~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday December 11, 1915
Paterson, New Jersey: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Found "Not Guilty" of Inciting to Riot

On Tuesday November 30th, Fellow Worker Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was found "not guilty" of inciting to riot in Paterson, New Jersey. Hellraisers will be covering this story over the next few days. We begin our coverage with this report from the Chicago Day Book of December 1st:

Paterson, N. J., Nov. 30. - "The constitution of the United States is on trial-I'm not!" So said Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, I. W. W. orator on the eve of her appearance in Paterson court for "inciting to personal violence"-a charge that grew out of her attempt to deliver a speech in a Paterson hall when the police did not want her to.

"It is free speech, that right guaranteed to every American by the constitution of our fathers, that Paterson seeks to abridge," she went on.

And other persons, not all I. W. W.'s, take the same view. The New Republic, New York's most highbrow weekly, says:

We understand that Paterson, N. J., has seceded from the United States. The chamber of commerce, the mayor and the chief of police among them have abrogated the constitution and have decided that they will use force to prevent Miss Elizabeth Gurley Flynn from addressing the mill workers * * * The rulers of Paterson are about the most dangerous citizens this country harbors.

Paterson realizes fully what its attitude toward free speech means, for this is what Chief of Police Bimson, backed by the mayor and other officials, replied to Miss Flynn's contention that she had the right to speak:

Yes, you have the right to speak, but we have the power to stop you and we are going to do it!

Inez Milholland Boissevain, Mary Austin, and other New York feminists came to Paterson in October, rented a hall for Miss Flynn and announced they would back her in her effort to break the silk town's censorship. But the police stopped the meeting a second time and would not allow any of the speakers to be heard.

The next day Miss Flynn was arrested.

-----

[Emphasis added.]

From Pennsylvania's New Castle Herald of December 2, 1915:

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, orator of the I. W. W. who was indicted two years ago on the charge of inciting to riot because of a speech she made in Paterson, N. J., now has the support of many well-known men and women, among them Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont and Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes. Miss Flynn is pretty near an anarchist, while Mrs. Belmont is an ardent suffragist, and Mrs. Stokes is a socialist. These women, with many others, believe the Paterson police are trampling on the right of free speech in trying Miss Flynn, and they propose to make her case of national moment and carry it to the highest courts.

-----

From the New York Evening World of December 3, 1915:

FIGHT FOR FREE SPEECH IS
HOTTER IN PATERSON
-----
I. W. W. Plans Arrest of Every Policeman Who
Tries to Silence Elizabeth Gurley Flynn.
-----

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who on Tuesday [Nov 30th] was acquitted in Paterson, where she was charged with having incited riot, returned to that city yesterday to visit her attorney, Henry Marelli. Miss Flynn said she would try to speak this month in the city, though Chief Bimson has promised to block any such attempt.

George Stinson, head of the Police Commission, says that he will support Bimson, and that Mayor Fordyce will stand by him.

I. W. W. members to-morrow will confer in Paterson to finish plans for the arrest of every policeman who tries to prevent Miss Flynn from speaking. Open air meetings will be begun in Paterson next week, in defiance of the order of Chief Bimson. Carlos Tresca yesterday challenged the police to stop free speech and said he would involve the courts against the bluecoats.

The conference to-morrow also will handle the question of Patrick Quinlan's defense.

The Finance Committee of the Gurley Flynn Defense Committee met last night in the home of Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes, Manhattan.

------

[Photograph added.]

From the Kansas Hutchinson News of December 6, 1915:

SOURCES
The Day Book
(Chicago, Illinois)
-Dec 1, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/77864070/

New Castle Herald
(New Castle, Pennsylvania)
-Dec 2, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/76763716/

The Evening World
(New York, New York)
-Dec 3, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/85289014/

IMAGES
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Free Speech Trial, Paterson, NJ, Day Book, Dec 1, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/77864070/
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn v Paterson, NJ, New Castle Herald, PA, Dec 2, 1915
http://www.newspapers.com/image/76763716/
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, 1915
http://dp.la/exhibitions/exhibits/show/breadandroses/strikers/elizabeth-...
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn v Paterson, NJ, Hutchinson News, KS, Dec 6, 1915
(photo and text)
http://www.newspapers.com/image/3644016/
Joe Hill, Rebel Girl, lyrics, LRSB, 1916
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Songs_of_the_worker...

See also:

"Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and the Paterson Silk Strike"
-by JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/21/1202513/-Anti-Capitalist-Meetup...

DK search: Paterson silk strike + JayRaye
http://www.dailykos.com/search?story_type=&search_type=search_stories&te...

Patrick Quinlan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_L._Quinlan

Alva Belmont
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alva_Belmont

Rose Pastor Stokes
http://spartacus-educational.com/USAWstokes.htm

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR7fBCENkN0 width:560 height:315]

Lyrics by Joe Hill
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Songs_of_the_worker...

Lyrics as updated by Hazel Dickens:
http://joehill2015.org/joe-hill/joe-hill-songs/the-rebel-girl/

CHORUS
She’s a Rebel Girl, a Rebel Girl!
She’s the working class, the strength of this world.
From Maine to Georgia you’ll see
Her fighting for you and for me.
Yes, she’s there by your side with her courage and pride.
She’s unequaled anywhere.
And, I’m proud to fight for freedom
With a Rebel Girl.

Though her hands may be hardened from labor
And her dress may not be very fine
But a heart in her bosom is beating
That is true to her class and her kind.
And the bosses know that they can’t change her
She’d die to defend the worker’s world.
And the only and thoroughbred lady
Is the Rebel Girl.