Tag: World War I Repression

Hellraisers Journal: From the International Socialist Review: 121 IWW & Socialist Party Men Enter Chicago Jail

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Don’t worry, fellow-worker,
all we’re going to need from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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Hellraisers Journal, Friday August 24, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Anti-War Prisoners Enter Bridewell

Cover of the International Socialist Review for August 1917:

A reminder of our Fellow Workers and Comrades now behind the prison bars-

WWIR, Inside For You, Aug 1917

———-

121 Behind the Prison Bars

 

WWIR, IWW SP AntiWar Prisoners, ISR Aug 1917
One hundred twenty-one men entering Bridewell Work House, Chicago.
They were sentenced to one year’s hard labor by Judge Landis for refusing to register.

—–

One Hundred and Twenty-One Men

THE following accounts of the trial and imprisonment of 121 Socialists and members of the I. W. W. who voluntarily gave themselves up to the sheriff rather than register is taken from the Chicago newspapers.

Judge Landis first won fame by fining the Standard Oil Co., $29,000,000.00—which of course was never paid.

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Hellraisers Journal: Frank Little & “Agitators” of Butte “Against Everything” Proclaims Company Newspaper

Janet RayeFrank Little
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Don’t worry, Fellow Worker,
all we’re going to need
from now on is guts.
-Frank Little

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 25, 1917
Butte, Montana – “Agitators” Support Striking Miners

Metal Miners, Butte MT, Mining Artifacts, date unknown

The Anaconda Standard, voice of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, declared recently that the “agitators” of Butte are “against everything.”

Yet the striking miners have made it quite clear exactly what they stand against-i.e., the blacklist (Rustling Card system), long hours, low wages, and unsafe working conditions such as led to the deaths of 168 copper miners in the Speculator Mine Fire Disaster just a few short weeks ago.

From the Anaconda Standard of July 23, 1917:

AGITATORS TALKING AGAINST EVERYTHING
—–

A mass meeting for miners of the Butte district, held last evening at the ball park, was attended by about 2,000 men. All the speakers urged the miners to stay out and said the modifications of the rustling card and the weekly pay day announced by the Anaconda Copper Mining company on Saturday should be disregarded.

Joe Shannon made a fiery speech in which he urged every miner to start picket duty today, and he remarked that the Campbell union [Butte Metal Mine Workers Union] had the “number of every miner now working.”

R. L. Dunn, strike leader of the electricians, who had pledged the miners the electricians would not go back to work until the miners were underground, said the papers had called him an I. W. W. and he would admit it.

[Said Dunn:]

This strike is an expression against the form of society which allows a few to control the wealth of the nation and a protest against the system of society which keeps workingmen from enjoying the comforts and good things of life.

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Hellraisers Journal: Appeal to Reason Invites Czar to America, “Conditions here are good for your line of business.”

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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While Elihu Root is advising
the new Russian democracy,
you can come over and advise
the new American autocracy.
–Appeal to Reason to Czar Nicholas II

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Hellraisers Journal, Thursday July 12, 1917
Girard, Kansas – Invitation Sent to “Mr. Nicholas Romanoff”

From the Appeal to Reason of June 30, 1917:

The Appeal Invites “Czar Nick”
to Come to America

Girard, Kansas, June 27, 1917.

Mr. Nicholas Romanoff, Care Council of Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Delegates, Petrograd, Russia.

Czar Nicholas II, March 1917, wiki

Dear Nick: Not knowing just how to reach you directly, we are sending this letter in care of the Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Delegates, who are doubtless keeping an eye on you and whom we trust to deliver this message uncensored as the mail of other private citizens is now being delivered-in Russia.

We expect you to be surprised at hearing from us, but not more surprised than we are at finding ourselves writing to you, a perfect stranger, you might say. Still, we feel that we have had an introduction to you after a fashion, having read about you a great deal and followed your recent career with much interest; so we think, Nick, that you’re the very man for a job that is now open over here in this land of the recently free. Here is a new and promising field for the exercise of your peculiar talents.

You will drop your hoe and come over on the next ship when we tell you that Czarism has been introduced in America, that the United States has taken the place of Russia with a vengeance that is rather characteristic of your own past rule.

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Hellraisers Journal: The Rebel of Hallettsville, Texas, Suppressed & Socialist Editor Red Tom Hickey Arrested

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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Hallettsville, TX, The Rebel, Let Us Arise, June 2, 1917

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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 11, 1917
Hallettsville, Texas – The Rebel Suppressed

Tom Hickey, Texas Socialist, 1911

The campaign to destroy the Socialist press of the nation continues, and, in the case of The Rebel, Socialist newspaper of Texas, and a voice for the Farmers’ and Laborers’ Protective Association, authorities did not wait for passage of the Espionage Act before moving to destroy circulation.

From The Salt Lake Tribune of June 14, 1917:

Paper Confiscated.

WACO, Tex., June 13.-T. A. Hickey of Hallettsville, Tex., editor of The Rebel, a socialist paper, announced here today that the government suppressed the last issue of his paper and confiscated all copies, numbering 20,000. Hickey says he had written an account of his arrest by federal agents in west Texas a week or more ago during a raid on officials of the Farmers’ and Laborers’ Protective association, and this matter appeared in the suppressed issue.

[Photograph of Tom Hickey added.]

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: The American Socialist Banned From the Mails, Issues Statement to Readers

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 July 10, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Official Organ of the Socialist Party Suppressed

From the American Socialist of July 7, 1917:

WWIR, American Socialist Statement, July 7, 1917

———-

A STATEMENT TO OUR READERS

WWIR, American Socialist Editor Engdahl, July 7, 1917

THE EDITION of June 30th, of THE AMERICAN SOCIALIST, our Liberty Edition, has been held up by the Solicitor General of the postal department at Washington as to whether it is mailable.

For this reason, many subscribers have not received their paper. We are still hoping to have this issue declared mailable and hope to have this and future issues, in regular form, go out as usual.

Our paper will be published regularly. Every effort will be made to comply with the law and at the same time issue a publication that will be a credit to the Socialist movement. There should be no let-up in getting subscriptions. We must continue to rely entirely on your efforts in increasing our army of readers, now as always.

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Hellraisers Journal: Eugene V Debs & Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Denied Right to Speak in the State of Minnesota

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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EGF Quote, I fell in love with my country, RG 96

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Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday July 4, 1917
St. Peter & Duluth, Minnesota – Freedom of Speech Denied

From the New Ulm Review of July 4, 1917:

EUGENE DEBS IS BARRED FROM
PUBLIC SPEAKING
—–

Eugene Debs, ISR, Sept 1916

St. Peter’s Chautauqua opened Sunday, July 1, and will continue until next Sunday, July 8. An excellent program has been arranged and is being carried out, with a large attendance. Eugene V. Debs, who had been secured to deliver one of the lectures, has been forbidden by the Minnesota Safety commission to deliver a public lecture in this state. The St. Peter committee was notified to that effect late last week. Mr. Debs was to have delivered the Fourth of July address on the Chautauqua program. St. Peter people, who had anticipated hearing a patriotic address by Mr. Debs feel that the Safety commission has convicted him without a trial.

The commission offered to send C. W. Ames, a member of that body to take the place of Debs on the program, but the offer was declined without even thanks. In fact the offer was considered, according to the St. Peter papers, somewhat presumptuous on the part of the commission.

———-

[Photograph added.]

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and the City of Duluth:

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Hellraisers Journal: Industrial Workers of the World Banned in Duluth; Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Out on Bail

Janet RayeElizabeth Gurley Flynn
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EGF Quote, I fell in love with my country, RG 96

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday June 27, 1917
Duluth, Minnesota – Chief of Police Declares Ban on I. W. W.

From The Duluth News Tribune of June 26, 1917:

PLACE BAN ON I. W. W. ACTIVITY
—–
Police Will Not Tolerate Belligerent
Attitude of Radicals Any Longer.
—–

MN Miners Strike, Get Out IWW, Cartoon

Chief of Police McKercher announced last night that the I. W. W. activities in Duluth are over from now until the end of the war. His announcement follows the raids Saturday made by the police on I. W. W. headquarters.

No meetings by the radicals, nor speeches or outbursts by known I. W. W. agitators will be tolerated, he declared flatly. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, arrested Saturday [on charge of vagrancy], has been warned by the police not to attempt to address any radical meeting in this city, it was said.

“There will be no demonstrations against war or against the government’s plans for over-production during the war period,” asserted the chief….

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Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Arrested in Duluth “with Other Professional Agitators;” IWW Hall Closed

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, Tuesday June 26, 1917
Duluth, Minnesota – Miss Flynn Arrested, I. W. W. Hall Raided

From The Decatur Herald of June 24, 1917:

DULUTH POLICE CLOSES I. W. W HEADQUARTERS
—–
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Arrested With
Other Professional Agitators.
—–

EGF, MN Iron Miners Strike, Ev IN, Aug 17, 1916

DULUTH, Minn. June 24-Under authority given by the city council early in the day prohibiting unpatriotic demonstrations by professional agitators, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, of New York City, who arrived here early Saturday morning, was arrested at a hotel late Saturday. The police then raided Industrial Workers of the World headquarters, here arresting nine men and a woman, and closing the headquarters.

All the I. W. W. arrested are held under the charge of “vagrancy.” The police seized all of the headquarters books.

List of Prisoners.

One of the prisoners is Marie Baxter, 28, an officer and organizer of the Duluth House Maids’ local union, affiliated with I. W. W.

Others who were taken in the raid are: Frank Gaisner, 25; William Sullivan, 37; Steven Himple, 26; Lewis Schappert, 27; P. Gideon Mattson, 35; Joseph Hogdson, 23; James Golden, 45; and Harry Lisk, 42.

Golden had literature in his possession which resulted in the placing of an additional charge against him, that of advocating sabotage. Those of conscription age had other registrations cards.

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Hellraisers Journal: Espionage Act Signed; Goldman & Berkman Arrested; Mother Earth & The Blast Seized

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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The greatest bulwark
of capitalism is militarism.
-Emma Goldman

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday June 18, 1917
New York, New York – Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman Arrested

On Friday June 15th, President Wilson signed the Espionage into law (see below). That same day in New York City, the Harlem office of Mother Earth and The Blast was raided, and Anarchists Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were arrested.

From the New York Sun of June 16, 1917:

BERKMAN AND EMMA GOLDMAN
HELD FOR PLOT
—–
Accused of Inducing Young Men to
Violate Registration Law.
—–

BOTH LOCKED IN TOMBS
—–
“Literature” in Office of
Anarchist Publications
Seized as Evidence.
—–

Emma Goldman Arrest June 15, Dly Missoulian, June 16, 1917

Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were arrested yesterday afternoon charged with conspiracy against the Government in inducing young men to break the selective conscription law by not registering. If convicted they can be imprisoned for two years and fined $10,000 apiece, and can also be deported for preaching anarchy, both being aliens.

United Suites Marshal McCarthy served the warrants on the pair, who love to be called “the beat known anarchists in America,” in the little Harlem office where they have been publishing Mother Earth and the Blast. He said it was the best thing he ever did in his life.

 

They were taken to the Federal Building along with a young anarchist helper, W. P. Bales, who had not registered for conscription. It being too late for arraignment they were locked up in the Tombs. They will confront United States Commissioner Hitchcock at 9:45 o’clock this morning, and Berkman and Miss Goldman will probably have to give $25,000 bail apiece if they want to get out pending trial or Grand Jury action. A lot of “literature” in the Harlem office, of which the police and Department of Justice are now in charge, was seized as evidence, including copies of Mother Earth and the Blast. Signed articles in these magazines figure in the Government’s complaint. Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Espionage Act Signed; Goldman & Berkman Arrested; Mother Earth & The Blast Seized” →