The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-09
Innocence Their Guilt.

AAltOSSAANN IHSAi ohLits
These men arrested the second time
are the same ones who were arrested
before and are out on bond These men
did not take part in anything during
the time we had our meeting. They
were arrested simply because they
were in the hall.
Among these men we had secret
serviceman who reported every word
that was said and everything that
was to be done. This was not known
at that time. but our eyes are now
fixed on that suspicious man who is
employed to spy and lie on US.
Because we did not know the laws
of the state we were tricked into
the jail and locked up for Y hours
In the Wheeling Sunday newspaper
there appeared articles which said
81 women and five nursing babies
were locked up. There were no
babies in the jail at that time until
the prosecuting attorney read the
papers. Later we were asked if we
wanted our babies. They did not
dare give us the papers until they
had done something about the babies.
The little ones were brought to the
jail after a special trip by the prose-
cutting attorney and let out the same
time with their mothers. They had
to sleep in one blanket with their
mothers in the jail. Some of the
flo11.- II Il,
of the cots We're without mattresses.
There were five cells, with 30 women
and five babies III one compartment
mot apartment, beg pardon). Twenty
women and two school girls were on
he other side.
We were all married women, wives
Of striking miners, who were tricked
with the prisoners into the jail
70 Hours of Jail.
After the Y hours were up we were
taken to the courtroom where we
pleaded not guilty and were put
1nder $500 peace bonds. Two of the
women, Mother Guyan, a gray haired
ady, and Mary Barto, whose husband
was one Of the six men taken from
he hall during the wholesale arrests
Saturday, were let out on $500 bond.
I am going to give you a descrip-
ton of our county jail. There are
five cells, each about six by nine They
IRE like cages. There is a corridor,
about go feet long with cement floors
and there is sheet iron on the floors
If the cells.
FOulness.
When we came in Saturday. there
were four buckets of garbage stand
ing in back of the Jail in the toilet
room. And such filth, no sanitation
whatever We asked TO have these
buckets removed and were told that
we would not be here very long. Re-
member that that was Saturday and
that we were there until Tuesday
afternoon!
Our company at night was bedbugs
and cockroaches, something we don't
nave at home. We even had iron
bars on the windows, and the door
was locked every time the jailer left
as after he brought our meals. Some
poor chance we had Of escaping when
sven the steps are guarded. so why
ock US up!
We women had never been in Jail
until we were tricked in by the secret
;erviceman, who even preached VIC
ence, but was not taken to Jail when
he othcl men were arrested Some
swell reception they gave us while
marching US to the Jail The guards
were armed to the teeth and even had
ron helmets and steel jackets.
The Proletarian Woman.
Well, they tricked us into the Jail
out they did not break our spirit yet
md never will for this is struggle
or existence and life. Under this
capitalist system we cannot expect
nything better, only the adjustment
4 wage slavery
am a poor wage slaves wife.
Print this at the end of my letter.
But do not print my name for ] have
many Lewis women living around me-
--VICTRIX