Omaha daily bee., 1919-11-17
Discussion on Evolution and
Revolution" Interrupted by
Police, Acting on Orders Of
Governor MCKeIvie.
SOLDIERS ASSIST IN
ROUNDING UP "REDS"
Large Amount Of Literature
and Books of Organization
Confiscated-No Bonds Al
lowed Men Arrested.

Military and police authorities
swooped down on the /. w. W.
headquarters at l04 North Thir-
teenth street at 3 o'clock Sunday
afternoon and raided the place dur
ing the course of a discussion on
Evolution and Revolution"
Sixteen professed members Of the
organization were taken to the Gen.
trail police station between two
squads of police. They were held
for investigation.
One man, holding an I. w. w.
membership card, Albert Terzey of
Quincy, ILL.,, stood at attention be-
fore Maj. H. c. White of Fort Oma-
ha when the officers broke into the
meeting hall. Terzey said he served
one year in France with the 148th
regiment Of the 37th division.
"But I'm member of the I. w.
W." he professed.
Ordered b. Governor.
The raid was made under orders
of Governor McKelvie through
County Attorney Shotwell. Follow
ing conference with Chief of De-
tectiyes Dunn and the police cap
tains, Chief of Police Eberstein di-
rected three squads of police to the
|. w. w. headquarters.
One squad under Sergeant Thest-
rap guarded the rear of the hall.
Another squad of police made the
front of the place, while, dozen de-
tectives under Chief of Detectives
Drnn entered the hall. e.
Fifteen "wobblies" we're seated,
listening to speech on Evolution
and Revolution" by E. Lerman,
chairman of the meeting. E. T:
Webb, secretary and treasurer. had
$50 in cash and check for $l87 on
him when searched at the police sta
tion. All of'the men arrested are
being held without bonds.
Three Attempt Escape.
Three inmates of the hall at
tempted to break out a rear window,
but were showed back at the point
of guns. Ali the men in the hall
were lined up against the wall while
policemen stood guard at doors
leading into nearby soft drink par
Ior and into the alleyway in the rear.
The men were searched for weapons,
then ordered to file out of the hall
between two lines of police.
Major White and Lieut.. w. c.
Burns of Fort Omaha assisted the
police aEAdetectives in the raid. A
large amount of red literature was
gathered as evidence.
Pictures of Dead.
Pictures of former l. W. w.
leaders, who have met death in
other cities during battles with po-
lice, were found hanging on the
walls of the Aocal hall. An inscrip-
ton in plaster paris under the pic
ture of Frank H. Little, former
member of the l. w. w., who was
killed in Butte, Mont. on August l.,
lol7>read: "In memory of Frank H.
Little. murdered in Butte. Mont,
August l, 1917. We Never Forget"
Copies of Our Big Union Month
ly," the official organ of the |. W.
w. organization, were taken by the
police in the raid besides thousands
Of pamphlets on various principles
of the organization.
Pictures and newspaper clippings
were torn off the walls; desks were
ransacked by the police and mem-
bership booklets were gathered and
taken by the police.
Crowd Watches Raid.
A large crowd gathered on the
outside while the police made the
raid. Nearly 1000 persons stood i'll
the street watching the march OF the
"wobblies' to Jail
Those arrested gave their names
and addresses as: E. Lerman, Aetna
hotel; John Walzel, secretary and
treasurer of the local organization,
$40 North Fifteenth street; A. Nc
Mullen, Forty-sixth and Ames ave.
nue.; T. M. Dodson, Hotel Flomar:
Gus Aubrey, 420 North Twenty.
second street; f. T. Webb, Omaha,
John Johnson, Erie, Pa; J. Robson
St. Louis, Mo-; Roy Pearson. Cla-.
india. Ia; c. L. Johnson, Davenport
hotel; John Emery, Fifteenth and
Chicago streets; Joe Jordan. Seven
teenth and Davenport streets; p.
Antoine. Seventeenth and Davenport
streets; Axtel Alstead. Aetna hotel;
John P. Harrington, l400 North, Six
teenth street; Mike >Quinn. Aetna
hotel, and Albert Terzey, Quincy, Ill.
The last time the local organiza-
tion of the l. w. w. was raided was
iii May, 1917, when several squads
OF police arrested "wobblies" in their
hall, which was formerly on the