Hellraisers Journal: Socialists of New Castle Form “Flying Squadron” to Get Out 10,000 Copies of “The Free Press”

Share

Quote Mother Jones, We Will Rest, UMWC Jan 27, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 2, 1909
New Castle, Pennsylvania – Socialists Flying Squadron and Free Press

From the International Socialist Review of October 1909:

Socialists of New Castle PA, ISR p374, Oct 1919
—–

“THE FLYING SQUADRON” of the Socialist Party of New Castle, Pa., is one of the best disciplined and the most progressive group of revolutionists in the state. About a year ago the idea struck them to start a weekly paper. This was done. No one had any great amount of money to put into it—there were no millionaire socialists in the local—but the paper has been carried through and The Free Press, which is published bi-weekly, is self-supporting.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Socialists of New Castle Form “Flying Squadron” to Get Out 10,000 Copies of “The Free Press””

Hellraisers Journal: Louis Duchez on Strikes Ongoing in McKees Rocks, Butler & New Castle, Pennsylvania, Part II

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege, Ab Chp III———-

Hellraisers Journal – Saturday September 4, 1909
“The Strikes in Pennsylvania” by Louis Duchez, Part II

From the International Socialist Review of September 1909:

McKees Rocks Strike, Indian Mound Meeting, ISR p193, Sept 1909—–

[Steel Trust Bulls and Pennsylvania Cossacks]

The steel trust “bulls” and “Pennsylvania Cossacks” were rushed in by the hundreds to club the laborers to death. One poor Hungarian while on the run was shot twenty-four times in the back. Comrade J. W. Slayton has the coat and every bullet hole shows up. The victim is lying in the hospital at the point of death. Another one, an Italian, looked through a knot hole in the fence surrounding the company’s property and two “bulls” ran out with drawn revolvers. One of them kept him covered while the other beat him so badly that he had to be dragged away by his fellow strikers and carried to the hospital. It would take volumes to relate in all its detail the brutality and boldness and lawlessness of the Pressed Steel Car Company.

It is no wonder that the country was aroused over the matter. No one with human feeling and a cent to give could refrain from offering it to the poor, starving men and children and sick women, who were treated a thousands times worse than the serfs of the Middle Ages or the black chattel slaves of the South.

In Butler the strikers were treated about the same as in McKees Rocks. Before the “Cossacks” came all was quiet, aside from the fact that the company “bulls” did everything to start a riot.

When the “Cossacks” came into town, naturally, the striking men and their families would crowd along the main streets. Hundreds of them got out in the middle of the streets of the little village of Lyndora, the Standard Steel Car Company’s town, and the mounted constabulary rushed into them without warning.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Louis Duchez on Strikes Ongoing in McKees Rocks, Butler & New Castle, Pennsylvania, Part II”

Hellraisers Journal: Louis Duchez on Strikes Ongoing in McKees Rocks, Butler & New Castle, Pennsylvania, Part I

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege, Ab Chp III———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday September 3, 1909
“The Strikes in Pennsylvania” by Louis Duchez, Part I

From the International Socialist Review of September 1909:

McKees Rocks Strike, PA Strikes, ISR p193, Sept 1909

Letter I, ISR p193, Sept 1909

T is impossible to treat this subject fully within the space allowed. The writer will simply present a few of the more important facts gleaned from a study of conditions as they exist at McKees Rocks, Butler and New Castle.

At McKees Rocks fifty riveters of the “erection department” of the Pressed Steel Car Company’s plant came out on strike. The others remained at work. Half of those fifty returned the next day—the other half were discharged. The following day one-third of the force in the “passenger car department” walked out and they returned to work twenty-four hours later. About half of those were “fired.” On the third day half of the force of the “Pennsylvania porch department” walked out.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Louis Duchez on Strikes Ongoing in McKees Rocks, Butler & New Castle, Pennsylvania, Part I”

Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: News of McKees Rocks Strike: “Massacre of Working People”

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Powers of Privilege, Ab Chp III———-

Hellraisers Journal – Friday August 27, 1909
Industrial War at McKees Rocks, New Castle, & Butler, Pennsylvania

From the Spokane Industrial Worker of August 26, 1909:

-from page 2

Massacre of Working People

IWW McKees Rocks, HdLn re Mass Mtg Indian Mound Aug 15, Ptt Pst p2, Aug 16, 1909The strike of the workers at the Pressed Steel Car plant, and at McKees Rocks, New Castle and Butler, Pa., near Pittsburg, is being fought by the employers and their troops with all the brutally and outrage which remind one of Homestead and the other slaughter pens of America. In addition to numerous outrages on the part of the employers’ troops, on August 22, 10 strikers were killed buy the militia, who opened a volley fire on the crowd of men, women and children. Four of the bloodthirsty soldiers were killed in the fight. They, at least, will never kill any more strikers. The account of the affair, while distressing, is a reminder that the fighting spirit of the workers is not dead, and that the working people are realizing that they have no rights to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness, unless they have the power themselves to enforce those rights. It is not for the parlor, kidglove revolutionist to preach meekness and “peaceful methods” to these brave workers who are fighting for their lives and to protect the honor of their families, nor for other working people to lay down hard and fast rules for those who are goaded and stung by tyranny and oppression……

It has taken untold tears and bloodshed to prove that the working class must unite as a class. The I. W. W. is the hope of those who detest bloodshed, and who, not deluded by reliance on the laws of the enemy, are still able to recognize that industrial control includes military control, and that the supreme court of society is in the world’s bread-basket.

The principal speaker at a mass meeting at Indian Mound on August 15 was the general organizer of the I. W. W., Wm. E. Trautmann. There were over 8,000 present at this meeting. The account of this meeting will be found in an extract from an employing class paper, the Pittsburg Post, on pages 1-3 of this paper [page 2 of August 16th edition, see newsclip]. This fight is against the United States Steel Corporation-an industrial union of employers. It is up to the working people of American and the world to help themselves by giving money to the strikers, and publicity to the cruelties practiced on the striking workers in Pennsylvania. An injury to one is an injury to all.

———-

[Newsclip added is from Pittsburgh Post of August 16, 1909.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Spokane Industrial Worker: News of McKees Rocks Strike: “Massacre of Working People””

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1909, Part I: Found in New Castle, Pennsylvania

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Old Devil, UMWC Jan 27, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Sunday August 8, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for July 1909, Part I:
-Found Speaking to Tin Workers in New Castle, Pennsylvania

From the Pittsburg National Labor Tribune of July 1, 1909:

Mother Jones, Muncie IN Eve Prs p3, July 17, 1909

VOTE AT NEW CASTLE.
—–

[…]

Pride of New Castle lodge, composed of members of the Amalgamated [Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers] employed at the Greer tin mills, decided at a meeting Saturday night to strike against the “open shop” policy the vote was 153 for and 104 against….

———-

Mother Jones Speaks Out.

Many of the tin workers who had voted to strike went to hear Mother Jones speak at the Airdome Sunday night but were not as well pleased with her remarks as they thought they would be as she held out no hope for them winning their strike. Mrs. Jones stated that the men had no hope at all unless they were solidly organized and that they could accomplish nothing in the condition that they were. She did suggest that they all get into the Socialist party and by all uniting under that banner that they would win in the end. That was the gist of her remarks pertaining to the New Castle situation.-News

———-

[Photograph added from The Muncie Evening Press of July 17, 1909.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for July 1909, Part I: Found in New Castle, Pennsylvania”

Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1909: “The President Gave Me an Audience.”

Share

Quote Mother Jones, Friend of Friendless, St L Labor, June 26, 1909———-

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday July 13, 1909
Mother Jones News Round-Up for June 1909, Part II:
-Hard at Work for Release of the Mexican Political Refugees

From St. Louis Labor of June 26, 1909:

Washington, D. C.,
June 17, 1909.

Editor [G. A.] Hoehn,
St. Louis, Mo.
Dear Comrade:

Mother Jones Seeks Pardon Crpd, Oak Tb p3, June 24, 1909

I have been hard at work for a week, working for the release of the Mexican Political Refugees. Yesterday the President gave me an audience. I presented a sworn statement from Gue[r]ra, who has been sentenced to the Federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas. Warden McCloughery was extremely courteous and sympathetic in every way.

T. V. Powderly, one of the early fighters for Labors’ rights in the stormy days of the past, arranged a meeting with the attorney of the Board of Pardons; he gave me a very respectful hearing, and promised to send the papers to the President as soon as possible.

When the President and I met, his salutation was: “Mother Jones, it seems to me that you are always working in behalf of the friendless?” I replied:

Well Mr. President, those who got many friends do not need my assistance.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts and Doings of Mother Jones for June 1909: “The President Gave Me an Audience.””

Hellraisers Journal: I. W. W. and Socialists Leaders Coming to New Castle for Labor Day Celebration

Share

If the plutocrats begin the program,
we will end it.
-Eugene V. Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday August 12, 1906
New Castle, Pennsylvania – Debs and DeLeon to Appear Together

From the New Castle Herald of August 11, 1906:

LEADERS OF SOCIALISM COMING
TO NEW CASTLE
—–
(Four of the Orators Who Will “Spell-Bind”
at Cascade Park on Labor Day)

St John, Sherman, New Castle PA, Coming for Labor Day, Aug 11, 1906

DeLeon, Debs, New Castle PA, Coming for Labor Day, Aug 11, 1906
Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: I. W. W. and Socialists Leaders Coming to New Castle for Labor Day Celebration”