Hellraisers Journal – Sunday December 10, 1911 “FREE SPEECH must be established in Aberdeen! ON TO ABERDEEN!!”
From the Spokane Industrial Worker of December 7, 1911:
We will now sing that touching hymn entitled “Throw a Little Dough Upon the Drum.”
——-
ABERDEEN FULL OF THUGS —————
A LULL IN THE STORM -700 AUTHORIZED THUGS TO STOP FREEDOM OF SPEECH -MAYOR PARKS THREATENS TO MURDER. —————
ABERDEEN, Wash., Dec. 1.-Aberdeen is quiet after the storm. The I. W. W.’s have left, and can’t come back now if they want to. In fact, they did petition the mayor for permission to return peaceably, and were refused. So say the citizens.
Sympathizers with the organization, however, say guardedly that the “woods are full” of I. W. W.’s waiting for the proper time to strike a second blow against the town which, they say, has denied them the right of free speech.
The bustling lumber town is in a hubbub of excitement. The recent “invasion” is the topic of conversation on every street corner. Every one is aroused. “Aberdeen for law and order,” is the motto.
The 700 citizen police are still in authority and have their hickory ax handles and stout wagon wheel spokes handy in case they are needed again. The town is unnaturally quiet-like the calm before a storm. Serious men realize that the war may not yet be ended, and are waiting.
When the first skirmish took place five men mounted soap boxes on prominent street corners and demanded the right to preach their doctrine wherever they pleased. They were arrested. The next night 150 men wearing red tags made a demonstration before the city jail in favor of their imprisoned comrades. City officials ordered out the fire department and the crowd of I. W. W.’s and many bystanders were soaked with water. Several arrests followed. Friday Mayor Parks gave the oath to 500 special police. The number has since been swelled to 700. The I. W. W.’s attempted to hold a meeting in the Empire theater and the hardest struggle of the week took place. Citizen police patrolled all streets in squads and arrested every man they could find wearing the red tag of the I. W. W.’s. The meeting was dispersed.
————————