Hellraisers Journal – Saturday August 24, 1912
Jay Smith, Secretary of B. of T. W., Appeals for Funds to Save Fellow Workers
From Pittsburg (Kansas) Labor Herald of August 16, 1912:
Shall Emerson Die?
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[Letter from Jay Smith, B. of T. W. Secretary]
Brother, Comrades, Fellow-workers:
On Sunday evening, July 7, 1912, while the Brotherhood of Timber Workers were holding a mass meeting on the public road at Grabow, La., thugs concealed in the office of the Galloway Lumber Co., fired upon our people with rifles and pump guns loaded with buck-shot. When the firing ceased, three men were found to be killed outright, several mortally and seriously wounded and thirty-odd others injured, the great majority being union men. Immediately following the “riot”, as it was called by the capitalists class, President A. L. Emerson, who was our chief speaker on the occasion, and other members of the Brotherhood, were arrested, denied bail, and placed in the county jail at Lake Charles, La., which prison is totally inadequate to accommodate the number of men now confined there, and is in a deplorably unsanitary condition, besides. Despite the condition of this prison, sick and wounded men are confined there, the authorities giving the excuse that there is no room in the I hospital for them and our boys are still being arrested.
This, so far, is the outcome of the “riot” at Grabow. That our boys were neither looking for nor expecting any such trouble is borne witness to by the fact that many of them had taken along their women and children, and, that none of the last were killed by the Trusts gunmen, is a miracle.
All the news and evidence so far reported shows that our men were not only ambushed, but that the “riot” had been carefully planned by the Lumber Trust, and we have every reason to believe, that hidden in the offices of the Galloway Lumber Co., were gunmen who had been sent over from other places by the Southern Operators’ Association. The “riot” was but the culmination of a long series of outrages against the Brotherhood and all other Union labor, and was staged by the Operators’ Association for the purpose of crushing out the unions in the Southern timber districts and terrorizing its workers back into meek submission into peonage. This has been the boasted purpose of the Operators’ Association: “To crush all union labor out of their mills and camps, drive all Socialist speakers out of their towns, and run things as they damned please.”
For twenty long months we have fought this mighty and merciless combination of capital, this vicious combine of grafters and gunmen, and, because they have not been able to whip us back into their mills and slave pens, they have planned the massacre of Grabow, and, failing there to kill our President Emerson and his bravest associates, they have taken him and them to jail and are preparing to stage another legal murder.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday April 22, 1922 Washington, D. C. – Amnesty Possible for Fletcher, Nef, Walsh and Doree
From the Baltimore Sun of April 20, 1922:
(From The Sun Bureau.)
Washington, April 19.-In the face of a renewed effort, led by the American Civil Liberties’ Union, to secure the pardon or commutation of sentences of 113 so-called political prisoners who still are in Federal prisons, it was learned today that the Department of Justice has no thought of recommending amnesty for the group. It is willing, however, to take up individual cases in the usual way, it is said. Apparently only Presidential intervention can accomplish general amnesty, and of that there is no sign.
Four cases are now concretely before the department-those of Walter T. Nef, Ben Fletcher, John J. Walsh and Edward F. Doree. They were members of the Marine Transport Workers’ Union, of Philadelphia, which is affiliated with the I. W. W. They were sentenced to prison by Judge Landis, in Chicago, because of their activity in the I. W. W., although, it is asserted by their friends, they had been wholly loyal to the Government in their work at Philadelphia.
No Evidence Yet Of Disloyalty.
Investigation made thus far by the Department of Justice has failed to disprove contentions of champions of Nef, Fletcher, Walsh and Doree that the Transport Workers’ Union in Philadelphia, which Nef, dominated and which embraced practically all of the dock workers in Philadelphia, performed its work with complete loyalty to the Government.
Dr. Frederick Edgerton, of the University of Pennsylvania, a champion of the men, has said that the Philadelphia dock workers did better than those anywhere else.
Dr. Frederick Edgerton has said that enormous quantities of munitions were shipped from Philadelphia during the war without a single accident at the dock or on any ship loaded at the dock; that many accidents occurred at other ports, and ships loaded elsewhere were taken to Philadelphia and reloaded. He also asserted that there was no strike in 1917 among the Philadelphia longshoremen, although strikes occurred elsewhere; that Nef used his influence against a strike, and also intervened against strikes in Boston and Baltimore; that many of the members of the Philadelphia union entered the service and that the members of the union bought $115,000 of Liberty bonds.
Thinks Record Should Count.
All of this, according to Dr. Edgerton and others, should outweight any significance that may attach to the activity of the four men in the central organization of the I. W. W., which led to their indictment and conviction with a large number of others, under the Espionage act, on charges of conspiracy.And it seems that Government officials, so far as they have gone into these cases, have no evidence that the men were not helpful to the Government at Philadelphia or that they were guilty of any overt acts elsewhere.
Hellraisers Journal – Tuesday February 28, 1922 Philadelphia Local 8 of I. W. W. on the Firing Line
From The Messenger of February 1922:
LOCAL 8 OF I. W. W. ON FIRING LINE
THE Administration’s policy toward the I. W. W. has been everything but frank, just and fair. On the contrary it has been mean, petty and cowardly. Believing that public sentiment was not as aroused and as insistent for the release of the members of the Industrial Workers of the World as it was for other prisoners charged with the violation of war-time laws it announced a different policy in dealing with the I. W. W. cases.
It was well established by the action of the Courts of Appeals of the seventh and eighth districts in the Chicago and Wichita cases, that the I. W. W.’s were found innocent of acts of sabotage or other industrial crimes. Their legal status now is the same as that of Debs before his release. In other words they are held in prison for expressing opinions in opposition to war.
As was pointed out in the foreword of the brief of attorney Otto Christensen, “many of the offenses that the I. W. W.’s were convicted of in the lower courts having been nullified by the action of the Court of Appeals, the legal basis for holding them in prison likewise has been changed.” “Since,” according to the Civil Liberties Union, the reversal of the industrial courts on which three-fourths of the evidence was introduced, these cases are in every essential analogous to the case of Mr. Debs.”
In view of the foregoing facts, it is apparent that the difference in policy in handling the cases of the Industrial Unionists, arises out of prejudice and class hatred.
It appears that the Administration acts not out of consideration for justice and right, established by facts and reason; but only out of fear of a general upsurge of an outraged public against blind, unreasoning intolerant, autocratic, Kaiser-like methods.
Recognizing this fact, Local 8 of the Marine Transport Workers of Philadelphia, has, in accordance with its general policy of enlightened, militant, revolutionary action, proceeded to arrange an intensive campaign of education and agitation in the interest of the 118 class-war and political prisoners still languishing in prison.
Hellraisers Journal – Thursday November 10, 1910 Fresno, California – I. W. W. Free Speech Fight Has Been Postponed
From the Spokane Industrial Worker of November 9, 1910:
FRESNO FIGHT POSTPONED —————
Industrial Worker October 19, 1910
Fellow Workers: The fight for free speech has been postponed. On the 2d. of November the boys all came out of jail. Their excuse was that there were not enough men. It is true, the men were coming in awful slow, but they were coming. Public sentiment was changing in our favor, and if the men had stuck we would have won out.This fight is important and we must win or the I. W. W. will feel the painful consequences all over the west. Until we erase this blot from our crimson banner we must hang our heads in shame. If they can suppress our street meetings, they can also suppress our hall meetings and will hound us at every step.
We are not going to try to coax or persuade anyone to take part in this fight. If this fight is won it will be won by Industrial Unionists. The Industrial Unionist is the man who practices a large part of what he preaches. He does not walk around with a chip on his shoulder, telling the timid and modest members what he knows and what he would do in each and every case and what a splendid fighter he is. No, he is sadly lacking in these eminent virtues. Somehow he can never spare the time for it. Some few have a faint suspicion that he is too busy practicing or trying to practice Industrial Unionism. About half the men who went to jail here are pretty fair Industrial Unionists.
Hellraisers Journal – Wednesday November 9, 1910 Fresno, California – City Claims Victory Over Industrial Workers of the World
From The Fresno Morning Republican of November 3, 1910:
Fresno has won its battle to govern the right of free speech.
The city ordinance which prohibits speech-making on the public streets without a permit from the chief of police holds good and the Industrial Workers of the World are the ones who discovered that the law is iron-clad.
A month’s fight against the city authorities ended at 10 o’clock yesterday morning, when fifty-three members of the I.W.W. left the local jail and marched to police court, where they entered individual pleas of guilty and were released from custody with a suspended sentence of ninety days hanging over each man. Three I.W.W.’s “double-crossed” their fellow workers and pleaded not guilty, after promising to go into court and abide by the decision of the majority. This trio was returned to jail.
Hellraisers Journal – Saturday October 22, 1910 Fresno, California – Thirty-Three Fellow Workers Now in Jail
From The Fresno Morning Republican of October 21, 1910:
THIRTY-THREE MEMBERS OF I. W. W. NOW IN COUNTY JAIL ———— Police Arrest Five More for Speaking on Streets Without Permit. ———— Sheriff Chittenden Says He Can Accommodate 300 “Workers.” ————
Industrial Worker October 19, 1910
With the arrest of five members of the I.W.W. last night by the police, there are now thirty-three of the so-called “workers” in the county jail. One was released yesterday as he declared that he was not an I.W.W. and asked for an opportunity to shake Fresno’s dust from his feet. Police Judge Briggs gave him the chance and he left town. All of the remainder, excepting the five jailed last night, have entered pleas of not guilty and demanded immediate trials by jury.
Four of the “workers” were in court yesterday morning. Alfred Nelson said he was not an I.W.W. and pleaded guilty to a charge of vagrancy. He was given a “floater.” H. S. Barnes, E. F. Doree and William Love pleaded not guilty to the same charge and demanded immediate jury hearings. The trio was returned to jail in default of bonds of $100.
At 8 o’clock last night, five were arrested on a charge of violating the city ordinance against speaking on the public streets without a written permit from the chief of police. Patrolman Al Hayes arrested J. Alpert, a lineworker; Helms arrested William Cashman and George Berger, miners; Pickens jailed Manuel Carragal, a laborer; and McKee arrested C. R. Neeley, a smelter-worker. All had I.W.W. buttons, working cards and literature but no money.The men arrived in town on the brakebeams of the southbound trains yesterday afternoon.
Since the I.W.W. headquarters were removed from Mariposa street to a tent in Belmont, just beyond the city limits line, the “workers” who arrive in town have found some difficulty in locating the place where they are supposed to register and receive financial assistance.
Sheriff Chittenden, who witnessed the scene at I and Mariposa streets last night, stated that he had made arrangements to accommodate three hundred of the I.W.W.’s if they come to Fresno.
“I can, on a moment’s notice, take all of the vags out of the bull-pen and turn it over to the ‘workers.’ This bull-pen, which is on the lower floor of the northwest wing of the jail, will accommodate approximately three hundred men. I am prepared for any invasion,” said the sheriff.
When the “workers” tried to speak at I and Mariposa streets last evening, a crowd of fully five hundred was in attendance. At the same time, evidently at a given signal, four men tried to speak, each on a different corner. The police were on hand in large numbers and the men had no sooner started than they were jerked from their boxes and taken to jail. The big crowd lingered for several minutes expecting to see more of the “workers” on the boxes, but after the arrest of the five men, none ventured forth and the crowd gradually melted away.
Hellraisers Journal – Sunday October 16, 1910 Fresno, California – Town soon to feel hand of Industrial Workers of the World.
From the Spokane Industrial Worker of October 15, 1910:
FRESNO FIGHT FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH ——-
Industrial Worker of April 2, 1910
The day draweth nigh. Soon is the town of Fresno, Cal., to feel the weight of the hand of the I. W. W. This upstart city has taken upon itself the task of wresting from the workers the right of free speech and as a result hundreds of workers are in the vicinity of Fresno prepared at the signal to speak in spite of the “law and order” element of thugs and gum shoes.
Soon will the workers demonstrate to the boss that there are a few privileges, at least, that will not be surrendered.
The owners of halls in Fresno have refused to rent their buildings to the I. W. W. boys, but in spite of this obstacle all will be in readiness for the sounding of the call.
Let every worker in the north and west who can possibly do so go to Fresno and speak on the streets in accordance with the age-long inheritance of the Anglo-Saxon. Let us demonstrate to the boss that we will FIGHT before we will submit to the loss of the privilege of free speech.
Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the union makes us strong
-Ralph Chaplin
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Hellraisers Journal, Sunday February 10, 1918
I. W. W. Prepares for Greatest Labor Trial in History
From the International Socialist Review of February 1918:
The General Defense Committee of the I. W. W.
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THE conspiracy of the Owners of American Industry to put the One Big Union out of business by legal procedure will come to a showdown during the coming I. W. W. trials in Chicago, about the 25th of February.
It may be the greatest labor trial in the history of these United States, resulting in the conviction of the 106 workers, or the trial itself may turn into an indictment of the profit system, which will shake the thrones of the fat copper and lumber profiteers. For as Prof. Roger W. Babson points out in the Magazine of Wall Street: “There are two wars in progress today. One is between nations and the other is between classes.”
At the present time, over one thousand members of the I. W. W. are in jails across country, but there are away over one hundred thousand members on the outside. The faster they jail them the faster they grow. Tomorrow there will be more of them than today. There will never be enough jails to go around!
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