The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-11-19
Mitchell men
knew AGITA1OR
ERNEST. EVERTTS, RED LEADER,
SLAIN AT CENTRALIA, WAS
AT CAMP CODY.

Mitchell, Nov 19.-Was Ernest
Everetts. 1. w. w. secretary and agi-
tator lynched by a citizen mob at
Centralia, Wash, at one time held
under guard as a conscientious OBJ
jector by members of Troop "E"
when that Mitchell unit was stationed
! at Camp Cody?
I Such is the startling opinion of
many Mitchell ex-service men who
compared notes regarding the name,
j newspaper description and occupation
of Everetts.
i At the time the South Dakota cav
airy was being disorganized at Camp
Cody the division was being disturbed
by a band of 81 conscientious OBJ
Jectors whom the war department had
ordered down from Camp Lewis,
Wash
4 This entire group which had been
scattered throughout the division was
gathered together and turned over to
the non-commissioned officers of
Troop 'E" for discipline and driu.
The entire group of agitators had
4 thus far refused to wear the Ameri-
can army uniform, and one leader of
the gang, by the name of Ernest
Everetts was the ring-leader in the
pledging of the others to stand by
their rights" and refuse to wear the
uniform or drill in ranks.
| E. L. Jones, at that time first SER
geant of Troop &C." and now of the
Diehl Drug company, and Carl Nor
ton, stable sergeant, held a little spe-
cial session with this leader of the re-
bellious spirit, and within 10 minutes
he had doned the olive drab of the
U. S. army and was peeling potatoes
in the kitchen.
Seeing their leader so humbled, the
remaining comedies" lost no time ex-
changing their "civies' for army uni
forms, and within "a hours the gang
was on the drill field getting its first
lesson in close order drill and disci-
pline.
Everetts, his rebellious soul aflame
with the humiliation that had been
| his during the day, went-to the tent
| of First Sergeant Jones in the eve
ming to demand pass into Deming
| AS all of the "conchies" were tech
nically under guard. the pass was re-
fused and Everetts was informed that
! he would get his pass when he be-
came an American soldier and not
while he was an /. w. w.
Turning to leave the tent he cursed
Jones, but too late, for another SER
! geant standing in the dark outside,
| heard the remark and in the next
| scene they were pouring water in the
"wobblie's" face as he lay unconscious
in the street.
His next attempt to stir up discon-
tent was at meeting which he held
with the other members of the gang
in his tent A non-commissioned Of
ficer smelled trouble, however, and
listened in" from the tent flap.
Everetts appealed to the socialists
and l. w. w. to resist the discipline
of the Mitchell men, and organize a
break for freedom"
| 1t was at this meeting that he re-
vealed himself as paid organizer of
the /. w. W., connected with an an
archist sheet published in Seattle,
Wash, and stated in confidence that
he was the secretary of a socialist
| organization in a small town in
! Washington. and knew that national
I. w. w. headquarters would help
| them"
The meeting was broken up at a
critical point by Troop "E" men and
the red agitation smothered in few
days of stiff disciplinary action, but
from that night on until the organiza-
tion was dissolved, Everetts continued
to be the trouble maker Of the "con-
chies" in the division.
Later on, after Sergeant Carl Nor
ton had been commissioned and as
signed to the command of the casual
| and depot detachment of the 34th df-
vision, he again came into contact
with Everetts as his commanding Of
ficer.
Asked concerning the ultimate dis
position of the radical leader, Mr..
Norton said:
He was constantly the bane OF the
organization. He would organize one
rebellious move after another, and no
severity seemed to do more than in
crease his bitterness. Even his own
co-workers hated him. Several times
he was nearly killed on account OF his
un-American deeds, In personal At
tacks by loyal soldiers. but he held
out as q red to the last.
| HE was well educated and o
smooth talker, but absolutely ruthless
In his moves and wholly capahle Of
organizating the murderous attack
upon the Armistice parade which re-
suited in the death of four overseas
soldiers. i
Personally / am glad the mob
gave him. at last. what We wanted