The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-06
Government Officers Enter
Building Here: Smith
Disappears.
PAPERS TAKEN OUT
AND MEN DISPERSED
No One Arrested by Raiders
Though Many Are Found
in Headquarters.

The | w, W. hall in Missoula was
raided yesterday by government and
city officials.
The blow was struck at II o'clock
in the morning in accordance with n
long secret government plan that is
only eNcelled hy the scloctivc draft in
its swiftness ana effectiveness.
The Mssoula raid WAS carried out
under tn" direction Of Federal Deputy
Marshal Moore, who was sent here for
the purpose. He was assisted by
Sheriff Green and Under sheriff Hig-
gins OF MissouIa county. j. w. Ram
say of the government Indian service.
Acting Chief of Police Mcdonald and
Policemen Lease and Bishop The of
ficers appeared ut the "wobbly" head
quarters on West Front street at II
o'clock, the same time that similar
raids were being made all over the
country.
Everything in Hall Seized.
Ahout 20 members of the |. W. w.
We're seated on the crude benches In
| the han when the officers suddenly
appeared and announced their mission.
| Deputies were stationed in the front
and rear of the building to prevent any
| escape before the search, but the men
offered no resistance and only two
made remarks regarding the search.
All the motley paraphernalia of tho
hall was seized, which included piles
Of |. w. ". literature, pictures of the
corpse of Little, and other martyrs
blankets and safe.
Nothing discriminating was found.
The Industrial leaders had evidently
anticipated the search.
"Stuf Planted" Man Says.
"oh. they won't find anything" said
one "wobbN' to his partner, "All the
big stuff was planted after the trouble
in Spokane"
Throughout the raid Secretary 4. w.
smith who is the l. w. w leader in
| Missoula. WAS not to be found lie
was seen earlier in the morning bS
officer Ramsay, but escaped the dep
nty by running through the rear door
of Front street lodging house. While
the marshal and his assistants ar
rested none of the members found in
the hal they wished To detain and
question Smith.
May Blow Open Safe
The safe was removed to the county
|
+ combination but the absent secretary.
j, II he does not put In his appearance
= soon the officers will be compelled to
y blow it open, 1t IS said.
2 The whole proceeding was carried
r out without n show OF violence. the
I. W. VS. looking on with blank or
| resigned expressions on their faces
II was the intention of the federal
| M al IN
will Make New Members
;, This is small matter" the "wob-
|. bles' said. IT will add 500 men To
= our organization in n weeks time''
j. Foley, a prominent local l. w w.
I and n man who appeared to possess
g much more intelligence than the
t others was asked to state his version
e. of the affair.
This talk of the l. W. VS. sym :
% pathiZing with the Germans is all
u nonsense he declared. IF we were
- against the government why should
II the l. w. W, supply 5000 men to fight
g the Montana and Idaho forest fires
Il 1000 of whom belong to the NIissoula
local?
n 1t is not the government that ",
II are fighting. but the Working condi
TONS and wages imposed upon us BY
the capitalists. | might add that ever,
;, government job that | have had and
especially the fire fighting job. wa
-, ideal in working conditions, with
=, plenty of food. blankets and santa
~ ton"
Admits |. W. W. Is Extreme,
Foley admitted that the methods o
al the |. w. w. We're extreme, "but." h,
to added. the organization Is compose,
O. largely of men whose only known
o. method of Fighting is that of force
or The principle of solidarity is an idea
~ that is too deep for many men to mn
b., derstand."
No disturbance was committed il
the city yesterday as an aftermath O
the raid.