Today in History - Nov 11 - The Centralia Tragedy

November 11 is the anniversary of The Centralia Tragedy in 1919. Our friends at the International Workers of the World were under attack once again, slightly more than a year after the massacre in Everett.

Largely homeless, the IWW kept a hall in Centralia, WA, which was a very conservative lumber town. Being progressive and anti-war during the Great War did not mesh well with the townsfolk, who tried to run them out of town on several occasions. The largest of which was when their hall was burnt down during a red cross parade. Known for their tenacity however, they would always return.

It soon became apparent that another raid on their hall was planned by the American Legion for the first armistice day parade. The police were asked to help protect them, but of course refused. So the IWW bought guns and prepared themselves for the attack. As expected, it came.

The defence was successful. Four of the attackers were killed, and several more wounded. The townspeople were shocked. The story spread that the IWW had fired into a peaceful parade. IWW members were arrested. Mobs formed and lynched Wesley Everest, the IWW member who they suspected of being their leader. The mobs even managed to kill one of their own, who couldn't remember the countersign.

Of course, the resulting trial was an absolute farce. 8 IWW members were convicted of 2nd degree murder, and one of them declared insane. They got sentences of 25-40 years. Although the court of public opinion eventually realised that the men were innocent, the last man wasn't released until 1939. No legionnaire was ever prosecuted.

In a move heavily opposed by the American Legion, a mural dedicated to the lynched Wesley Everest was completed in 1997. Today the four men killed while attempting to attack the IWW are still memorialised by a statue in Centralia. The IWW was subject to even heavier persecution in the Palmer Raids.