces of society is nowhere more evident than in this calm, placid woman, who has no idea that her husband’s actions in the brutal Idaho war were anything but necessary and fully justified by the circumstances. The father is looked upon as a martyr to public service, and the young children of which there are four, have each full sets of his pictures. The entire forms of bourgeois thought must be shaken from their adamantine strongholds before even a suspicion of justice can find lodgment in the social consciousness.

The very fact that such a heinous, insensate, cowardly crime should have been laid at the doors of men banded together to better and uplift the conditions of the workers, who have nothing to gain by crimes, but everything to lose, that these men should have been followed so relentlessly by the iron hand of all the machinery that the employing class can use shows the desperate straits to which this robber class will go to maintain the prerogatives and retain the slave.

Men who work, awaken. There is no peace or security for you, except as you arise and give battle for the common rights of all human beings.

IDA CROUCH-HAZLETT.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Montana News: Ida Crouch-Hazlett in Caldwell, Idaho, Interviews Mrs. Steunenberg”

Hellraisers Journal: U. S. Supreme Court Rules Against Moyer, Haywood, and Pettibone in Habeas Corpus Cases

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday December 8, 1906
U. S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of State-Sponsored Kidnapping

Kidnappers Special by BBH, detail, AtR, May 19, 1906

The U. S. Supreme Court has ruled that kidnapping is legal as long as it is accomplished by the Governor of a state, or, as in the case of the kidnapping of Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone, done through a conspiracy between the Governors of two states: Colorado and Idaho. The lone voice for actual “law and order” upon the Court was that of Justice McKenna whose dissenting opinion states in part:

Kidnapping is a crime, pure and simple. It is difficult to accomplish; hazardous at every step. All the officers of the law are supposed to be on guard against it. All of the officers of the law may be invoked against it. But how is it when the law becomes the kidnapper?

When the officers of the law, using its forms and exerting its power, become abductors? This is not a distinction without a difference—another form of the crime of kidnapping distinguished only from that committed by an individual by circumstances. If a state may say to one within her borders and upon whom her process is served, I will not inquire how you came here; I must execute my laws and remit you to proceedings against those who have wronged you, may she so plead against her own offenses? May she claim that by mere physical presence within her borders an accused person is within her jurisdiction denuded of his constitutional rights, though he has been brought there by her violence?

[…..]

No individual could have accomplished what the power of the two states accomplished. No individual or individuals could have commanded the means and success could have made two arrests of prominent citizens by invading their homes; could have commanded the resources of jails, armed guards and special trains; could have successfully timed all acts to prevent inquiry and judicial interference. The accused, as soon as he could have done so, submitted his rights to the consideration of the courts. He could not have done so in Colorado. He could not have done so on the way from Colorado. At the first instant that the state of Idaho relaxed its restraining power he invoked the aid of habeas corpus successively of the Supreme Court of the state and of the Circuit Court of the United States. He should not have been dismissed from court, and the action of the Circuit Court in so doing should be reversed.

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Hellraisers Journal: Haywood Wins Thousands of Votes for Governor of Colorado While Facing the Gallows in Idaho

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Have courage and energy;
they may put us in jail,
but imprisonment is not defeat.
Yours for economic freedom,
Ada County Jail, Boise, Idaho.
-WILLIAM D. HAYWOOD.

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday November 25, 1906
Colorado Socialists and Unionists Cast Their Votes for Haywood

Colorado Election Results from the Montana News of November 22nd:

COLORADO

Haywood for CO Governor, AtR, Aug 25, 1906

Returns very incomplete. Enough to show more than 20,000 for Haywood and the Socialist ticket. Grand Junction goes 500 for Haywood, Telluride over 450 for Haywood. Great frauds every where, especially in Denver, where Socialist watchers were thrown out. In some places Socialists were prevented from voting.

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Hellraisers Journal: President Roosevelt, Secretary Taft, and the Western Federation of Miners

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday November 2, 1906
Boise, Idaho – Secretary Taft to Speak for Governor Gooding

From this week’s Montana News:

ROOSEVELT AGAINST THE
MINERS’ UNIONS.

William Howard Taft, Secretary of War, ab 1905
William Howard Taft, Secretary of War

Boise, Ida., Oct 24.-A special to the Statesman, from Washington. D. C., says:

That President Roosevelt thoroughly approves the course taken by Governor Gooding in prosecuting the men charged with the murder of ex-Governor Steunenberg can no longer be questioned. It was officially announced today that Secretary Taft, the strong arm of the administration, at the special request of the president will make two speeches in Idaho in order that the people of that state may know that the sympathies of the national administration are with Governor Gooding and those who stand by him for law and order. Secretary Taft will speak at Pocatello Friday, November 2, and at Boise the next day.

President Roosevelt has been deeply interested in the Idaho campaign since its inception, because he has been anxious that the people shall give their hearty support to the ticket that stands for law and order. He deeply regretted the attempt made in some quarters to becloud the issue when it was so apparent to him this is the only issue involved.

The president is so intensely in earnest that his instructions to Secretary Taft would leave no option, if he had any inclination to choose other topics, but Secretary Taft is as much concerned as the president. One of his friends said when his trip was announced: “You can bet your last dollar that Taft will give those dynamiters hell.”

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Hellraisers Journal: Correspondent for Montana News Reports on Pinkerton Plot to Murder 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday October 13, 1906
Wallace, Idaho – Steve Adams Fights Pinkerton Frame-Up

From Isaac Cowan in the October 11th edition of the Montana News:

Steve Adams On Trial
—–

Montana News Special Correspondent Reports
McPartland’s Murderous Schemes

Montana News, ed Ida Crouch-Hazlett, Oct 11, 1906

After a preliminary hearing before Probate Judge Boomer, Steve Adams is bound over to the district court, which meets Oct. 15. When I arrived in Wallace, Idaho, Sept. 26, the city was full of detectives, headed by the notorious James McPartland [McParland], alias Jim McKenna, of the Pinkerton-Mollie Maguirs [Molly Maguires] fame, who is now trying to railroad Haywood, Moyer and Pettibone, officials of the Western Federation of Miners, to the gallows. Steve Adams, who was arrested shortly after Harry Orchard’s alleged confession charging the miners’ officials with being implicated in the murder of ex-Governor Steunenburg, is now charged with the murder of an alleged claim jumper named Fred Tyler.

McPartland’s Sleuthing.

Adams had been relied upon by McPartland and Governor Gooding to corroborate Orchard’s confession, or the main part of it, and was being held in jail (with his wife, Mrs. Adams, being kept in the woman’s ward for that purpose.)

Adams denies that there was or is any truth in what McPartland and Gooding say he swore to, and says that the statements about his knowledge of the guilt of the officers of the miners was written up by McPartland or Gooding, or both; and he was compelled to swear to them by threats of Governor Gooding, who stated that if the people of Colorado got hold of him he would be mobbed and killed. All of this Adams has given out through signed documents, witnessed to by Mrs. Adams, his wife, and handed to J. W. Lillard, Adams’ uncle, a sick ranchman in Washington, and is now in the hands of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone’s attorneys. On application Adams was immediately released on a writ of habeas corpus, but was at once arrested for the murder of Fred Tyler.

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Hellraisers Journal: Industrial Workers of the World Convention Call: Chicago, September 17, 1906

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The working class and the employing class
have nothing in common.
There can be no peace so long as
hunger and want are found among millions
of the working people and the few,
who make up the employing class,
have all the good things of life.
-IWW Preamble

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 17, 1906
From the Montana News: I. W. W. Convention Call

W. E. Trautman and C. O. Sherman
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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
Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Montana Socialists Issue Convention Call, Mass Meeting for Idaho Prisoners in Butte”