Tag: Orrin N Hilton

Hellraisers Journal: Judge Hilton Defends Plea Deal in Mesabi Cases, Lauds IWW Men and Praise Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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MN16, ON Hilton speech, LW, Dec 23, 1916

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Hellraisers Journal, Saturday December 23, 1916
Mesabi Range, Minnesota – Plea Agreement & Vindication Meeting

Today’s Duluth Labor World discusses the issues of Justice surrounding the plea agreement reached last week which led to the release of I. W. W. organizers Tresca, Scarlett, and Schmidt:

MN16, Tresca Scarlett Schmidt Released, LW, Dec 23, 1916

OTHER DEFENDANTS DRAW
INDEFINITE TERMS
———-

Tresca Scarlett Schmidt, ISR, Nov 1916

Tresca, Scarlett and Schmidt are freed. Last Friday they were let out of the dingy, over-crowded St. Louis county jail and given their liberty.

Months ago The Labor World made the prediction that the cases against these men would never come to trial; that as soon as the trouble on the ranges blew over these men would be let go. Our prediction was correct, although we have no inclination to claim the virtues of a prophet.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Judge Hilton Defends Plea Deal in Mesabi Cases, Lauds IWW Men and Praise Elizabeth Gurley Flynn” →

Hellraisers Journal: Plea Deal Reached in Iron Miners’ Cases; Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Bids Mesabi Range Good-Bye

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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I loved the people on the Range…
the blond children of the Finnish workers,
with their rosy cheeks…
the dark-eyed Italian children,
trying to be friends.
-Elizabeth Gurley Flynn

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday December 22, 1916
Mesabi Range – Three Strikers to Be Sent to Prison

From the Bemidji Daily Pioneer of December 16, 1916, we learn the sad news that three strikers will be sent to the state penitentiary in Stillwater as a result of plea deal reached in Duluth:

THREE SENT TO “PEN” FOR
KILLING SHERIFF*
—–

[*Note: the so-called “sheriff” in the title of this article was actually a deputized company gunthug who committed an illegal and violent raid upon the Masonovich home.]

Masonovich-P. & M. & Boarders, ISR, Sept 1916

Duluth, Dec. 16.-Three of the eight persons indicted for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Thomas James C. Myron during the strike trouble at Biwabik on July 3 last appeared before Judge Cant in district court here and pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter in the first degree. They were each sentenced to terms of not more than 20 years in the state penitentiary at Stillwater.

The prisoners who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree were:

Philip Masonovich, 35; Joe Cernagorcevich, 37, and Joe Nickich, 22.

The murder charge against two others, one a woman, was dismissed and the defendants were given their freedom.

In the three remaining cases which are those pending against the Industrial Workers of the World organizers Carlo Tresca, Sam Scarlet [Scarlett], and Joe Schmidt, continuances were ordered. These three were given their freedom in the mean time.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Plea Deal Reached in Iron Miners’ Cases; Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Bids Mesabi Range Good-Bye” →

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Slams Murderous Biwabik Editor; Judge Hilton Arrives on Mesabi Range

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday December 14, 1916
The Mesabi Range – Miss Flynn Fired Up; Famous Attorney Arrives

MN Iron Range Strike, Tresca Scarlett Schmidt Button, 1916

The Duluth News Tribune, which newspaper seems to approve of the black-hearted Biwabik editor who advocated Everett-style murder against the iron range strikers, nevertheless disapproves when Elizabeth Gurley Flynn wonders aloud why that same editor doesn’t go right on ahead and “start something.”

Meanwhile the famous labor attorney, Judge Orrin N. Hilton has arrived on the Range and is honored to be on the defense team of those charged with murder in connection with a lawless raid on a miner’s home in Biwabik during the miners’ strike last summer. Judge Hilton was the attorney for Joe Hill during the appeal of his murder conviction in the state of Utah. Hilton delivered the Memorial Oration at the Chicago funeral of our Martyred Rebel Songwriter, and that oration so offended the state of Utah that the Judge was formally disbarred in that state on July 1st of this year.

From The Duluth News Tribune of December 11, 1916:

GURLEY FLYNN TAKES “SLAM”
AT PUBLISHER
—–

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Reno Gz-Jr, July 12, 1916

HIBBING, Dec. 10.-Elizabeth [Gurley] Flynn, speaking here this afternoon at Workers’ hall in the interests of the I. W. W. members to be tried at Virginia for alleged murder, asked the editor of the Biwabik Times “why he doesn’t start something.” Miss Flynn directed that question from the platform to the absent editor after she had referred to his recent editorial in which he suggested that the best way to treat the I. W. W. on the range was to take an example from the vigilantes of Everett, Wash., where five members of the organization were killed and 52 wounded.

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Hellraisers Journal: Report from Everett Defense Committee: Mrs. Edith Frenette Faces Charges of First Degree Assault

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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You ought to be out raising hell.
This is the fighting age.
Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones

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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday December 12, 1916
From Everett Defense News Letter No. 2: “Latest Developments”

Everett Massacre, Def News Letter 2, ab Dec 9, 1916

IWW, emblem, libcom, Sioux City FSF of 1915

The preliminary hearing of Mrs. Edith Frenette, Free Speech advocate, who was arrested on Nov. 6th and charged with first degree assault, took place on Wednesday, the 6th, in Everett. Mrs. Frenette is supposed to have drawn a gun and leveled the weapon at Sheriff McRae when he was being carried to the hospital after having been wounded in the affray at the docks. The state had only two witnesses: Sheriff McRae, himself, and an ex-special-policeman, named John Moline. The contradiction between the testimony of the two witnesses was laughable. The Sheriff said that he was looking at Mrs. Frenette closely enough to see that her lips were moving; and this at a distance of only a few feet. Yet he did not see any gun in her hand. The ex-policeman said that he saw a gun in her hand, that he followed her on the street looking for an officer to have her arrested! He did not dare denounce her then and there, it seems, although the streets were crowded with deputies! It appears as though he only realized, after a good deal of thought, that she ought to be arrested! This is one of the crudest frame-ups which the hysteria of the authorities has as yet produced. Mrs. Frenette was bound over to the superior court on bonds of $2,500.

The counsel for the defense asked that the case be dismissed on the ground of insufficient evidence of criminality. But the judge, in refusing to dismiss the case, indicated so clearly his prejudice and that he had not the moral courage to decide for himself but would shift it over to the jury anyway, that our attorneys decided not to wet their powder by introducing the witnesses for the defense prematurely, at the preliminary hearing.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Report from Everett Defense Committee: Mrs. Edith Frenette Faces Charges of First Degree Assault” →

Hellraisers Journal: Italian Government Takes Interest in Case of Carlo Tresca, Imprisoned in Minnesota

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday September 12, 1916
Virginia, Minnesota – Cablegram from Congressman Caroti of Rome

From The Duluth News Tribune of September 10, 1916:

I. W. W. WOULD DRAG IN ITALIAN GOVERNMENT
—–
Cablegram Talked of With Intimation of Interesting
Mother Country of Alleged Murderer.
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hilton-defends-mesabi-strikers-lansing-mi-state-jr-sept-11-1916

VIRGINIA, Sept. 9._The following telegram was exhibited today by Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, concerning the I. W. W. strike on the range and tending to show that it is having international effect:

Via New York City. Sept 8.

Carlo Tresca, County Jail, Duluth.

Received cablegram from Congressman Caroti at Rome. He is interpelling the Italian government. Agitation started all over Italy. Tom Mann is leading agitation England.

CAMMILLO DEGREGORIUS.

Where the forgoing telegram means that the I. W. W.’s are attempting to interest the Italian government in the case of Tresca is not known, but intimated.

J. J. McCarthy, one of the new leaders, today stated that there were 11,000 miners on the Mesaba range before the strike started, according to figures compiled by the I. W. W.’s. He declares that 2,500 have left the range and that only 2,500 are now working for the mining companies at all range properties. He claims that the strikers’ strength is 10,000 strong.

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Hellraisers Journal: “The Iron Heel on the Mesaba Range” by Leslie H. Marcy, Illustrated by George Dawson, Part II

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

Wednesday August 2, 1916
The Mesabi Range, Minnesota – Iron Miners Speak Out

From this month’s edition of the International Socialist Review:

Red Girls, Mesabi, Marcy, ISR Aug 1916
Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: “The Iron Heel on the Mesaba Range” by Leslie H. Marcy, Illustrated by George Dawson, Part II” →

Hellraisers Journal: American Federation of Labor Convention Takes Up Case of Fellow Worker Joe Hill

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t Mourn; Organize!
-Joe Hill
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Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday November 16, 1915
San Francisco, California-
A. F. of L. Convention Takes Up Case of Fellow Worker Joe Hill

The American Federation of Labor has waited until the eleventh hour to address itself to frame-up, by the state of Utah, of Fellow Worker Joe Hill. Nevertheless, that body appears willing to act at last. At the thirty-fifth annual convention, now meeting in San Francisco, delegates were allowed to hear an address presented yesterday by Tom Mooney.

From The Oregon Daily Journal of November 15, 1915:

Labor Would Stay Death for I. W. W.
—–

Federation Will Ask President to Intervene to Prevent
Execution of Hillstrom Friday.

Tom Mooney, 1910

San Francisco, Nov. 15.-(U. P.)-The American Federation of Labor will appeal to President Wilson in an eleventh hour effort to save Joe Hillstrom, I. W. W., from the Utah firing squad.

Hillstrom is slated to die Friday for murders he committed at Salt Lake City a year since.

Thomas Mooney brought the issue before the convention today, declaring that the trial had been conducted to determine Hillstrom’s connection with the McNamara’s and other labor cases rather than to find if he were guilty of murder.

When the question was referred to the ways and means committee, it decided on an appeal to Wilson, asking that he intervene to get a writ of error from the Utah supreme court.

[Photograph of Tom Mooney added.]

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