Tag: Tom Tracy

Hellraisers Journal: Prosecutor in Tracy Trial Gives Dramatic Reading of “Sabo-Tabby Kitten,” Complete with “MEOW! MEOW!”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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O, the rats all hate and fear me.
MEOW! MEOW!
The softest paw can be a claw;
They seldom venture near me,
Hurrah, they saw your Sabo-Tabby Kitten!
-Ralph Chaplin

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday March 23, 1917
Seattle Tracy Trial – Dramatic Reading Provided by Prosecutor

Sabo-Tabby Kitten by Ralph Chaplin

In an article in Thursday’s edition of the The Northwest Worker, Katherine H. Hodgins provides further details on the reading of I. W. W. literature into the trial record and a closer look at the testimony of Mayor Merrill of Everett.

It seems that Prosecutor Cooley thought the courtroom a stage when he recited the lyrics to Ralph Chaplin’s song about a Sabo-Tabby Kitten:

Friday morning was enacted a scene that was worth any person’s time and money to have seen and heard, when Mr. Cooley read from the I. W. W. song-book. Imagine, if you can, a white-haired man, rather sever in countenance, reading with the utmost gravity to a solemn-faced jury, the songs “Casey Jones,” “Tabby Kitten,” etc. Mr. Cooley read them in an interesting and expressive manner which added color to the unique performance. Especially was this true when he “meowed” at the end of each chorus of one of the songs, exclaiming “sabotage” in the most fearful and dramatic manner of which he was capable.

On a more serious note, Mayor Merrill was confronted by the young I. W. W. member whose fingers the Mayor had crushed:

The most dramatic incident of the trial so far, was the introduction of Louis Skaroff, an unusually interesting, bright-faced Jewish lad, who had been arrested and detained at the city jail in Everett after having been arrested on the afternoon of Nov. 5th while speaking on the street. It has been alleged that this lad had been maltreated by officials at the city jail late one night, and that at the termination of a series of kickings and beatings, during which he sustained bruises about the head and body inflicted by the mayor, assisted by another official, his fingers were placed under the foot of an iron bed by the mayor, while he, with the other worthy, jumped upon the middle of the bed, thus crushing and bruising the poor lad’s hand. When confronted by Skaroff, Merrill denied having ever seen him. Again he refreshed his memory and admitted that he had seen him, but denied any connection with atrocity.

From The Northwest Worker of March 22, 1917:

MAYOR MERRILL OF EVERETT GETS
GRUELLING AT TRIAL
—–

PROSECUTION FAILS IN ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE ONLY
ONE SIDE OF THE WORKERS CASE TO JURY.
CLASS WAR IN THE LIME LIGHT
—–

(By Katherine H. Hodgins)

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Hellraisers Journal: Seattle Union Record Covers Tracy Murder Trial, Plans to Give Day to Day Account

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday March 21, 1917
Seattle, Washington – E. B. Ault Reports on Tracy Trial

E. B. “Harry” Ault, editor of the Seattle Union Record, organ of the Central Labor Council of Seattle and Vicinity, promises:

The Union Record has made arrangements to be represented at each session of the trial, and next week will cover the story from day to day covering those points the daily press avoids.

From the Seattle Union Record of March 17, 1917:

FAIR TRIAL ASSURED
THE FREE SPEECH PRISONERS
—–

Judge J. T. Ronald Prevents State’s Attorneys
Taking Unfair Advantage-
Deputies So Far Heard as Witnesses
Bound to Convict Tracy-
I. W. W. Officers Prove Good
Antidote for Gunmen-
Jury to Get Liberal Education in Doctrines
of Organization on Trial

By E. B. AULT

Everett Massacre, Judge Ronald, WCS, p139

With the second week of what may prove to be one of the greatest labor trials in history drawing to a close, in which Thomas F. Tracy, the defendant, is the first of 74 workers to be tried for the fatal fracas at Everett last November 5, one great outstanding fact is being made more and more apparent-in so far as Judge J. T. Ronald has power and influence, the trial will be absolutely fair.

Judge Ronald is the dean of the King County superior court, and it was probably for that reason he was chosen by Governor Ernest Lister to preside over these trials. His course throughout the examination of jurors and later on of witnesses, and his rulings on the introduction of testimony have been so fair and equitable as to call forth expressions of admiration from the large audience, many of whom had come to have but little respect for the law or for any one connected with its operation, owing to the many injustices they have suffered in the past at the hands of officers of the law.

George Vanderveer, Defense Attorney

A peculiarly pertinent case in point occurred on the afternoon of Thursday [March 15], when, after the “Sabotage” pamphlet by Walker C. Smith had been admitted as evidence, Prosecuting Attorney Lloyd Black read portions of the book to the jury. Mr. Black picked out only those portions which would tend to show sabotage as a method of violence, and carefully eliminated such portions as would show its use to be merely a matter of slowing up in work and without violent intent. As was natural, Defense Attorney George F. Vanderveer objected to the method of Mr. Black, declaring the desire was to prejudice the jury and not to establish any fact, and demanded the right to read with Mr. Black, supplying to the jury those parts of the text which were left out by the prosecutor. Judge Ronald ruled that was not permissible, and that Mr. Black was within his rights. The judge, however, closely followed the reading, and after Black had finished and had in one instance quoted all of a certain paragraph except the last sentence, which was set out in black type, he sent the jury out and heard argument on the point. The sentence omitted by Black was: “Note this important point, however, sabotage does not seek nor desire to take human life.”

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Hellraisers Journal: Defense Wrings Important Admissions from State’s Witnesses at Trial of Tom Tracy

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday March 20, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Charles Ashleigh Reports on Tracy Trial

Everett Defense News #16, Mar 16, 1917

Everett Massacre, Tom Tracy in Seattle Courtroom, Stt Str Mar 9, 1917

SEATTLE, Wash., March 16th.-In a courtroom the battle for the life of Thomas H. Tracy, the workingman charged with the murder of Jefferson Beard at Everett, Wash., on November 5th, is now proceeding. Thousands of workers are awaiting eagerly the news of this, one of the greatest labor trials in history.

CITIZEN DEPUTIES AS WITNESSES.

The Prosecution has already introduced several “citizen deputies,” as are styled the vigilantes recruited by the Commercial Club, as witnesses. The first was one H. W. Shaw who was on the dock when the “Verona” came in, and who participated in that red tragedy. There followed one Owen Clay, an employee of the Weyerhauser mills and a Mr. Booth, ex-saloon keeper and real estate agent of Everett. Then came Charles Tucker, a workingman who admitted that he had served as guard in a struck mill. Of such are the witnesses of the state.

WHERE DID THE FIRST SHOT COME FROM?

Of course, the witnesses for the state have all stated that the first shot came from the boat. But there their unanimity ceases. As to where it came from,-what portion of the vessel,-and the moment when it came, they contradict each other most satisfactorily. Also, none of them have seen the shot or the shooter, they have only heard it! The grilling of the Defense attorneys, Moore and Vanderveer, sadly confused some of the witnesses. One of them, Tucker, flatly contradicted his former testimony in the important matter of where he thought the first shot came from! When faced with his earlier statement, he denied it, thus discrediting the Court Stenographer!

LIGHT BEGINS TO SHINE ON BEVERLY PARK!

On the evening of October 30th, 41 workingmen coming to Everett with the object of holding a street meeting were met at the dock by a mob of vigilantes, armed and with automobiles. The workers were loaded into the autos and taken out to Beverly Park, on the outskirts of Everett where they were made to run the gauntlet and were severely beaten up.

This outrage the Prosecution had no desire to see revealed and the cross-questioning of the first few witnesses elicited no information. Mr. Booth, however, caused a thrill to run through the court when he stated that he had taken part in the “procession” of autos loaded with men through Everett. He said that he had taken no part in the gauntlet-running because “he would not participate in beating up” a virtual admission that the others had done the beating up.

WHAT ABOUT THE RIFLES AND SHOT-GUNS?

The Defense had also quite a fight before the fact began to emerge that the citizen deputies were armed, not only with revolvers, but with rifles and shot-guns. The first State witness to acknowledge that he had even seen such things on November 5th was Judge Bell, of Everett, who was a deputy. He said first that he had seen men with long-barrelled guns,-he didn’t know whether they were rifles or shot-guns,-down at the dock. Later, he denied this same fact, although the stenographic report showed plainly that he had so stated, but still admitted that he had seen them at the Commercial Club. To have gone so far, with only the first half-dozen witnesses out of a couple of hundred which the Prosecution has on its list, is to be counted as definite progress for the Defense.

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Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Walker C. Smith in Courtroom as Sabotage Books Read at Tracy Trial

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday March 19, 1917
Seattle, Washington – “Sabotage” Introduced into Tracy Trial

From The Seattle Star of March 16, 1917:

JUROR ASLEEP AS LAWYERS READ
OF SABOTAGE BOOKS
—–

Sabotage by Walker C Smith, first pub 1913

By admitting as exhibits all the articles from the Industrial Worker presented by the state which related to industrial and free speech troubles at Everett, and excluding all which related to California or other places, Judge Ronald settled the point which has been more bitterly contested than any other so far in the case in which Thomas H.Tracy and 74 other members of the Industrial Workers’ organization are charged with murder on account of the death of Jefferson Beard from shots fired when a crowd went from Seattle to Everett on the “Verona” November 5 last.

The jury, which had been excused while the articles were being discussed, was brought back, and the articles and other I. W. W. literature read to it Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Juror Sleeps

One of the jurors slept during much of the reading.

Walker C. Smith, author of the book in question, “Sabotage,” sat at the press table during the afternoon, and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, speaker and author of another book on “Sabotage,” also was in the room, she chatted cheerfully with Tracy during the recess. She has just returned from a speaking trip in Oregon and will leave for California next week.

It is not yet certain whether she will be called as a witness when the defense puts on its case.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Walker C. Smith in Courtroom as Sabotage Books Read at Tracy Trial” →

Hellraisers Journal: From Everett Defense News Letter 15: “Jury Chosen…Case Attracts Nation-Wide Attention.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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They will tell their lyin’ stories
Send their dogs to bite our bodies
They will lock us in their prison
Carry it on, carry it on,
Carry it on, carry it on.
-Gil Turner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday March 13, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Charles Ashleigh Reports on Tracy Trial

Everett Defense News #15, Mar 8, 1917

Everett Massacre, Tom Tracy, Trial Photo, ab Mar 5, 1917

SEATTLE, Wash., March 8th.-The jury for the trial of Thomas H. Tracy, the first of the 74 men to be charged with the murder of Jefferson Beard at Everett on November 5th, has been selected. The attorneys for both sides have had a grim and keen struggle over the choice of jurors.

The following are the jurors who are to sit on this case: Mrs. Mattie Fordran, wife of a steamfitter; Robert Harris, a rancher; Fred Corbs, bricklayer, once a member of the union, now working for himself; Mrs. Louise Raynor, wife of a master mariner; A. Peplan, farmer; Mrs. Clara Uhlman, wife of a harnessmaker in business for himself; Mrs. Alice Freeborn, widow of a druggist; F. M. Christian, tent and awning maker; Mrs. Sarah F. Brown, widow, workingclass family; James R. Williams, machinist’s helper, member of union; Mrs. Sarah J. Timmer, wife of a union lineman, and T. J. Byrne, contractor. Under the new “Extra Juror” law of Washington, there are also two alternate jurors, who sit with the jury but have no voice except in the event of sickness or death rendering one of two of the twelve incapable of acting. The two alternates are; J. W. Efaw, furniture manufacturer, president of Seattle Library Board and Henry B. Williams, carpenter and member of union.

MAKE-UP OF THE JURY.

An analysis of the jury will reveal that it includes six women and six men; of the women, two are widows, two are wives of middle-class men, and two are wives of union workingmen. Of the men, two are union working men, two are ranchers and two are small businessmen. Of the two alternate jurors, one is a union carpenter and the other a manufacturer. Thus we have a very equal division of sex and class.

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Hellraisers Journal: Trial of I. W. W. Class-War Prisoner Thomas H. Tracy Begins in Seattle, Washington

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday March 6, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Tracy Proudly Displays His I. W. W. Button

IWW Button, libcom Sioux City FSF 1915

As the trial of our Class-War Hero, Tom Tracy, gets underway in Seattle, a reporter for The Seattle Star describes the Fellow Worker:

Tracy, the defendant,…is a young-looking, heavy-set man, in a blue flannel shirt and red tie, with his I. W. W. button in evidence on his coat lapel.

He told reporters before the trial began that he is 36 years old, was born in Nebraska, and has done road construction work principally, in several Western states. He watched the slow progress of drawing and examining jurors with evident interest, but with an air of detachment.

From The Seattle Star of March 5, 1917:

I.W.W. TRIAL OPENS WITH
FIGHT ON JURY
—–

BY MABEL ABBOTT

Everett Class War Prisoners 1916-17, Thomas H Tracy

The first of 74 I. W. W. murder trials resulting from the riots in Everett, November 5, 1916, got under way before Judge Ronald Monday.

After an hour and a half of examination as to whether he is an I. W. W., whether he is a member of the Employers’ association, what newspapers he reads, and whether he forms his opinions upon what they contain, J. H. Hicks, 5225 15th ave, N. E., proprietor of Hicks’ cafeteria, was challenged for cause Monday morning by Attorney George Vanderveer, representing Thomas H. Tracy, I. W. W.. on trial for participation in the shooting of Deputy Sheriff Jefferson Beard, at Everett, November 5, and excused by Judge Ronald from sitting in the case.

If examination of jurors proceeds at the same rate, with even a reasonable number of challenges, the selection of the jury will take two or three days, at least.

Tracy is the first of the 74 I. W. W. charged with first degree murder, to be tried. All have asked for separate trials.

Important Fight

The setting of the big fight indicates that it will rank in importance with the McNamara dynamiting trial in Los Angeles and the Ettor and Giovanitti trials in Lawrence, Mass.

Among the array of lawyers in the court room when the trial opened, were A. L. Veitch, of Los Angeles, who is credited with the convictions of the McNamaras, who assists the prosecution in the present case, and Fred H. Moore, also of Los Angeles, who defended Ettor.

The state is also represented by Prosecutor Black, of Snohomish county, and H. D. Cooley, of Everett. For the defense, besides Moore, are George H. Vanderveer. O. N Hilton, of Denver, and C. E. S. Wood, of Portland.

Tracy Wears I. W. W Button

Tracy, the defendant, who sits behind this legal battery, is a young-looking, heavy-set man, in a blue flannel shirt and red tie, with his I. W. W. button in evidence on his coat lapel.

He told reporters before the trial began that he is 36 years old, was born in Nebraska, and has done road construction work principally, in several Western states. He watched the slow progress of drawing and examining jurors with evident interest, but with an air of detachment.

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Hellraisers Journal: From the Seattle Union Record: Charles Ashleigh Exposes Waterfront “Bomb Plot” Bunk

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

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday February 22, 1917
Seattle, Washington – News from Everett Prisoners’ Defense

From the Seattle Union Record of February 17th:

TRIAL WILL BE HELD IN SEATTLE
—-
Change of Venue From Snohomish County Is Granted
-Waterfront “Bomb Plot” Blows Up
-Help Needed
—–

By CHARLES ASHLEIGH

Moore & Vanderveer, Attorneys Everett Defense

The application of our attorneys for a change of venue from Snohomish County was heard February 9, in Everett, before Judge Ronald. Moore and Vanderveer had filed a mass of evidence showing great prejudice in the county against the defendants and the working-class movement generally. The prosecution did not attempt to rebut the dozens of affidavits of prejudice submitted by the defense and the judge thereupon granted a change of venue to King County, of which Seattle is the county seat.

There is a certain amount of advantage accruing to the change of venue to Seattle, according to most comment. Upon the list of the prosecution’s witnesses are Everett bank managers, cashiers, the most prominent money-lender of the town, and others of financial importance. This means that the jury would be chary of rendering a decision which would discredit the statements of persons to whom probably a number or the jurors would owe money or to whom they would be in some manner obligated. But that does not hold good in a city such as Seattle. A little Everett bank manager would cut merely an inconsiderable figure there. In Everett he would be a large toad in a small puddle, in Seattle, he would be a very little toad in a big puddle.

Press Tries to Arouse Prejudice

The same day as the change of venue was granted, the Post-Intelligencer and The Times of Seattle came out with a frothy story about a “bomb outrage” which, they alleged, was the work of the I. W. W. A little explosion was noted on the roof of the building in which is the office of the Waterfront Employers’ Union, an Open-Shop organization on the water-front. It seems that the “explosion” was probably caused by a fire-cracker thrown out of the window of a neighboring building. The papers reported Mr. Wollen, assistant-manager of the Employers’ Union, and the police, as attributing the affair to the I. W. W. and other “disgruntled”-by which they mean class-conscious-water-front workers.

A representative of the labor press was immediately sent out to investigate the truth of the matter and it turned out that the bosses’ sheets of Seattle had been spinning some of their usual wholecloth. Manager Becker, of the waterfront Employers, said, referring to the press stories: “You may quote me as saying the stories are bunk!” Assistant-Manager Wollen, whom the papers credit with the statement that the “outrage” was perpetrated by the Industrial Workers, said: “I never said anything about an attempt on my life. I said the whole thing was a Chinese New Year’s joke and laughed it off.” Chief of Police Beckingham said he knew nothing about any police theory connecting it with the workers. “The papers will say anything to arouse prejudice against the I. W. W.,” said the chief.

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Hellraisers Journal: Everett Defense News Letter No. 12: Caroline A. Lowe Comes to Aid of Class-War Prisoners

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday February 20, 1917
Seattle, Washington – Caroline A. Lowe Joins Defense Team

From Charles Ashleigh for Defense News of February 17th:

Everett Massacre, Def News Letter 12, Feb 17, 1917

Seattle, Wash., Feb. 17th.

Caroline A. Lowe, Progressive Woman, Sept 1913

The panel of jurors, from which will be drawn the twelve to serve in the cases of the 74 men charged with murder, has been already published. There are 175 jurors on the list, of whom 71 are women.

MISS FLYNN HAS
SUCCESSFUL TOUR.

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn has just returned from a speaking trip through Washington, Oregon, Idaho and part of Montana in the interests of the Defense of the 74 victims of Bloody Sunday. Every where the workers have heard eagerly the facts of the tragic and brutal massacre of November 5th and have given willingly of their time, energy and money to help set free our imprisoned fellow workers. Miss Flynn will now be engaged until the trial in the State of Washington and, more especially, in King County.

WELL KNOWN WOMAN VOLUNTEERS FOR DEFENSE.

The Defense has secured most valuable aid in the services of Miss Caroline A. Lowe, a woman of national prominence, who has entered into the campaign for the release of the 74 working men who are threatened with life-long imprisonment for their belief in Free Speech. Miss Lowe is an attorney-at law, practicing in Kansas and California and was formerly vice-president of the Kansas City Teachers’ Association. She was also National Lecturer for the Socialist Party. Miss Lowe addressed the U. S. Senate Committee on National Suffrage, during the Suffrage hearing in 1911. She was prominent in the fight for Free Speech in Kansas City, Mo., in the winter of 1913-14 when the workers won a clear-cut victory, securing the right to use the streets as a public forum.

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Hellraisers Journal: From Everett Defense: Date Set for Trial; Gurley Flynn Speaks before State Federations of Labor

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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Quote, Charles Ashleigh, EDNL9, Jan 27, 1917

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday January 29, 1917
From Seattle, Washington: Everett Defense News Letter No. 9

Everett Massacre, Def News Letter 9, Jan 27, 1917

Everett, Wash, Jan. 27th.

The date of the first trial has been set! The first man to be tried is Fellow Worker Thomas H. Tracy and his case comes up on March 5th. This was decided yesterday in Everett when the 74 boys pleaded “Not Guilty!” The presiding judge was J. T. Ronald, of King County, who has been appointed by Governor Lister to hear the case, as prejudice was charged by our attorneys against the Two Superior Court judges of Snohomish county.

APPLICATION MADE FOR CHANGE OF VENUE.

Our attorneys gave notice of an application for a change of venue. They will now prepare affidavits proving that there is too much prejudice in Snohomish county to warrant the boys a fair and impartial trial. The affidavits will be submitted on Feb. 2nd and the motion for change of venus will be decided upon by judge on Feb. 9th.

OUR MEN IN GOOD SPIRITS.

The 74 boys made a fine showing in the court-room on Friday. They marched in heavily guarded by a swarm of deputies, but were entirely unabashed. They answered to their names and rose, one after the other, giving, in ringing tones, their plea-it sounded more like a statement than a plea-of “Not Guilty!” There was much favorable comment in the court on the clear-cut and self-possessed appearance of the prisoners.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From Everett Defense: Date Set for Trial; Gurley Flynn Speaks before State Federations of Labor” →