Tag: World War I Repression

Hellraisers Journal: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Carlo Tresca & Arturo Giovannitti Arrested in New York City

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday September 30, 1917
New York, New York – Feds Seize Flynn, Tresca, & Giovanitti

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Carlo Tresca, and Arturo Giovanitti, heros of the Lawrence and Paterson Strikes of 1912 and 1913 were arrested late in the day yesterday and their homes ransacked by federal agents.

EGF Tresca Paterson, Giovannitti Lawrence, re arrest Sept 29, 1917

—–

From today’s Pittsburgh Gazette Times:

Elizabeth G. Flynn Taken For
Activities With I. W. W.
—–

Two Associates Also Taken in New York-
Two Pittsburghers in Custody.
—–

NEW YORK, Sept. 29.-Three of the most prominent I. W. W. leaders in the United States were arrested here tonight by agents of the government. They are Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, militant I. W. W. agitator; Carl [Carlo] Tresca, her associate, and Arturo Giovanetti [Giovannitti].

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Hellraisers Journal: Feds Descend On Chicago Headquarters of Industrial Workers of the World & Arrest Leaders

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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If the workers are organized, all they have to do is
to put their hands in their pockets
and they have got the capitalist class whipped.
-Big Bill Haywood

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

Hellraisers Journal, Saturday September 29, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – Leaders of I. W. W. Under Arrest

Yesterday afternoon federal agents descended upon the Chicago headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World and arrested, en masse, the leaders of the One Big Union. Our Fellow Workers were transported to the Cook County Jail were they remain at this time locked behind the prison bars of the Master Class.

From today’s Chicago Daily Tribune:

WWIR, IWW Arrests w BBH added, Chg Dly Tb, Sept 29, 1917

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Hellraisers Journal: Red Doran Has Seen Warrant & Warns Editor Watts of Northwest Worker; Wells Jury Hung

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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True patriotism hates injustice
in its own land
more than anywhere else.
-Clarence Darrow

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 28, 1917
Everett, Washington – Editor Watts Warned of Warrant

From The Northwest Worker of September 27, 1917:

HOW THEY LOVE US

Northwest Worker, ed HW Watts, Sept 27, 1917

We are informed by “Red” Doran I. W. W. organizer, that he has seen a warrant that has been issued for the arrest of ye editor [H. W. Watts], three other Socialists and four I. W. W. It seems too bad that the authorities will persist in disturbing us from our peaceful pursuits. We have been in jail four times already and if they keep it up it will soon be like home to us. Guess we must be too autocratic and they want to get us out of the way in order that America might be “made safe for Democracy.” We know, dear reader, that you are sick and tired of hearing that term, but it is the only string the jingoes have on their fiddle and we want to help them fiddle it so that it will wear out.

———-

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Hellraisers Journal: Suppression of Industrial Workers of the World Justified as “War Measure”

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 14, 1917
Federal Government Claims “War Measure” for Move Against I.W.W.

From Ohio’s Marysville Evening Tribune of September 10, 1917:

WWIR, IWW, BBH EGF Tresca, Mryvl Jr OH, Sept 10, 1917

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Hellraisers Journal: From The Masses: “Having Their Fling- Orgie Maniacle” by Art Young

Janet RayeHellraisers Journal
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I have no country to fight for;
my country is the earth,
and I am a citizen of the world.
– Eugene V. Debs

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

Hellraisers Journal, Tuesday September 11, 1917
From The Masses: Art Young Comments on the Orgie of War

“Having Their Fling” by Art Young

WWI, Having Fling Art Young, Masses, Sept 1917

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WE NEVER FORGET: Political Prisoners of World War I Repression Who Lost Their Lives in Freedom’s Cause, 1917-1931

Janet RayeWe Never Forget
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Pray for the dead
And fight like hell for the living.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WNF, WWIR, Political Prisoners 1917-1931

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

From American Political Prisoners by Stephen M. Kohn:

Between 1917 and 1931, at least thirty-one young men died as a direct result of imprisonment for their opposition to World War I or for their radical trade union activities. For the most part, these men died in obscurity at a time when the general public ignored the First Amendment abuses that led to their imprisonment and death.

April 8, 1918 – Fort Hancock, New Jersey
-Ernest Gellert. Socialist CO.

June 29, 1918 – Leavenworth Penitentiary
(Date of death from Davenport Daily Times of July 1, 1918, page 1.)
-Daniel H. Wallace, convicted under Espionage Act for anti-war speech given at Davenport, Iowa. Member, League of Humanity.

October 14, 1918 – Bellevue Hospital, New York
-Jacob Schwartz of New York City. Anarchist who criticized US intervention in Russia.
Transferred to hospital from Blackwell’s (? needs verification) after severe beating.

November 1918 – Sacramento County Jail
-R. J. Blaine, IWW-Federal Prisoner, died while awaiting trial.
-Ed Burns, IWW-Federal Prisoner, died while awaiting trial.
-Ed Evans, IWW-Federal Prisoner, died while awaiting trial.
-James Nolan, IWW-Federal Prisoner, died while awaiting trial.
-Frank Travis, IWW-Federal Prisoner, died while awaiting trial.

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Hellraisers Journal: Raids & More Raids! Homes and Offices in Chicago, Spokane, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Etc.

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Friday September 7, 1917
Nationwide Raids Against Industrial Workers and Socialists

The nationwide raids conducted by federal agents on September 5th against the Industrial Workers of the World and the Socialist Party of America are described by the Spokane Spokesman-Review of September 6th:

US Officers Raid I. W. W. Headquarters
Over Nation

[Report from Associated Press]

WWIR, Raids IWW SPA BBH, Chg Tb Sept 6, 1917

Indictments May Follow.

MAGNOLIA, Mass., Sept. 5.— Attorney General Thomas W. Gregory was a guest at the summer home of Colonel E.M. House here this evening when he received word that raids on the headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World in many cities had been carried out as arranged by the federal Department of Justice.

“It is no secret,” said Mr. Gregory, “that the Industrial Workers of the World have been under suspicion for some time. The Department of Justice conducted a quiet investigation until I was convinced that we were warranted in taking such action as this.

“I do not need to say the the raids will be followed quickly by indictments if we find anything to warrant them, and the men will be prosecuted to the extent of the law if they deserve it.”

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Hellraisers Journal: IWW Halls and Socialists Offices Raided Coast to Coast by Federal Agents, Tons of Material Seized

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Thursday September 6, 1917
Chicago, Illinois – I. W. W. and S. P. Headquarters Raided

The Headquarters of the Industrial Workers of the World, located at 1001-1006 West Madison street, were raided by federal agents yesterday and vast amounts of property and documents seized. The offices of the Socialist Party of America and of its national newspaper, American Socialist, were also “visited.” The raids in Chicago were made simultaneously with raids of I. W. W. halls across the nation.

From The Chicago Daily Tribune of September 6, 1917:

WWIR, IWW Raids, Chg Tb, Sept 6, 1917WWIR, IWW Raids, Chg Tb, Sept 6, 1917, 2WWIR, IWW Raids, Chg Tb, Sept 6, 1917, 3

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Hellraisers Journal: Labor World Scores IWW: “Labor and the nation will be better off when we are rid of them.”

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

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

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday September 5, 1917
From the Duluth Labor World: I. W. W., Foe of Nation & Enemy of Labor

AFL Emblem, Am Fedist, Aug-Dec 1917

The Duluth Labor World, voice of the American Federation of Labor in northern Minnesota, has now declared the Industrial Workers of the World to be a foe of the United States of America and an enemy of true American Labor. Having been willing to organize foreign-born and unskilled workers where the A. F. of L., for the most part, would not, (the United Mine Workers being a noble exception), the I. W. W. is now accused of “exploiting” alien prejudices.

From the Duluth Labor World of September 1, 1917:

WWIR IWWR Labor's Enemy, Labor World, Sept 1, 1917

The time has come when it is necessary for the men of labor to speak out emphatically against any and all organizations claiming the support of workingmen that are not wholly American to the core. This is no time for quibbling. We do not propose to sit idly by and permit our cause to suffer longer from the foolhardy course of such a self-styled labor organization as the I. W. W., an organization that never did anything for the workingmen save pull their legs.

The enemies of the American trade union have for years been busy in Continental Europe propagating among workingmen against the American Federation of Labor. They declare it is controlled by the so-called “Capitalist Class;” that it is a mass-backed, conservative organization formed for the purpose of perpetuating the wage system, and when foreign laborers come here to work they bring with them their prejudices against the American labor movement.

This is why such an organization as the I. W. W., appeals to the foreign born laborers in this country who have not identified themselves with the American movement. And as a result the poor fellows are frequently led to deep industrial precipices from which they are ruthlessly hurled by the pretensive revolutionary leaders in the I. W. W.

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Hellraisers Journal: Oklahoma Tenant Farmers Rebellion About More Than Draft Resistance, So Says Northwest Worker

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, Saturday August 25, 1917
Southeastern Oklahoma – Tenant Farmers Rebellion Crushed

An article (see below) in the Everett Northwest Worker of August 23rd challenges the usual portrayal of recent rebellion in southeastern Oklahoma as being merely a riot caused by “slackers” bent on evading the draft. The rebellion was swiftly crushed and and the rebels rounded up.

From the San Bernardino News of August 14, 1917:

Green Corn Rebellion, OK Rebels, San B Ns, Aug 14, 1917
Here is the first actual photograph received of the “draft rebellion” in southeast Oklahoma, where hundreds of Indians, negroes and white tenant farmers took to the hills and wilds in an effort to evade army service. Picture shows eight draft rioters just brought in from the scene of a battle near Holdenville. Note carefully the types of men among the prisoners-the men who are leading this organized effort to defy the military army of Uncle Sam. Note, too, the ready rifles in hands of the possemen.

Detail 1:

Green Corn Rebellion, OK Rebels, San B Ns, Aug 14, 1917, 1

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