Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-05-31
Witness at Chicago Trial les
titles That He Was to Do
This 5y Making Men III and
Cutting Up Clothing,
REMARKABLE STORY
OF VIOLENCE TOLD
Spikes Driven Into Logs to
Wreck Mill Machinery
Freight Trains Con1man-
deeredi Advised Resist Draft

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WRIT
Chicago, May 3o.--PrNate Frank
/ Wormkee, alias Frank Woods, tes-
! tilted today at the trial Of liz In
dustrial Workers of the World that
/ he was asked by members of the
organization at Minneapolis head
quarters to teach sabotage in tho
! American army, This sabotage
Wornkee said he was Informed,
could include placing a foreign sub
stance in food to cause Illness and
the cutting up of clothing
! Wormkee's tale of violence by
members of the organization spanncd
a part of which he worked as an
/ organizer in the harvest fields, the
/ big lumber camps, the shipping dis
tricts and the orange belt of Cali
fornia He admitted he committed
acts of sabotage while an l. w. w
! delegate, and said he received t. w.
Nv. literature in at least one instance
after he entered the jefferson Bar
tracks
rnfld> 1T Own Career.
In substantiation Of government
charges that the organization taught
| the doctrines of sabotage and used
!
/ the war program, Wormkee unfold
ed his own checkered career, told OF
service in the Colorado national
guard, of enlisting last summer at
/ Minot. NJ. D., under fictitious name
/ to obtain release from charges pre-
| ferred by state authorities and teSti-
! fled that he as a delegate had been
| instructed to encourage violence.
| The big lumber camps of Wash
iington and Oregon, WOrmkee and
other members drove spikes into
| logs we'll concealed, under the bark,
/ to wreck mill machinery, he testi-
fled. In Oklahoma spikes were driven
| into fields to break grain cycles and
! at least one member whom he
named as James Edgars, carried a
bottle of liquid in the Montana lum-
! Der district that would cause fire
when thrown upon wood.
Grain Shocks Upside Down
1T was the general practice Of
organization, according to my under
standing, to plant grain shocks up
side down" testified Wormkee, ap-
pearing as a government witness AT
one time in South Dakota when | was
working in a garden | practiced sa :
botage by planting lettuce and other
seeds so that when the sprouts came
out a design reading industrial
Workers of the World would ap-
pear"
He testified that during the out
breaks in oklahoma and Kansas har-
vest fields last year the authorities
were intimidated and in one case the
/ sheriff himself placed in Jail, freight
trains were frequently commandered
there as we'll as in California, that
there We're numerous fires and in
ttabout Aberdeen S. D., and that when
the barn of the police chief burned,
"the l. w. w. modestly took credit"
He testified that while secretary
of the branch at San Pedro, Calf,
he attempted to organize longshore-
men with a view to shut down export
of munitions. The organization was
zone hundred per cent on the Allan
tic and 80 per cent on the Pacific"
, he said he was told
Advised TO Resist Draft.
Under questioning of Chief Prose-
cutor Nebeker, and Special Prosecu-
tor Porter, Wormkee said members
were advised to resist the draft and
commit sabotage against big war in
dustries,
when necessary to bring about re-
suits because of interference by au'
thorities in small communities we
packed the jails," lie said.
AT Alva Okla, and Sheridan
Wyo, we battle shipped the jails
or tore out the interiors, using rad
iators as battering rams"
He said hat in one California orange
district Scissor bills or non-mem-
bcrs, were tied to barrels, placed in
river and beaten on the back until
they bought the Red card Of mem
bership. Weren't you yourself Hi
Jack, or strong MANI" George Van
der defense of counsel asked. Yes
for the organization, not for myself. "
did not you not consider it steal
ing when you stripped castings from
automobile engines in North Dakota
to sell them 2"
That was conscripting he wealth
of the masters" witness replied
Wormkee has been in custody of
federal authorities for several months
pending determination of his status
in The army.