Tag: Ralph Chaplin

Hellraisers Journal: “A Rebel in Jail” – Ralph Chaplin, Prisoner No. 13104, Writes to Upton Sinclair from Leavenworth

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Quote Ralph Chaplin, No Yellow Streak, AtR p4, Feb 15, 1919—–

Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday February 18, 1919
Leavenworth Penitentiary – Fellow Worker Ralph Chaplin Pens a Sonnet

From The New Appeal of February 15, 1919:

A Rebel in Jail

Ralph Chaplin, Leavenworth 13104, Sept 1918
Fellow Worker Ralph Chaplin, Prisoner #13104

—–

[Note by Upton Sinclair]

Recently I was addressing the ladies of one of the large clubs in Los Angeles, and they were much amused when I told them that whenever I was in jail I found myself irresistibly impelled to write poetry. Moreover, that was my one chance to get poetry published; newspapers were ready to give it space, because it had been written in jail! You will note from the following letter that others also make verses in captivity. You see, there is nothing else you can do; and you have an irresistible impulse to tell the people outside what is happening to you!

Wherever you live in America you will read in your daily paper about those desperate criminals called I. W. W.s, who want to destroy society, but whom a wise government has put behind bars where they cannot do harm.

From this letter you may see exactly what desperadoes they are. They write sonnets, and beg you to send them good literature to read!

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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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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW’s Enter Leavenworth Pen; Fellow Workers Remain Serene as They March Thru the Yard

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The bandage will remain on
the eyes of Justice
as long as the Capitalist
has the cut, shuffle, and deal.
-Big Bill Haywood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 12, 1918
Leavenworth, Kansas – Fellow Workers Lectured by Warden

From The Leavenworth Times of September 8, 1918:

I.W.W.’S ENTER FEDERAL PEN
WITH AIR OF UNCONCERN
[Part II]
—–

ADVICE FROM THE WARDEN.

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

From the train the prisoners were marched to the chapel to listen to a short talk by Warden Morgan. As is customary when a group of men enter the institution, he explained to them what they should do and advised each one to obey without question every rule. “The prominence of your trial will cause prejudice neither for nor against you” the warden stated. “As with every other man you will be classed as a first grade prisoner on your entrance; how long you hold that classification depends on each one individually. Though you were tried and convicted jointly you will be dealt with individually while here.

“Be exceedingly slow to take advice if it necessitates any deviation from the prison rules. There are ‘old timers’ here who will probably try to get you into trouble that they themselves would avoid. Your treatment here depends largely on yourselves; play fair with us and you will receive leniency in return.”

Next the men were told to take everything from their pockets and put it in their hats. They were warned not to hold back a single bit of personal property. Knives, money, pencils, booklets, glasses and everything they possessed was turned over into the care of prison officials. After undergoing a search they were given something to eat, taken to a group of empty cells and locked up for the night.

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: John Reed and Art Young Cover the Chicago IWW Trial, Part II

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Remember, this is the only
American working-class movement which sings.
Tremble then at the I. W. W.,
for a singing movement is not to be beaten.
-Jack Reed
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday September 3, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – “Big Bill Haywood, with his black Stetson…”

From The Liberator of September 1918:

Part II of John Reed’s coverage of Chicago I. W. W. trial with drawings by Art Young-

The Social Revolution In Court
By Art Young And John Reed

Chg IWW Trial by A Young, Haywood etc, Liberator Sept 1918
—–

In the early morning they come over from Cook County Jail, where most of them have been rotting three-quarters of a year, and march into the court-room two by two, between police and detectives, bailiffs snarling at the spectators who stand too close. It used to be that they were marched four times a day through the streets of Chicago, hand-cuffed; but the daily circus parade has been done away with.

Now they file in, the ninety-odd who are still in jail, greeting their friends as they pass; and there they are joined by the others, those who are out on bail. The bail is so high-from $25,000 apiece down-that only a few can be let free. The rest have been in that horrible jail-Cook County-since early last fall; almost a year in prison for a hundred men who love freedom more than most.

On the front page of the Daily Defense Bulletin, issued by headquarters, is a drawing of a worker behind the bars, and underneath, “REMEMBER! We are in HERE for YOU; You are out THERE for US! ”

There goes Big Bill Haywood, with his black Stetson above a face like a scarred mountain; Ralph Chaplin, looking like Jack London in his youth; Reddy Doran, of kindly pugnacious countenance, and mop of bright red hair falling over the green eye-shade he always wears; Harrison George, whose forehead is lined with hard thinking; Sam Scarlett, who might have been a yeoman at Crecy; George Andreytchine, his eyes full of Slav storm; Charley Ashleigh, fastidious, sophisticated, with the expression of a well-bred Puck; Grover Perry, young, stony-faced after the manner of the West; Jim Thompson, John Foss, J. A. MacDonald; Boose, Prancner, Rothfisher, Johanson, Lossiev….

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Hellraisers Journal: Fellow Workers at Chicago IWW Trial Draw Big Fines and Long Prison Sentences from Landis

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Why should the temporary withdrawal
of a hundred members seriously affect
the welfare of a group composed
of nearly 100,000 laborers in
the United States alone?
-Big Bill Haywood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 1, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Judge Landis Imposes Severe Sentences

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of August 31, 1918:

HAYWOOD GIVEN 20 YEAR TERM;
93 SENTENCED
—–
Big Fines and Prison Sentences
for the I. W. W.
—–

BBH Sentenced, Bst Glb p1, Aug 31, 1918

William D Haywood, “uncrowned king” of the Industrial Workers of the World, and ninety-two other principal officers and organizers, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the American war program, were sentenced to terms ranging from one to twenty years in the federal prison at Leavenworth, Kas., and given heavy fines by Federal Judge K. M. Landis yesterday.

With Haywood fourteen of his principal aids must spend twenty years in prison; thirty-three others of the organization leaders must spend a maximum of ten years in prison; thirty-three others a maximum of five years, and twelve others one year and one day. Two of the defendants escaped with ten day sentences in the county jail, while the case against two others was continued.

The combined prison sentences of the defendants aggregates 807 years and 20 days.

Added to this prison penalty is a total of $2,300,000 in fines assessed against the ninety-three prisoners. Individual fines ranged from $20,000, the minimum, up to $30,000.

In Jail Here Till Friday.

The defendants were permitted to remain in the county jail until next Friday before they will be removed to the federal prison. In the meantime, George F. Vandeveer, chief counsel for the “Wobbles,” announced a writ of supersedeas will be asked of the Court of Appeals and petition will be made for enlargement upon bail. Ninety days’ time was granted in which to file bills of exception on behalf of the convicted men.

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Ralph Chaplin on the War and the Draft, Advice and Statement Was His Alone

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Ah, slaves, you fight your masters’ battles well-
The reek of rotting carnage fills the air!
Your swollen bodies yield their noisome smell,
Sweet incense to the ghouls who sent your there…
-Ralph Chaplin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 29, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Ralph Chaplin on the War and the Draft

From The Bisbee Daily Review of July 20, 1918:

CHAPIN ADMITS HE PERSONALLY OPPOSED WAR
—–
I. W. W. Defendant Assumes Full Responsibility
for Editorial Advice to Wobblies of Nation
—–

(By Review Leased Wire)

CHICAGO, July 19.-Ralph R [H]. Chaplin editor of Solidarity, one of the chief organs of the I. W. W. a defendant, was on the stand today in the trial of the 101 I. W. W.

Chaplin, in his direct testimony, had dwelt on the evil of the exploitation of labor and told of the vast amount of money wrested from the toilers by such means.

The attention of Chaplin was called to an editorial printed in Solidarity defining the attitude of the I. W. W. toward the war and the draft. It advised any member drafted to claim exemption as an I. W. W., and to write on his card: “The I. W. W. is opposed to war.”

Chaplin assumed full responsibility for this article.

“The Red Feast” by Ralph Chaplin:

Ralph Chaplin, The Red Feast, Long, When Leaves, 1917

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Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW Trial: Ralph Chaplin on West Virginia and His Undying Hate for Industrial Tyranny

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Quote Ralph Chaplin, US Flag Arrogated, Chg IWW Trial, July 19, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday July 28, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Testimony of Ralph Chaplin

Report from Defendant Harrison George:

Ralph Chaplin, Leaves, 1917

Ralph Chaplin, defendant, artist-poet, and editor of “Solidarity” during 1917, took the stand on the morning of July 19th, 1918, and gave an account of how his life’s events had influenced his conclusions upon industrial and political questions. Born in Kansas thirty years ago, he had studied art at night-school while working during the day-time in the darkroom, “Spot-knocking” photographs. Later, another boss, knowing he was a “scissor-bill,” had him pledge $10 a week out of a $16 wage to invest $500 in the boss’ business. When that was paid in, the boss told him to go to hell and got another victim. This $500 was recovered because Chaplin was a minor when the contract was made; so he took this and started into business for himself with the ambition to be “independent.” But—he found a trust controlled all supplies and he was unable to buy anywhere and had to quit. So he went back to the easel, working for wages.

He then went to Mexico for one year and noted the extreme poverty of the peon class under the Diaz regime. Coming back, he had worked for the Chicago Portrait Company until the artists struck against conditions there. When that strike was lost he went to West Virginia, where he did artist work in the coal mining region. For several years previous he had been an enthusiastic member of the Socialist Party, “soap-boxing” and writing articles.

In West Virginia he did much work on the “Socialist and Labor Star” at Charleston [Huntington], which paper became the spokesman for the U. M. W. of A. coal miners’ strike at Paint Creek and Cabin Creek. During this strike Chaplin acquired his hatred of the labor-crushing militia. He described to the jury the “Bull Moose Special,” an armored train, built by union machinists in the C. & O. shops, loop-holed for machine guns and rifles; a train that was manned by Baldwin-Felts detectives and commanded by Quinn Morton, a company superintendent, and in the darkness run through the strikers’ colony at Holly Grove, belching death to men, women and children.

Chaplin came out of that strike zone with undying hate for industrial tyranny. He had written many poems about that strike and Vanderveer read them to the jury: “What Happened in the Hollow,” “The Mine Guard,” “When the Leaves Come Out,” and “Too Rotten Rank for Hell.” The latter Vanderveer asked about. “Does it express your contempt for the prostitute newspaper men?” “Well,” said Chaplin, “a part of it.”

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Latest I. W. W. Songbook: “Paint ‘Er Red” by Ralph Chaplin

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In factory and field and mine we gather in our might,
We’re on the job and know the way to win the hardest fight,
For the beacon that shall guide us out of darkness into light,
Is One Big Industrial Union!
-Ralph Chaplin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday July 22, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – “I.W.W. Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent”

“Paint ‘Er Red” by Ralph Chaplin

LRSB, Paint Er Red, Ralph Chaplin, IWW Songs, General Defense Ed, Apr 1918

From General Defense Edition-14th, April 1918:

IWW Songs, 14th, Gen Def Ed, Cover, LRSB, April 1918

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Hellraisers Journal: Harrison George on the Chicago Trial, the IWW Preamble, the Magna Carta, and the Sab-Cat

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Quote H George, re Chicgo Prisoners to Court, OH Sc p1, June 11, 1918

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday June 14, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – The Sab-Cat Enters the Courtroom

From The Ohio Socialist of June 11, 1918:

A Second Runnymede
—–

By HARRISON GEORGE

WWIR, IWW Harrison George, ISR Jan 1918

It is no new thing-this struggle for human rights. Every morning we Chicago prisoners are taken in irons from the Cook County jail, the tomb of the old “Eight-Hour Movement,” and dumped into a gloomy court room of the Federal Building. How often have court rooms served as undertaking parlors for the aspirations of rebellious workers?

Here in the sepulchral atmosphere of the Law are gathered the class conscious social forces of this age in cut and thrust contest of Capital versus Labor.

Fathoming the shadows of the big room, our eyes discern an inscription within an arch among the mural decorations-“No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, or be disseized of his freehold or liberties or free customs, or be outlawed or exiled, or otherwise damaged, but by lawful judgment of his peers. To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay, right or justice.” Did Simon De Montfort and his followers, who forced he tyrant John to accept this Magna Charta at Runnymede, dream that six centuries later in a land whose boasted jurisprudence is based upon their great conquest, these words would lend a sanctity to such hypocritical persecution? We think of Ludlow and Lawrence, Paint Creek and Everett, of Bisbee and Butte-and we wonder why that inscription should not be painted out.

Throughout the month of April we I. W. W. men sat in the dock listening to the endless stream of questions and replies between lawyers and prospective jurors. Nebeker, the Copper Trust attorney, seeking always to constrain the issues and select employers; Vandeveer, for the I. W. W., groping in a basket of bad eggs for those the least bad, seeking to obtain men who have the social mind. “Industrial democracy”-“the class war”-“the right of revolution,” are phrases that flow like sparks from an anvil as Vandeveer, or Cleary, hammer home their questions and forged the tremendous issues. For here is a second Runnymede, and here the I. W. W. must enforce upon a tyrant master class the recognition of a new Magna Charta- the Preamble of the Industrial Workers of the World..

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