The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-30
.L9M.W. DEFENSE q
/. PRACT|CALLy.ENDS
Case Of Miss Flynn and Her Fol-
lowers Soon To the Jury--So- :
ciaI System Been On Trial

tried here is practically concluded and
the jury will have the fate of the de
PENDANTS in it's hands very soon.
The fate Of the syndicalist movement
in America, the government cOntended,
rested on the outcome of the trial of
l01 leaders Of the Industrial Workers
of the World for conspiracy to disrupt
! the nations war program, which be-
gan in federal court here on April
before Judge Keneshaw Mountain Ian.
dis.
The indictment against 1876 men and
one woman, Elizabeth Gurley, Flynn,
returned by the September, 1917, grind
jury, charged the practise of sabotage,
including the slowing down Of produc-
ton and the wanton spoilage of mater
ial, propaganda for strikes to delay
the output of war munitions and Gov
ert intrigue against military service.
Forty of the indicted leaders, sensing
the government = intentions after the
sensational nation vide raid and con
fication of records on September 5,
preceding the indictment, fled from the
country or went into hiding and es-
capped capture, Miss Flynn and two
other defendants were granted separate
trials, and the charges against mum
! Der Of others were dismissed for lack Of
evidence.
Pive Counts of Indictment
The five counts in the indictment
specifically charged violation of the
espionage act, the section of the Grim
inal code prohibiting interference with
the civil rights of citizens, the selPrtivP
service act the conspiracy statue and
the postal laws. The maximum penalty
for conviction on all five counts is 81
in prison and 10000 fine.
From the first day when the group
Of defendants, some wearing long
boards. the flowing tie of the poet,
or sporting fancy waistcoats, filed int
court under heavy guard, until fina,
summing up to the jury, the defense laid
special stress on the contention that the
I.W.W had no interest whatever in
the war.
"Our social system is on trial" as
serted George F. Vanderveer, chief
counsel for the defense. 1.-THE IW.W.
is concerned wholly in one aim-the
bctterment of social. conditions. This
aim is sought by industrial instead of
political methods. -
Witnesses from All Over
From all corners of America the gov
eminent summoned witnesses to sub
stantiate charges that the I.WW. Great
ed a reign of terror in every section
where the organization boosted
strength, that the members were under
pledge to wreck industries through
the practise Of sabotage, that the es-
tablished laws were over riden and
that after America began war on Ger.
many general conspiracy to upset the
country's war plans was entered into.
"The I.W.W. was in fact n gov
eminent within government and was
ruled over by its swivel-chair king,
William D. Haywood, general secretary
treasurer, said Frank K. NebekPr,
chief prosecutor, in addressing the jury.
"The I.WW. red flag of industrial
freedom is only a mask for the red
flag of lawlessness. Their own mem.
bers have testified that the organiza-
ton 5 policy is to continue waging war
on industries until the employers throw
up their arms in despair Then will
the LWW. rise up, according to their
plans as outlined by witnesses, take
chinery and thereafter rule the world "
Anti -draft and Sabotage
With witnesses and correspondents
Mr.. Nebeker sought to show that dur
ing the early months of the war Hay
wood and other leaders directed cam
paign against the selective service act
and other war measures from the Chi
cago general headquarters.
Special attention was given the sub
iect Of sabotage, or direct action, and
for nearly "A month Claude r. Porter,
special prosecutor, and Mrs. Nebeker
read into the records I.W.W. printed
matter and correspondence for the guild
ance of all workers, from the humblest
servant to the plant superintendent.
Included in this great mass of evidence
were instructions for bringing about
railroad congestion by the misscnding
Of freight, the wrccking Of saw mills
by driving spikes in timbPrs, the de
structOn Of fruit orchards by placing
copper tacks in the trees and the spoil.
age Of grain by stacking shocks upside
down. Gardens in some districts were
planted so that the foliage formed the
design "I.W.W."
Hi-Jack Methods
Many Of the LAG witnesses called by
the government, some Of them former
IWW. members, told of "Hi-Jack, -
or strOng-arm methods of the Organiza-
ton, which included the intimidation
Of authorities in small communities.
Sheriffs and police chiefs were locked
in their own jails in some instances for
opposing, "wObbly" armies or failing
to make proper provision for their
care, it was testified.
"Hi-Jack" tactics also we're used
to increase membership, according to ties
timOny. "ScissOrs- -, or nOn-mem-
bers, were thrown from trains, locked in
sheds and in one California fruit district
were stripped Of their clothing, tied
over barrels, placed in small stream
of cold water and beaten with barrel
slaves until they consented to become
members, it was testified.
To this and other testimony the de
Tense replied that the organization
not responsible for the acts Of indivi
dual members, that violence was never
advocated hv Haywood, Vincent st.
John, his predecessor in office. and
the members Of the executive board.
NWTN. O.