Hellraisers Journal: The Boise Trial of Big Bill Haywood Illustrated by C. N. Landon

Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday June 16, 1907
Boise, Idaho – The Great Trial from the Pen of C. N. Landon

C. N. Landon is our favorite illustrator, by far, on the scene, in Boise, at the trial of Big Bill Haywood. Today we offer several of his artistic representations which we were pleased to find in the Spokane Press, the Seattle Star and the Albuquerque Evening Citizen during the month of May.

May 13, 1907 – Miners Gather in Boise:

HMP, Miners in Boise, Spk Prs, May 13, 1907

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: The Boise Trial of Big Bill Haywood Illustrated by C. N. Landon”

Hellraisers Journal: From the Duluth Labor World: A Song for Haywood’s Little Daughter by Owen Spendthrift

Share

There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Sunday May 26, 1907
New York Songwriter Pens Lyrics for “Undesirable Citizen” Meeting

“WILL THEY HANG PAPA?”
LABOR’S LATEST DITTY
—–
Little Daughter of W. D. Haywood Asks
Pathetic Question of Reporter.
—–
Query Becomes Inspiration for Song
and Lyric Tunes It Into Music.
—–

HMP, Henrietta Haywood, Boise, Wilkes-Barre Leader, May 10, 1907

“Are they going to hang father?” thus a reporter for an eastern paper was questioned when visiting the home of W. D. Haywood for the purpose of making a study of the domestic life of the imprisoned official of the Western Federation of Miners. The question was asked by the little daughter of Mr. Haywood, and the cheeks of the poor girl were wetted by tears as she pathetically looked into the eyes of her visitor.

The great papers which give much space to the prosecution’s side of the greatest conspiracy of modern times, have not much to spare to inform the public of the touching appeals of Haywood’s children, so firmly convinced of their father’s innocence.

When Owen Spendthrift, the New York song writer, read the story of the reporter’s visit to the Haywood home, he was impressed with the query of the little girl, and he tuned his lyric for a big “Undesirable Citizen” meeting to be held in New York on the following Sunday. This is his song:

HMP, Hang Papa? Spendthrift, Labor World, May 18, 1907

[Photograph of Henrietta Haywood added.]

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: From the Duluth Labor World: A Song for Haywood’s Little Daughter by Owen Spendthrift”

Hellraisers Journal: Mrs. Haywood Carried into Court Each Day in Her Invalid Chair

Share

If Moyer and Haywood die!
If Moyer and Haywood die!
Twenty million working men
Will know the reason why!
-Protest Chant

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

Hellraisers Journal, Monday May 20, 1907
Boise, Idaho – Mrs. Haywood in Court Each Day

From the Albuquerque Evening Citizen of May 17, 1907:

HMP, Nevada Jane Haywood in WC, Albq Eve Ctz, May 17, 1907

MRS. HAYWOOD IS IN CONSTANT ATTENDANCE
—–

By Jacob Waldeck.

Boise, Idaho, May 17.-A hush more impressive than any words of sympathy could be falls upon the court room crowd every morning when the big green cloth-covered doors swing open and Mrs. Haywood, wife of the man on trial here for the murder of ex-Governor Steunenberg, in an invalid chair, is wheeled to a space near the table provided for the lawyers for the defense.

As soon as court is called to order the prisoner is brought in.

Then the family circle is complete, but under the most pathetic conditions imaginable.

Haywood is six feet tall, broad-shouldered, his face furrowed with lines as the result of imprisonment and anxiety concerning his family. Beside him is his youngest daughter, Vernon [Henrietta], who, before his coming, has scrambled into the chair next to the one she knows he will occupy, that she may get the first caress.

Next to her is Mrs. Haywood and their eldest daughter [Vernie], the prisoner when he takes his seat, strokes Vernon’s [Henrietta’s] head, and with a smile speaks some term of endearment to the pet of the family.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Mrs. Haywood Carried into Court Each Day in Her Invalid Chair”

Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood Sends Daily Letter from Ada County Jail in Idaho to His Invalid Wife in Denver

Share
There are no limits to which
powers of privilege will not go
to keep the workers in slavery.
-Mother Jones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hellraisers Journal, Wednesday January 9, 1907
From Ada County Jail, Idaho – Big Bill Haywood Writes to Family

Kidnappers Special Detail by BBH, AtR, May 19, 1906

From his cell in the Ada County Jail, beneath the Courthouse where he will be put on trial for his life, William D. Haywood, Secretary-Treasure of the Western Federation of Miners, sends out a daily letter to his invalid wife in Denver. His wife, Nevada Jane Minor Haywood and his two daughters, Vernie and Henrietta, remain in that city and hope for the return of the husband and father who was kidnapped by the authorities of Colorado and Idaho and spirited away to Boise aboard the “Kidnappers’ Special” on February 18th of this past year.

From The Leavenworth Times of Kansas, January 5, 1907:

Accused Miner Sends Daily Letter To Wife

BBH, Nevada Jane, Leavenworth KS Tx, Jan 5, 1907

Denver, Colo., Jan. 4.-There is a chapter in the life of Wm. D. Haywood, leader of the Western Federation of Miners and accused accomplice in the assassination of former Gov. Steunenberg, of Idaho, now in jail at Boise, Idaho, awaiting trial, not generally known. The story this chapter tells places this one accused and censured as an anarchist in the true light of faithful and home-loving father and husband.

Continue reading “Hellraisers Journal: Big Bill Haywood Sends Daily Letter from Ada County Jail in Idaho to His Invalid Wife in Denver”