davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24
Our ''Pacifist" Oppressors

Troops from Fortress Monroe lined his path
way from the train to the dock and the guns
of the FORT the guns of the Arizona and all the
other vessels riding in Hampton Roads, fired the
Presidential salute of twenty-one guns. The crew
of the Arizona lined the rail as Captain Freeman
and his officers in gold lace and fore and aft
hats welcomed Mr. Hoover at the head of the
gangplank"
And what was all this, dear reader? -
r. Oh, it was just "our" Quaker president en-
barking for jaunt around our West Indian
colonies, to assure the coonials that those who
haven't been killed by marines SO far, that there
is still hope ..~.
Then, here's another one. Some gang who call:
themselves THE American Institute" is sending
out the neateSt little invitations, to Science
Dinner for the 9th of April, "a witch" says
the invitation. the Army and Navy, will pre-
sent their contributions to the Arts of Peace"
Really, now, don't it look SO that if any work
er who is plotting war will have to run down
all the peace-loving generals, corner the paci-
fist admiras and choke the Quaker president
into declaring war against their wills
Yeah, it looks that way. But it's not that way!,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24
Vagrancy and Chain Gang

to be released does not always mean a respite
according to the 1929 Handbook of Penal Infor-
nation, for in Georgia men are turned loose
without any cash and given a railroad ticket to
the point from which they were sentenced. On
arrival without jobs or funds they are subject
to re-arrest as Migrants by the police force and
to trial by court officials who are paid on the
fee basis for conviction"
Some of the products produced by chain gang
labor are turpentine tar, lumber, crushed rock,
ETC. Besides there is the use of convict labor
by the state or contractors in building concrete
and other types of roads. The correct value of
these products cannot be ascertained because Of
the graft inherent in the system. The serious
ness of the competition to other labor is at
tested to, however, by the fact that convict made
goods and road gangs are an issue in nearly
every southern state. The chief value to employ
lies in coercing free" labor to work at starva-
ton wages on the outside.
Another form Of prison labor camps similar to
chain gangs but not so well known, are the
mines and prison farms. Prisoners convicted of
the same "crimes" go to these camps as TO the
chain gangs. Everything that has been said
about conditions on the gangs can be said about
these camps. Each type can beNdescribed in a
few words
The state of Tennessee maintains coal mine
camp at Petros, Tenn. The coal produced is
sold by the state in the open market. A state
legislature committee recently investigated the
mine. According to the admission of the COM
mittee the wooden four-story barracks are
fire and death trap" At the time of the in
vestigation 146 prisoners out of 1000 were down
sick with influenza and pneumonia They were
scattered throughout the prison, with only one
doctor and hospital accommodations for pris-
oners. 1t was shown that eight times as many
men have been killed by violence and accident
at the mine camp than at the central state
prison in the same length of time. In the period,
1901 there were thousands of hospital cases,
mostly whippings for non-performance OF work.
"Sodomy is prevalent" with the knowledge Of the
authorities, says the chairman Of the committee.
The Imperial Prison farm near Houston, Texas,
is fairly typical of the great prison farms. There
we will find all the evils Of the other camps
Mounted and armed guards ride among the toll
ing prisoners and whip them when they fall be-
hind with their work. Literally hundreds of
prisoners are whipped to death. There have been
several white-wash prosecutions in recent years
for death whippings.
Guards are rewarded for shooting prisoners
trying to escape. TRUSTEES srS stvsn pasdons Is
n lno0nt11 n ~ N mn MN vhid1a
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24
&4~+~
It's How You Look At 1t
By JORGE

To the capitalist large or small, and to all
those Who whatever their class position, are in
fected with cynicism of bourgeois origin, the
fantastic comedy playing in New York at the
Provincetown Theatre, 1873 MacDougal Street,
will appear as new cause for outlaws at Com
munism in general and Soviet Russia in par-
ticular
But to the worker who views the struggle Of
his class seriously and who understands the cur
rent events in the Soviet Union, this fantasy
called 'The Bed Bug" work of Mayakovski,
holds great meaning. He will see, under its
comedy, the thrust of Bolshevik criticism and
ridicule against those there under workers rule,
whe boast of having fought in the trenches"
but who want to rest" too soon--and in a way
that reverts to the SNUG SelfiShness of dead
bourgeois society and not in the Communist
society yet to be completed
Prisypkin, the symbol of this tendency, meets
the deserved condemnation of his comrades,
"loses his party book" by expulsion, and is
shown as disgusting thing. And later, when
the play carries us in imagination forward fifty
years, and he is ''resurrected" from block OF
ice frozen at this period his petty bourgeois
habits and attitudes are pilloried as vile and as
prehistoric as the bed bug which has survived
upon his neck.
Resurrected, he is appalled, to note that ha
is fifty years behind in his trade union dues. He
causes adherence among the people of 1879 by
drinking and smoking-and by his 1929 Nepn1an
ideas. To the end that he. along with the sole
remaining bed bug which accompanied him into
the new society, he is put in zoo for exhibit
ton. So much for parasites in 1879. -,
With the limited stage, considering what May.
akovski demanded in the way of unusual pre-
sentation, it is not so badly done. And one who
gives attention to the theme will not wall at the
trappings.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24

and the baying Of dogs is a notice that guards
and planters are engaging in their favorite sport
of man-hunting.
In addition to the forms Of prison camps al
ready described there is the common practice
of leasing cut prisoners to private individuals or
concerns. That this is still a practice is evil
denced by reply to my QUESTIONABLE on forced
labor from Louisiana editor: 1T is against the
law to lease prisoners to private concerns, but
nevertheless Governor Long doing it. Already
nnnndaIn md hyutaNtiaa am rAu,Itaua fnora ~
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24
BY WALTER WILSON.
Three Articles, No. 81

IN some camps colored and white workers eat,
sleep and work together. In others the Ne
groes are segregated One particular evil de-
velops out of the segregation policy. White pris
oners are used as guards and, only the syco-
phantic are selected, frequently these TRUSTEES
are used to chase escaped Negroes with blood
hounds and guns.
The new prisoner who arrives at the camp, not
knowing the despicable character of these trus-
ties is often encouraged to attempt escape by
TRUSTEES and guards who hope to split the bond
money or get a reward for recapturing the
escaped These brutes take quite sport in man.
hunting with blood hounds-"just like foX-hunt-
ing! 1t gives the young dogs such valuable
training! Several cases in recent years of
guards using convicts as subjects on which to
train dogs have gotten into the press in spite
of efforts to censor such news. A prisoner who
has incurred the displeasure of the guards is
forced to get some distance ahead of guard
holding the dogs. The dogs are released and
chase the convict who barely has time to take
refuge in small tree. From the tree he is
forced to tease the dogs who have bayed him
by throwing stones at them or striking them
with long pole.
! When the guards feel that the dogs are savage
enough the convict is made to Jump among the
dogs; if he is hesitant, the guards force him to
jump by shooting him from a distance with
small gun-shot. The angry, snarling dogs man
gle the worker into insensibility before the guards
call them Off
Let a 16-year-old boy, tall for his age very
thin, with complexion ravaged with disease tell
his story. He is fresh from a North Carolina
chain gang. to which he was sent when picked
/ up hunting for work:
They hauled me before magistrate>who SEN
fenced me to 80 days on the chain gang. When
the Judge said that, couldn't help but cry. I
told them was only 16.
!. The three months spent on that chain gang
was Just a hell on earth don't want to re-
member it. Night after night I cried myself to
sleep in big iron cage crowded with convicts,
lots Of them just eaten up with disease. Some
+. of the conyicts would pat me on the back and
try to cheer me up.
t.Corn bread and peas, and corn bread and
noasses was all we got to eat. We worked from
daylight till it got too dark to work at night.
: 20 to 80 had to wash in the same tub of water
That's how ] got these sores on me. ] don't
know what kind Of disease I've got and have
mo non'y to pay doctor to find ont"
AEAS ADK En0 e. IA spa& - ~
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24
INSTALLMENT II
John O'Connell-'Put Him Away for
Life"

THE attitude of the present Secretary of the
San Francisco Labor Jounc wildly por-
trays the reactionary and corrupt nature of the
labor leaders" and shows them in their true
role as the Labor ieutenants Of Big Business"
the agents of the enemy within the ranks of
labor. In 1916 John O'Copnel was friendly
with all the big politicians Of the State intim-
ate with the President of the Chamber of Com
merce, advocated the election of Fickert vio-
lently denounced Mooney and Billings, and at
tackled anyone who raised voice in their de-
Tense. On March 81, 1917, when the San Fran
cisco Labor Council passed resolution declar-
ing its belief in the innocence of Mooney and
Billings, John O'Connen, true to his masters,
dlssented and made an inpassoned attack
against the resolution On every occasion since
then he has overtly and actively attacked
Mooney and Billings.
AS already mentioned, O'ConnelI was an intim-
ate friend of Frederick j. Roster, President of
the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. 1t
it unnecessary to point out the role of any
President of the Chamber of Commerce Koster
was the most rabid of all the open shoppers,
and the leader of the "Frameup" crew which
railroaded Mooney and Billings to the "Pen"
Tor life. Roster is quoted as saying August 25
1916, THAT the bomb explosion has proven to
the people Of San Francisco the need of the
open shop" In the fact of this open and frank
admission the relationship between O'Connell
and Roster becomes even more significant
The following text of a conversation between
OConnell and Rebecca Rainey, proves concIu-
sively the unspeakable treachery of this out
standing California Labor Leader" Rebecca
Rainey at the time of the conversation, was
the Executive Secretary of the Purchasing De-
partment of the Food Administration of the
United States Government, Western Division.
Immediately after speaking to O'Connell Miss
Rainey proceeded to the defense committees
office and dictated the gist of this important
conversation Miss Rainey positively informed
those present, as she did Tom Mooney a little
later, that her dictated text was an accurate
version Of her talk with OConnell 1t took place
on November 3D. 1918, just six days before
Governor Stephens committed MONEYS death
sentence to life imprisonment
O'Connell: well, I've just come from visit
with my friend Fred Roster You know he is a
fine fellow-one Of the finest fellows that ever
lived"
Miss Rainey: "Koster? Which Roster do you
mean, Mr.. OConnellp"
o'Connel: "Why. Fred Roster Of the Cham
Der Of Commerce"
Miss Rainey: "Why, that's funny. I guess /
haven't been correctly informed My under
standing was that you were supposed to repre-
sent the people who are opposed to him."
O'Connell: "Why-say-Koster is a splendid
fellow. When you know him he is one Of the
finest fellows you ever met. A lot of these
fellows who are fighting him are lucky to have
him there, instead of someone else Somebody
has to fill the job Somebody has to be the
President If they didn't have Roster. they
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24

Most OF the convcts used on the farms and
mines, however, are long term state prisoners.
The big farms produce literally millions of dol
lars worth OF cotton which is exported. The
coal mines and other camps produce millions Of
dollars worth Of other raw material.
This much is certain, the southern ruling class
will maintain its system of forced labor by hook
or by crook, law or no law as long as they have
the power to do So This power can only be
broken by the working class Ia smashing at-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24

Mooney himself writes an exposure of the
role the treacherous role of the A.F.L. leaders
in the Mooney Billings case. Previous in
stallments of their sabOtageing the defense
and the campaign to free the two workers.
The sabotagers mentioned we're Scharrenberg.
Mccarthy, BrOuillet, Casey and the officials
of Moneys own union, the MoIders
Now read on!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-24
81 Worth of Red Tape

Dear Sparks:--A friend of mine orrSed a
bank account of 81 at the U. S. Posto'AW The
following is what he had to go through:
Married?
Where do you work?
Fathers name?
Mothers name?
Mothers maiden name?
Race or color etc., etc.?
Identification marks on body?
"And-FINGER PRINTED"
No. junior, the Postmaster General is NOT
finger printed merely because he authorizes
leases for postoffice buildings at yearly rental
equal to the total value of the buildings and
the land on which they stand Not even if the
owners of said buildings happen to contribute
large chunks of kale to the Republican Party
But it is well to know just what OConnell
meant when he declared that the reason some
of the unions contributed to the Defense Fund
of Mooney and Billings was: Because we were
forced to. They've kicked up such a mess with
this ching that we had to take some kind Of
action"
OConnell refers to the overwhelming ma or-
ity of the rank and file of the A. F. of L. who
have rallied around Tom Mooney and Warren
Billings and supported the Defense Committee
with their nickels, dimes and small donations
The mighty wave of support and protest from
labors ranks compelled O'Connell and the San
Francisco labor leaders to ask the Governor I'M
office at that time, William d. Stephens, tcS
spare Tom MONEYS life All the San Franz
cisco labor officials shared OConnells desire
ito put him away for life" But they did not
dare disobey the demands of the rank and file
&c. five days after O'Connell brutally stated
his real opinion about Tom Money to Miss
Ralney committee from the San Francisco
Labor Council called on Governor Stephens
o'Connell, with consummate hypocrisy, acted as
spokesman for the committee. Officially he
asked for pardon and q new trial But what
did ha say privately?
Scharrenberg was also q member of this COM
mittee. He also shared O'Connelps wish. ito
put him away for hfe" Governor Stephens GER
tainly understood that no California labor leader
wanted Mooney pardoned He understood that
they wanted him 'put away for life" He
neither pardoned him, or granted him new
trial. he merely committed the death sentence
IL life imprisonment. III his sentence is COM
muted, he is lucky" That is what o'Conncll
told Miss Rainey only six days before the Gov
ernor did commute the sentence. That is what
OConnell, Scharrenberg and such iIk must have
told the Governor one day before he committed
the sentence: II refuse to recognize the case
IN any fashion representing clash between la
Dor ana capital" That is what Paul Schar-
renberg, Michael Casey, James Mullen ana John
OConnell have been saying for Is years. ~
1t is somewhat depressing to realize that while
the workers did insist that their LEADERS" COM
pei the California Governor to heed their de-
mands that Tom MONEYS life be saved they
did not push far enough, or hard enough Had
they been attle more determined, little more
insistent, Mooney and Billings would not b a
san Quentin and Folsom today -- No.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
CLIFFORD NAMES
GROUP TO FIND
WORK FOR IDLE
Committee of II to Tackle
Problem of Providing
Jobs Over U. S.

By United Press
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3.-Walter
S. Clifford, director. Of the Presi-
dents organization on unemploy-
ment relief, has appointed a new
committee, one that will tackle the
unemployment problem directly by
seeking to provide jobs for those
out Of work.
Harry A. Wheeler, Chicago, was
named chairman of the committee
Of seventeen members.
Prominent leaders in all lines Of
business and industry were named
on the committee, including Presi-
dent William Green of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor; Daniel
Willard, president of the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad; Leonard P. Ayres,
Cleveland; Edward N. Hurley, Chi
cago; Matthew Sloan, New York,
and Alexander Legge, former chair
man of the farm board.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
Times and Lyric Sponsor
ReWrite Event for
School Children.

The Times and Lyric theater are
sponsoring a novel re-write contest
on the Universal picture, East of
Borneo," which opens at the Lyric
for one week, beginning next Sat-
urday.
The contest is open to all boys
and girls under IA years of age.
A picture, thrilling scene from
the jungle episodes of EAST of Bor-
neo," will appear in The Times Fri
day. In writing the story accom-
panying the photograph, the writer
has mixed his geography, biology,
and sometimes, perhaps, his SPELL
ing.
The object of the contest is to
correct all the errors. Just rewrite
the story, making all of the correc-
tons you can, still copying the
original story just as it is.
Here is a chance to brush up on
your spelling, geography and BIZ
ology before school starts and at
the same time to win one of the
many prizes offered.
The Times and Lyric are Offering
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
U. S. OPPOSES
FARLEY DELAY
Castle States Position on
Geneva Conference.
By United Press

By United Press
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3. - This
government is fundamentally OPP
posed to any postponement of the
Geneva arms conference set for
early next year. and viii speak very
strongly on the subject if a delay is
ordered.
This was made clear at the state
department in response to reports
that France had made informal
representations to the League of Ma
tons for an indefinite postpone
ment.
Assistant Secretary of State Will
liam R. Castle was emphatic, when
questioned, in his reiteraticl Of the
United States position in avor OF
going through with the conference
on schedule.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
AUGUST SHOWN
IDEAL MONTH
FOR WEATHER
Average Temperature Only
g Degree Warmer
Than Normal.

August was an ideal month from
the standpoint of heat, sunshine
and rain, it was revealed in a sur
vey issued by the United States
weather bureau here today.
The average temperature during
the month was TAG degrees, g de-
greeS warmer than the normal. The
hottest day was Aug. l, when the
mercury touched 95. The coolest
was Aug. %, when a temperature
of Sc was recorded. The greatest
temperature range on one day was
"a degrees, on Aug. 16.
-Four and 10 inches of rain fell
in August, 1.39 inches above nor
NAL. A shortage of 6.93 inches of
rain was recorded from Jan. l, how
ever. The greatest amount of rain
in twenty-four hours fell Aug. 9
and 10, when the precipitation was
100 inches.
The sunshine average for the
month was 10 per cent, 3 per cent
above normal. There were eleven
clear days, fourteen partly cloudy,
six cloudy and twelve on which
more than oil of an inch of rain
fell
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
NOVEL CONTEST ON
FOR ALL UNDER IA

as first prize SIS in cash, $3.50 for
the second prize, $3.50 third prize
and fourth prize.
Twenty-Five pairs of theater tick
cts to see east of Borneo" will be
awarded to the next twenty-five
nearest correct stories.
Dust off the old school books and
get your thinking cap on. Watch
for The Times Friday for the pic
ture and story.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
DEATH CLAIMS
FOUR ELDERLY
CITY RESIDENTS
c. S. Ecker, ga, Windshield
Firm Head, to BE Buried
in Illinois.

c. F. Ecker, GA, founder and
president of the Perfection Wind
shield Company, died Wednesday
at his home, 3025 North Meridian
street. He had been a resident Of
indianapolis twenty years.
Last rites for Mr.. Ecker will be
held at $50 Friday morning at the
Flanner 81 Buchanan mortuary,
and burial will be in Nation, Ill.
Mr.. Ecker established the wind
shield company in 1929. He for
merly lived in Frankfort, Ind, and
Nation.
Surviving him are the widow,
Mrs. Jennie Ecker and daughter,
Mrs. w. A. Nugent of Chicago.
Three Others Die
Death claimed three other old
time indianapolis residents on
Wednesday.
Michael r. White, &c, Civil war
veteran and former railroad en-
ploye, died Wednesday at his home,
HOS East Pratt street, on which
street he had resided sixty years.
Funeral services will be held at Q
Wednesday morning at st. Joseph's
Catholic church, and burial will be
In Holy Cross cemetery.
Mr.. White, a native of Ireland,
came to the United States when Is,
and after serving four years in the
Civil war, moved to Indianapolis.
Three Sons Survive
Surviving him are three sons,
James and Frank White, of Indian
apolis, and John White of Provi-
dence, r. l., and two daughters, the
Misses Anna and Agnes White, Of
Indianapolis.
A lifelong resident of the city,
Mrs. Barbara M. Ernst 81, of 65
Caven street, died Wednesday after
noon after an illness of few days.
Surviving her are two daughters,
Mrs. Laura Silverthorn, with whom
she resided, and Mrs Alma Rugen-
stein of Rushville; a son, Henry
Ernst, Of Kansas City; and four
sisters, Mrs Tillie Alchorn, Mrs. Kiz-
zie Taylor, Mrs. Edith Hewitt and
Mrs. Clara Wenz, all of Indian
apolis.
Await Sons Arrival
Funeral arrangements have not
been completed, pending arrival of
the son.
Funeral services were held at II
this morning for Thomas c. Bellies,
80, lifelong resident Of Indiana. at
his home, 1902 East Washington
street.
Mr.. Bellies died Tuesday at his
home after an illness of nine years.
Burial will be in the Precinct ceme-
terry at Thorntown, where Mr..
Bellies formerly lived
Surviving him are the widow.
Mrs. Naomi Bellies, a son, Paul
Bellies, and a grandson, Frank
Bellies.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
Garner HOnO7,S

Shullenberger Stanley
Two Indianapolis youths, Wen
dell Shullenberger and Oran
Stanley, are among the scholar
ship winners at Butler university,
who will leave this month to con-
tinue their studies at educational
centers over the country.
Stanley won an Elton scholar
ship for a years graduate work
in botany at Yale university.
Shullenberger was awarded the
Butler scholarship to the II.Iana
university school of medicine.
Both were mIA1ioers of the 1881
graduatips class at Butler.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
Forms Actors Aid Group

BIZ United Press
NEW YORK, Sept. 3.-An unem-
ployment committee in the film in
dustry, to work in conjunction with
the Walter S. Clifford committee in
its national program, has been or
gained here under the leadership
of Will H. Hays, car of the in
dustry.
Hays has appointed a planning
committee of sixteen which will Sc
lect a general national committee
and a central committee which will
work out details of the program for
unemployed actors relief.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-09-03
Senator Robinson to Speak

Senator Arthur r. Robinson will
discuss economic conditions and
his recent tour of the Orient at the
open air theater at Garfield park,
Friday night at 7. The address and
to be given by the
Junior Boys Legion band will be
sponsored by Garfield post, No. 88,
of the, American Legion.