Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for August 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia & at Chicago IWW Trial

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Quote Mother Jones, Fear Not Organize, Rkfd Mrn Str p3, Mar 19, 1918
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 19, 1918
Mother Jones News for August 1918, Part I
-Mother Found in West Virginia, Chicago, and Denver

From the United Mine Workers Journal of August 1, 1918:

Mother Jones Fire Eater, St L Str, Small Crpd, Aug 23, 1917

WEST VIRGINIA NEWS

Charleston, W. Va.—A local of about 250 members has been organized at the Wyatt mines near Shinnston, by Mother Jones and President William F. [M.] Rogers of the State Federation of Labor.

Local Union 2839, Kaymoor, has invested $300.24 in War Savings Stamps and donated $25 to the Red Cross.

Board Member Ballantyne, Mother Jones and Organizers B. A. Scott and Joe Angelo held meetings last week at Worthington, Rosebud, Watson, Shinnston and Mt. Clair.

The Eccles miners have made a splendid showing in the purchase of War Savings Stamps. The assigned quota was $34,000, but the miners have pledges $42,000.

Miners and citizens of Longacre in voting precinct No. 3, have pledged $19,460 for War Savings Stamps.

The mining camp of Donwood, with a population of 450, and a local union membership of 160, has pledged $10,420.79 to the purchase of War Savings Stamps.

[Photograph added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Whereabouts & Doings of Mother Jones for August 1918, Part I: Found in West Virginia & at Chicago IWW Trial”

Hellraisers Journal: From the Socialist Milwaukee Leader: Debs Speaks to Jury, Refuses to Retract Canton Speech

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To speak for labor; to plead the cause
of the men and women and children who toil;
to serve the working class,
has always been to me a high privilege;
a duty of love.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 13, 1918
Cleveland, Ohio – Eugene Debs Addresses the Jury

From The Milwaukee Leader of September 12, 1918:

Jury in Eugene Debs’ Trial
on Free Speech Gets Its Instructions:

Former Candidate for President Makes Address in Own Defense,
Refusing to Retract Anything Uttered in his Canton Talk—
Case Will Be Appealed if Jury Returns Verdict of Guilty.

by J. Louis Engdahl

EVD, Debs Orator Canton June 16, 1918, IN U
Comrade Debs at Canton, June 16, 1918

(CLEVELAND) — Federal Judge D.C. Westenhaver Thursday instructed the jury in the case of Eugene V. Debs, national Socialist leader, charged with making disloyal utterances.
The jury is expected to retire by noon or before.

Westenhaver defined the four counts on which Debs is being tried. They are:

-Caused and attempted to incite insubordination, disloyalty, and mutiny and refusal of duty in the military and naval forces of the United States.

-Obstructed the recruiting and enlistment service.

-Provoked, incited, and encouraged resistance to the government.

-Opposed the cause of the United States at war with Germany.

There is a penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a $10,000 fine on each count.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Socialist Milwaukee Leader: Debs Speaks to Jury, Refuses to Retract Canton Speech”

Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW’s Enter Leavenworth Pen; Fellow Workers Maintain Belief in Industrial Unionism

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My views have not changed in the least
since our conviction.
-Big Bill Haywood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday September 11, 1918
Leavenworth, Kansas – Haywood and 92 Fellow Workers Enter Prison

From The Leavenworth Times of September 8, 1918:

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

CREW OF NINETY-THREE ARRIVED FROM CHICAGO
LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
—–

STILL HOLD SAME VIEWS
—–

Big Bill Haywood, National Secretary-Treasurer, Tells Newspaper
Reporters That No One There Ever Hindered Government War Program-
Will Not Be Dressed in Until Monday Morning-Other Prisoners
Greet Them With Sneers and Cold Stares.
—–

BBH, Leaving Chicago Court, Reno Gz Jr p5, Sept 10, 1918
Big Bill Haywood

Displaying a spirit of bravado and wearing the air of martyred heroes, William D. “Big Bill” Haywood and the ninety-two Industrial Workers of the World, entered the Federal penitentiary here yesterday [September 7th] to begin sentences for attempting to overturn America’s war program. They arrived in special cars from Chicago at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and at 4:30 everyone was inside the prison walls.

“My views have not changed in the least since our conviction” stated Big Bill Haywood, secretary-treasurer of the National I. W. W., who was given twenty years.

I am still thoroughly convince that not one of the men here has ever hindered the government’s war preparations in the least; on the contrary the I. W. W. has materially assisted in carrying out war activities. Not a munition ship leaves the city of Philadelphia that is not loaded by members of the organization and only two docks on the water front employ other laborers.

WANTS U. S. TO WIN.

Gentle men, understand this, that though I am emphatically opposed to war, my sympathies are with the United Staters in the present conflict, I now see where it could not have been avoided and must be pushed to a successful conclusion. No man has ever been more emphatic in condemning Germany than myself; the Kaiser and the Prussian junkers must be crushed and war, though wrong, seems to be the only method it is possible to use.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Chicago IWW’s Enter Leavenworth Pen; Fellow Workers Maintain Belief in Industrial Unionism”

Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: John Reed and Art Young with Eugene Debs in Terre Haute, July 4th, Part II

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I have no country to fight for;
my country is the earth;
I am a citizen of the world.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 8, 1918
Terre Haute, Indiana – John Reed and Art Young with Debs on July 4th

From The Liberator of September 1918:

With Gene Debs on the Fourth

By John Reed
[Part II]
—–

EVD, w Reed n Young, Liberator, Sept 1918

It was on the Fourth of July that Art Young and I went to Terre Haute to see Gene. Barely a month before, the terrible rumor had gone round, chilling all our hearts- “Gene Debs is going back on the party!” That lie he nailed in the ringing statement published in the New York Call, and the Wallings, the Simonses, the Bensons cringed under the lash of his words…. Then came his tour through the middle states, menaced everywhere with arrest, violence, even lynching…and Debs calmly speaking according to schedule, fearless, fiery and full of love of people…. Then his Canton speech, a clear internationalist manifesto, and the Cleveland arrest.

“Gene Debs arrested! They’ve arrested Gene!” people said everywhere, with a shock, a feeling of pity, of affection, of rage. Nothing that has happened in the United States this year has stirred so many people just this way. The long sentences given to conscientious objectors, the suppression of the Socialist press, the indictment of editors, lecturers, Socialist officials under the Espionage and Sedition Acts-people didn’t seem to be deeply moved by these things; but the arrest indictment of Gene Debs-of Gene Debs as a traitor to his country! That was like a slap in the face to thousands of simple people-many of them not Socialists at all-who had heard him speak and therefore loved him. Not to mention the hundreds he has personally befriended, helped or even saved from every sort of evil….

“Gene Debs arrested! Our Gene! That’s going too far!”

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: John Reed and Art Young with Eugene Debs in Terre Haute, July 4th, Part II”

Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: John Reed and Art Young with Eugene Debs in Terre Haute, July 4th, Part I

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I have no country to fight for;
my country is the earth;
I am a citizen of the world.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday September 7, 1918
Terre Haute, Indiana – John Reed and Art Young with Debs on July 4th

From The Liberator of September 1918:

With Gene Debs on the Fourth

By John Reed
[Part I]
—–

EVD, w Reed n Young, Liberator, Sept 1918

WHAT’LL it be, Mr. Sparks?” asked the drug-clerk, with the familiarity of common citizenship in Terre Haute, Indiana, and the respect due to a successful politician.

“Gimme a nut sundae, George,” said the lawyer, who lived around the corner on Sycamore street. Sparks is not his real name. He was dressed up in a new grey suit, adorned with a small American flag, buttons of the First and Third Liberty loans, and a Red Cross emblem. “Reg’lar Fourth o’ July weather, hey George?”

Through the windows of the drug-store Eighth Street looked extremely animated; with families trooping toward the center of the town, flags aslant in children’s hands, mother and pa in holiday attire and sweating freely; with patriarchal automobiles of neighboring farmers, full of starched youngsters and draped with bunting. Faintly came the sound of an occasional fire-cracker, and the thin strains of martial music from the parade. A hot, sticky wind blew occasional puffs of yellow dust up the street.

“Yes, we got a spell of heat all right,” responded George. “We’re going to close the store pretty soon and go up town to see the p’rade.” He scooped ice-cream and went on gossiping. “They say Gene Debs has got arrested up to Cleve-land….”

Everyone in the place stopped talking and looked up.

“Yes,” said the lawyer in a satisfied tone. “Ye-e-es, I guess from what the papers say Gene stepped over the line this time. I guess they’ll shut him up now.”

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From The Liberator: John Reed and Art Young with Eugene Debs in Terre Haute, July 4th, Part I”

Hellraisers Journal: The Liberator Calls for Contributions to Debs Defense Campaign: “The Million Dollar Fund”

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I have no country to fight for;
my country is the earth;
I am a citizen of the world.
-Eugene Victor Debs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 6, 1918
“Debs Is Arrested! What will you do for him”

From The Liberator of September 1918:

Debs Defense, Liberator p36, Sept 1918

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: The Liberator Calls for Contributions to Debs Defense Campaign: “The Million Dollar Fund””

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.

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

Hellraisers Journal: Coverage of IWW Convictions from The Chicago Sunday Tribune: “Disloyalists Hampered War”

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When our cause is all triumphant
And we claim our Mother Earth,
And the nightmare of the present fades away,
We shall live with love and laughter,
We who now are little worth,
And we’ll not regret the price we have to pay.
-Ralph Chaplin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Monday August 19, 1918
Chicago, Illinois – Jury Out for Just 55 Minutes

From The Chicago Sunday Tribune of August 18, 1918:

100 I.W.W. Leaders Convicted-

IWW Guilty, Headline, Chg Tb p1, Aug 18, 1918IWW Guilty, All to Jail, Chg Tb p1, Aug 18, 1918

Fellow Workers Prashner, Doran, Haywood, and St. John-

Guilty, BBH, Prashner Doran, St John, Chg Tb p7, Aug 18, 1918

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Coverage of IWW Convictions from The Chicago Sunday Tribune: “Disloyalists Hampered War””

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

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

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.”

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