The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-10-24
LesUEUR's sECONDILETTER TO
HAYWOOD MADE PUBLIC


LesUEUR's sECONDILETTER TO
\ HAYWOOD MADE PUBLIC
The second letter written by Ar
thur LeSuer, former Minot attorney,
+ to VIM. D. Haywood, who is now
serving 20 years in the federal prison
p at Leavenworth for violation of the
espionage act in connection with the
! |. w. w. affairs, has been made pub
/ lie. LeSueur has been friendly with
| the I. w. WIS for years, at one time
insisting on lying in the Minot Jail
| with members of that organization
| who had created trouble in Minot.
Haywood's letter to LeSueur fol-
lows:
June 10, 1917.
| arthur LeSueur,
peoples College,
"Fort Scott, Kan.
"Dear LeSueur: On June 9Th be-
tween 40 and so members of the !. W:
w., with Socialists, numbering in all
1856, refused to register at Rockford,
| III.
"These men marched in a body to
the Jail and gave themselves up to
the sheriff, saying they declined to
register and had come to go to jail
for the offense.
'They were locked up. Later I un-
derstand number were badly beaten
by deputy sheriffs and jail guards.
81 learned this morning from a
Scandinavian Socialist here in Chicago
that the cases are coming up on June
10th. The Socialists have asked us to
cooperate with them in giving the
men a defense, to which of course they
are fully entitled to.
"The man who telephoned me men
toned Stodman of Chicago as a posi-
bic lawyer. told him that if we were
going in on the case, ! much prefer.
red YOU to represent the interests OF
our boys, and 1 would write to see II
you would handle the case.
"Will it be possible for you to look
after the interest. of these members,
and what would be your fee!
GAS the case now stands, 1t IS,
believe, merely misdemeanor, though
they have one man, George Gully, I'M
der arrest charged with conspiracy,
and of course, there is no telling how
. serious the other cases may develop.
'Let me hear from you soon.
"With best wishes l am,
"Yours for Industrial Freedom,
"WM. D. HAYWOOD,
WDH:OEB "Gen. Sec'y-Treas."
LeSueur's Answer.
LeSueur's reply to this, as given
out by the Public Safety Commission
June 20, 1917.
1882 Commonwealth Ave.,
St. Paul, MINI.
"W. D. Haywood, 1854 Washington, st.,
Chicago, Ill.-Dear Fellow Worker:
Your letter written on the 18th OF
June caught me this minute at st"
raul. It was delayed at Fort Scott.
I sure would have enjoyed taking
stick in those cases and hope | have
not through failure to receive your
letter. prevented the boys from hav-
inc real counsel in the cases.
3Of- course other arrangeemntt,ss
have been made by this time. | Will
be at the address given above. l nave
resigned from the old school and WILL
get mail addressed here more prompt !
II hope things are working along
we'll with you. I look for trouble on
the Minnesota range when they begin
the prosecutions of the 'slackers'' as
thew call them, for there is bunch
of real scrappers there. Many OF
them left their native land to escape
military CONSUMPTION and will not
lightly forego their personal liberty
here
"Being interested in iron as much
as it is Interested in men, the govern,
ment will be put up against hard
game to play in case Of strike, ana
+hare ;s no telling what would develop.
81 hope that the department OF JUS
tice will realize that having, enough
registered for all proposes it had pei
ter quit and aid the government IN
the prosecution of the war, rather
than to make war at home on these
workers, but they may decide to 60
through. There is no power on eartn
so prone to biunder as ignorance IN
authority.
"Fraternally,
"ARTHUR LeSUEUR."
The letters are part of the exhibits
introduced by the government IN the
Chicago I. W. w. trials. The Public
Safety commission today explained
that it made them public for the in
formation of the people Of Minnesota
as they explained the stand taken by
the Public Safety commission.
PUPILS MAY YET REGISTER FOR
I