Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-11-27

Dy nOn-reSlQentS, De tney nODOS or
millionaires, is the proclamation to
the world contained in the action of
its citizens in repelling the threatened
invasion of the city by the l. w. W.,
whose intended raid on Aberdeen was
told in the Herald of Thursday.
That the invasion was part of a
preconcerted plan was evident from
the following letter from Aberdeen
under the date of November u, which
appeared in the industrial Worker
of November %:
Had successful meeting in city hall
despite hard rain. Packed the city
hall. Will you send us one hundred
more workers" as | don't think the
hundred we have ordered will be
enough. Fellow Worker Train is here
and things are coming our way. Get
"Workers here by end of week sure.
Yours for One Big Union,
wv. S. FISHER,
Literature Agent, l.. U. 354."
With these reinforcements Ell route
a plan was made to raid the city Jail
Thursday night A street speaker
knowing the police had orders not to
arrest him, hurled defiance at the au.
thorties and proposed "demonstra-
ton" at the city Jail, to procure the
liberation of the men arrested on Wed
nesday night. The orator and his
workers" then started for the Jail
and were followed by quite a mob
most Of them being there out of Gu
riosity.
Being warned of the approach .of
the mob, Chief of Police Templeman
had the fire. department turn out and
connect up several lines of hose with
hydrants. AS the mob, inflamed by
the wild utterances of the orator
threatened to become beyond control
the chief ordered the water turned on
which was done, and in about half
an hour the crowd was cooled off. OF
course, there could be no discrimina-
tion in such a case, and some of the
bystanders received a wetting, but the
mob dispersed, the leaders promising
to return the next night.
Knowing that the l. w. w. had thor
oughly planned an invasion of Aber-
deem, the executive committee of the
Chamber of Commerce and about a
dozen members held a special meet
ing at the Hotel Washington at noon
Friday to consider the situation. The
tactics of the |. w. w. were fully un-
derstood. The meaning of this in
vasion of non-residents was for the
purpose of having large number ar
rested for violation of the city ordi-
nance regulating street speaking, each
of whom would demand a jury trial,
and thus not only block the police
court but pile up large bill of costs
as we'll as the board of the prisoners,
This plan has been worked with more
or less success elsewhere, and it was
determined that it should not be per-
mitted to succeed here; that if this
horde of irresponsible hobos invaded
Aberdeen to preach anarchy they
should be met with dose of their
favorite doctrine. At this meeting
the following resolution was adopted;
"Resolved, That in view of
the trouble precipitated on the
streets of this city last night,
when a small band of men 60
ing under the name of Industrial
Workers of the World attempt
ed to set the laws of this city
at naught and trample order
we, the members of the Aber-
deem Chamber of Commerce, do
hereby resolve that we will rem
der Mayor J. w. Parks and his
administration and the police
department any assistance with
in our power in their efforts to
preserve order and uphold the
law; and the mayor is hereby
instructed to call on us for our
services, morally, financially
and physically, for the preser-
vation of peace and the good OF
this community. This is law
abiding city and We propose to
keep it so, nor shall we permit
it to pass to the control of men
who violate the laws and jeer
at government and organized
society"
Mayor Parks called a meeting of
business and professional men that
afternoon in Elks' hail. which was at
tended by nearly 500 substantial cit
liens of Aberdeen, who dropped their
personal affairs at the call of the
city's executive in an emergency. The
adjutant general had offered the use
of the National Guard, but it was de-
clared the city was perfectly able to
cope with the situation.
That meeting in Elks hall made
every man present proud that he was
a citizen of such a city. The true
Aberdeen spirit was everywhere in
evidence. Men who a few days be-
fore were quarreling over the form of
city government, forgot it, and stood