Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1918-02-09
Industrial Workers Are
Indicted Charged With
Hanrpering Government
Republican A. p. Leased wireI


SACRAMENTO Cal, Feb. S.-Three
indictments. one of which charged 50
persons with conspiring with William
D. Haywood and other Industrial
Workers of the World leaders to
hamper the government in its prose-
cutiOn of the war. were returned here
today by the United States grand jury.
The report of the jury terminated its
investigation of the inactiyities of all
Industrial Workers of the World taken
into custody here in connection with
an investigation of the authorities and
the Sacramento police in the dyna-
mitirN of the residence of the governor.
a second indictment charged VIM.
Hood and George Voetter, who were
arrested here December - while carry
ing a box containing nine sticks of
dynamite, with having explosives in
their possession unlawfully.
\ third true bill charged Hood with
illgally transporting dynamite on
passenger train engaged in interstate
commerce.
It was the arrest of Hood and Voetter
that led to a raid on the l. w. w. head
quarters here, in which a number of
men were taken into custody and a
large amount of documentary evidence
was seized Much of this evidence
was presented to the grand jury While
the probe was being conducted and
some of it was quoted in the con-
spiracy indictment which was returned
today
Forty-six of the fifty-five persons in
dicted today, including Hood and Voet-
ter. have been in custody here since
late last December. Two of them
Frank Reilly and Louis Tori - are
wanted on similar charges named in
an indictment returned in Chicago, ac-
cording to federal authorities.
The names of nine of the fifty five
were placed on secret file because they
| had not been arrested. Five of these,
| John W. Preston, United States dis
| trict attorney, announced in court,
were involved in charges of conspiracy
/ to violate the espionage act, dismissed
recently in San Francisco.
The Indictment charged the defend
ants with a general conspiracy by
threats, assaults and intimidation, '
and the distribution of alleged Indus
| trial Workers of the World literature
| to obstruct the activities of the gov
| ernment in the prosecution of the war
1t alleged that they were members OF
branches of the organization known as
"mlitants' and rebels" Violation OF
various sections of the penal code and
war regulations and proclamations. in
/ Guiding the enemy alien and selective
| draft acts, also WereS alleged.
The defendants also We're accused
of an organized conspiracy to ''injure
and oppress certain citizens of the
United States by threats and intimi-
dation.'
Letters mailed to some of the de-
PENDANTS were reproduced in the in
! dictment. Some of these We're from
! |. w. w. prisoners in the Cook county
! Jail in Chicago. They urged men or
the outside TO greater effort in theil
work. as "the best means of helping
| their fellows in jail in Chicago" Two
of these letters were signed by G. A
| Roberts and James Rowan, who are
awaiting trial on indictments returned
i'll Chicago.
! Telegrams sent to P. H. Johnson, as
| sistant United States district attorney
| who conducted the investigation. by
Albert Fox and Frederick Esmond O
San Francisco. demonstrating agains
alleged inhuman treatment of the mel
in custody here We're also interpreted
in the indictment.
and alleged to have been written b,
Miss Theodore Pollak of San Fran
cisco, was reproduced verbatim in tn
indictment.
The conspiracy Indictment returne,
today alleged that the defendants ha,
entered into a general conspiracy wit
leaders of three thousand members o
the Industrial Workers of the Worl
organization to overthrow the gov
ernment' and to carry on a wide
spread campaign of sabotage" Assist
| ant District Attorney johnson sal
that evidence collected in connectio
: with the investigation chad reveale
[ acts of sabotage in many sections c
the United States" He said the cam
paign was aimed at the destruction c
industries and crops
5 Plan Wholesale Destruction
2 Industrial Workers of the World o
the Pacific coast have planned Whole
, sale destruction of industries and shin
/ ping and other interference with prose
cution of the war, it was said toda
/ at the department of justice. The in
r dictment Of 80 at Sacramento by
S federal grand jury is the result of re
: cent Investigations by goVernmer
t agents who discovered that leade,
| were plotting systematic sabotage.
L The indictments were a direct re
: suit of the recent attempt to blow u
0 the governors residence at Sacra
= mento. Agents discovered a nest
s plotters whose activities oxtende
throughout the Pacific coast territor
d In addition to blowing uD factorie
d plotters in that section of the com
n try had planned to foment strill,
0 among workmen engaged in war indu,
g tries, to damage fruit trees and crop
d and to q lessor extent To dnStrn,r CHI /,