When city officials heard that thousands more were planning to come into town,they lifted the ban on street speaking and released the prisoners in small groups. That same year in Aberdeen,Washington,once again laws against free speech, arrests,prison,and,unexpectedly,victory.One of the men arrested,"Stumpy"Payne,a carpenter,farm hand,editor of an IWW newspaper,wrote about the experience: Here they were,eighteen men in the vigor of life,most of whom came long distances through snow and hostile towns by beating their way,penniless and hungry,into a place where a jail sentence was the gentlest treatment that could be expected,and where many had already been driven into the swamps and beaten nearly to death....Yet here they were,laughing with boyish glee at tragic tellings that to them were jokes.... But what was the motive behind the actions of these men?...Why were they here? Is the call of Brotherhood in the human race greater than any fear or discomfort,despite the efforts of the masters of life for six thousand years to root out that call of Brotherhood from our minds? In San Diego,Jack White,a Wobbly arrested in a free-speech fight in 1912, sentenced to six months in the county jail on a bread and water diet,was asked if he had anything to say to the court.A stenographer recorded what he said: The prosecuting attorney,in his plea to the jury,accused me of saying on a public platform at a public meeting,"To hell with the courts,we know what justice is."He told a great truth when he lied,for if he had searched the innermpst recesses of my mind he could have found that thought,never expressed by me before,but which I express now, "To hell with your courts,I know what justice is,"for I have sat in your court room day after day and have seen members of my class pasy before this,the so-called bar of justice I have seen you,Judge Sloane,and others fyour kind,send them to prison because they dared to infringe upon the sacred rights of property.You have become blind and deaf to the rights of man to pursue life and happiness,and you have crushed those rights so that the sacred right of property shall berpreserved.Then you tell me to respect the law.I do not.I did violate the law,as I wilt yrolate every one of your laws and still come before you and say "To hell with the courts."... The prosecutor lied,but will accept his lie as a truth and say again so that you, Judge Sloane,may not be mistaken as to my altitude,"To hell with your courts,I know what justice is." There were also beatings,fairings and featherings,defeats.One IWW member,John Stone,tells of being released from the jail at San Diego at midnight with another IWW man and forced into an automobile: We were taken out of the city,about twenty miles,where the machine stopped....a man in the rear struck me with a blackjack several times on the head and shoulders:the other man then struck me on the mouth with his fist.The men in the rear then sprang around and kicked me in the stomach.I then started to run away;and heard a bullet go past me.I stopped....In the morning I examined Joe Marko's condition and found that the back of his head had been split open. In 1916,in Everett,Washington,a boatload of Wobblies was fired on by two hundred armed vigilantes gathered by the sheriff,and five Wobblies were shot to death,thirty-one wounded.Two of the vigilantes were killed,nineteen wounded.The following year-the year the United States entered World War I-vigilantes in Montana seized IWW organizer Frank Little,tortured him,and hanged him,leaving his body dangling from a railroadWhen city officials heard that thousands more were planning to come into town, they lifted the ban on street speaking and released the prisoners in small groups. That same year in Aberdeen, Washington, once again laws against free speech, arrests, prison, and, unexpectedly, victory. One of the men arrested, "Stumpy" Payne, a carpenter, farm hand, editor of an IWW newspaper, wrote about the experience: Here they were, eighteen men in the vigor of life, most of whom came long distances through snow and hostile towns by beating their way, penniless and hungry, into a place where a jail sentence was the gentlest treatment that could be expected, and where many had already been driven into the swamps and beaten nearly to death. ... Yet here they were, laughing with boyish glee at tragic tellings that to them were jokes.. . . But what was the motive behind the actions of these men? . . . Why were they here? Is the call of Brotherhood in the human race greater than any fear or discomfort, despite the efforts of the masters of life for six thousand years to root out that call of Brotherhood from our minds? In San Diego, Jack White, a Wobbly arrested in a free-speech fight in 1912, sentenced to six months in the county jail on a bread and water diet, was asked if he had anything to say to the court. A stenographer recorded what he said: The prosecuting attorney, in his plea to the jury, accused me of saying on a public platform at a public meeting, "To hell with the courts, we know what justice is." He told a great truth when he lied, for if he had searched the innermost recesses of my mind he could have found that thought, never expressed by me before, but which I express now, "To hell with your courts, I know what justice is," for I have sat in your court room day after day and have seen members of my class pass before this, the so-called bar of justice. I have seen you, Judge Sloane, and others of your kind, send them to prison because they dared to infringe upon the sacred rights of property. You have become blind and deaf to the rights of man to pursue life and happiness, and you have crushed those rights so that the sacred right of property shall be preserved. Then you tell me to respect the law. I do not. I did violate the law, as I will violate every one of your laws and still come before you and say "To hell with the courts." ... The prosecutor lied, but I will accept his lie as a truth and say again so that you, Judge Sloane, may not be mistaken as to my altitude, "To hell with your courts, I know what justice is." There were also beatings, fairings and featherings, defeats. One IWW member, John Stone, tells of being released from the jail at San Diego at midnight with another IWW man and forced into an automobile: We were taken out of the city, about twenty miles, where the machine stopped. ... a man in the rear struck me with a blackjack several times on the head and shoulders; the other man then struck me on the mouth with his fist. The men in the rear then sprang around and kicked me in the stomach. I then started to run away; and heard a bullet go past me. I stopped. ... In the morning I examined Joe Marko's condition and found that the back of his head had been split open. In 1916, in Everett, Washington, a boatload of Wobblies was fired on by two hundred armed vigilantes gathered by the sheriff, and five Wobblies were shot to death, thirty-one wounded. Two of the vigilantes were killed, nineteen wounded. The following year-the year the United States entered World War I-vigilantes in Montana seized IWW organizer Frank Little, tortured him, and hanged him, leaving his body dangling from a railroad no profit use only