Hellraisers Journal: Sacramento Federal IWW Trial Continues; Agents Tell of Raids on “Alleged” California Headquarters

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Quote Frank Little re Guts, Wobbly by RC p208, Chg July 1917
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Monday December 16, 1918
Sacramento, California – Fellow Workers Continue Silent Defense

From the San Francisco Examiner of December 14, 1918:

Sacramento IWW Trial, Banner HdLn SF Exmr p9, Dec 14, 1918

U. S. AGENTS TELL OF RAIDS ON ‘WOBBLIES’
—–
Poster Ridiculing Army, Emery Dust,
Copper Nails Seized;
Trial at Sacramento Continues
—–
Prosecution to Present Testimony Showing
Connection With I.W.W. Organization
in Chicago
—–

WWIR IWW Remember the Boys in Jail, OH Sc p3, Aug 21, 1918

SACRAMENTO, December 13.-Emery dust, a poster ridiculing the United States Army, copper nails and leaflets ostensibly warning against sticking nails in fruit trees “while Ford and Suhr are in jail,” were seized in a raid on Fresno I. W. W. headquarters, S. J. Shannon, deputy United States marshal, testified here today at the trial of 46 persons for alleged conspiracy of the Industrial Workers of the World to hinder war work.

A half-dozen government operatives today told of raids on alleged California headquarters of the organization at San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Stockton, Los Angeles, Fresno and Redding. Documents said to have been seized were offered by the government in its preliminary movement to establish the membership in the I. W. W. of the defendants.
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Hellraisers Journal: Fellow Workers Plan “Silent Defense” at Sacramento Federal Trial of Industrial Workers of the World

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Quote BBH Sacramento IWW Martyrs, With Drops of Blood, Oct 1919~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday December 11, 1918
Sacramento, California-Federal Trial of I. W. W. in Progress

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

The trial of members of the Industrial Workers of World is now in progress in Sacramento, and little to no mention is made by the kept press of the five fellow workers who did not live long enough to face a jury of their peers.The San Francisco Chronicle of December 9th does mention them briefly:

[F]our of the defendants-Robert James Blaine, Edward Burns, Henry Evans and Frank Travis-have died since they were arrested.

However The Chronicle fails to mention the death of defendant, Fellow Worker James Nolan, and also fails to mention that these five fellow workers were imprisoned under horrendous conditions and further fails to mention that they died of influenza/pneumonia to which those unsanitary conditions may have been a contributing factor.

From the San Francisco Examiner of December 8, 1918:

I.W.W. to Treat U.S. Charge
With Silent Contempt
—–

47 Defendants in Conspiracy Case
at Sacramento
Will Make No Defense.
—–

SACRAMENTO, December 7.-A “silent defense” is the program of the trial committee, which will represent all but one of the forty-seven defendants in the Industrial Workers of the World conspiracy cases, who will be brought to trial here Monday in the United States District Court, according to Robert Duncan, special attorney for the Department of Justice, who will prosecute the case for the government.

Duncan said today he had received information from among the defendants and through other sources that it was the plan for the defendants and their committee to treat the entire proceedings with “silent contempt” and to take no part in the trial.

The only women defendant, Theodora Pollok of San Francisco, will be represented by Attorney Nathan C. Coghlan of San Francisco. The other defendants announced at their arraignment October 8, when they entered pleas of not guilty, that they had dismissed their attorneys and would conduct their own trial.

One defendant, Julius Weinberg of San Francisco, entered his plea of guilty on October 4, but has not been sentenced.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to obstruct the war program of the United State government.

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