The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-09
SABOTAGE OF
WOBBLIES IS TO
HAMPER NATION
y.ssnrwiGe Plot to Prevent War
Program Of United Statss
Uneirths6


. Ssse-a,rlsn1o., Calll. Feb. a.-Three
a1ssa:z.rrsnes.. cue OF which charged s.
7srs2ns with ccnspfring With William
\ u. Es4rwccG and other Industrial
4 Markers Il ai1s W'oriG leaders to ham,
,e- -ae government In It's prosecution
az -as W.T.. were rsturcsG here Friday
Dr. sne U1iEe.s States grand jury. The
relrre cf tisa jury Terminated it's IN
vaseas.zl-.rn OF the activities OF alleg-
al Z w. w. taken into custody here
II e.,nlscgen with inquiry by federal
arricrs-:.ss and Sacramento police into
.fss I-ce1rrtslf dy1amiting of the home
af Gs1vernor William D. Stephens here
1as hight CT December II last.
p The conspiracy Indictment spsci-
fc:lT-E charged the. defendants with
1aasn p1irg TO interfere with the op-
srl1tnC OF the success Of the military
Ind naval forces of the United States
ln,i TO prumoSs the success of its en-
ecr1es by obstructing recruiting and
e1iistnenGs in the military and naval
torCes and by causing or attempting
to cause acts of disloyalty, mutiny
OF refusal of duty" ..
General Conspiracy.
1t was further alleged that the de-
PENDANTS had entered into a general
conspiracy with others OF the three
hundred thousand members of the 1.
w. W organization to overthrow the
government" and to carry on a wide
spread campaign of sabotage"
P H. Johnson, assistant United
States district attorney, who conduct
ed the inquiry, said that evidence COL
lected in connection with the inves-
tigation "had revealed acts of sabot-
age in many sections of the United
States" He said the campaign was
aimed at the destruction OF industries
and crops. A second indictment charg-
ed William Hood and George F. Voet.
ter, who were arrested here December
%, carrying a box containing nine
sticks of dynamite, with having the
explosives in their possession unlaw-
fully. A third true bill charged Hood
with illegally transporting dynamite
on passenger train engaged in inter-
state commerce.
1t was the arrest of Hood and Voet-
ter that led to a raid on the !. w.
w. headquarters here in which num-
Der of men we're taken into custody
and large amount of documentary
evidence was seized.
Much of this evidence was present
ed to the grand jury and some of 1t
was quoted in the conspiracy indict-
ment which was returned today.
IS Under Arrest
Forty.six of the IS persons indfct-
ed today, including Hood and Voetter.
have been in custody of the city and
county authorities here since late last
December Two Of them Frank Reil-
ly and Louis Tori-are wanted, on sim
liar charges named in an indictment
returned in Chicago, according to fed.
cral authorities. The names of nine
of the IS were placed on secret file be-
cause they had not been taken into
custody. ..s-.r" ...-.| ~.
Five of these, John w. Preston, I'm.
tied States district attorney annOunc-
ed in court were involved in charges
Of conspiracy to violate the espionage
act, dismissed recently in San Fran
cisco. The other four reside in or
near San Francisco, federal authori-
ties said. Warrants for the arrest of
these nine were prepared today.
The indictment charged the defend.
ants with a generally conspiracy by
threats, assault and intimation," and
the distribution Of alleged l. W.. w.
literature to obstruct the activities of
the government in the prosecution Of
the war. 1t alleged that they were
members of branches Of the organiza.
ton known as 'militants" and rebels"
Violation of various esctions of the
penal code and war regulations and
proclamations, including the enemy
alien and selective draft acts, were
also alleged.
;g Letters From Chicago.
The defendants also were accused
of an organized conspiracy to "injure
and Cypress certain citizens of the
United States by threats and intimid-
atiOn." ." al
Letters mailed to some of the de.
PENDANTS were reproduced in the in.
dictment Some of these were from
Industrial Workers of the World pris-
oners in the Cook county Jail in Chi
cago. They urged men on the "out-
side to greater effort in their work"
as 1.-THE best means of helping their
fellOWmen in Jail in Chicago"
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