Centralia Massacre (Washington)
Encyclopedia
The Centralia Massacre was a violent and bloody incident that occurred in Centralia, Washington
on November 11, 1919, during a parade celebrating the first anniversary of Armistice Day
. This conflict between the American Legion
and workers who were members of the Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW or "Wobblies") resulted in six deaths, additional wounded, multiple prison terms, and an ongoing and especially bitter dispute over the motivations and events that precipitated the massacre
. It was the culmination of years of bad blood between members of the local Legion and members of the IWW. Both Centralia and the neighboring town of Chehalis
had a large number of World War I
veterans, with robust chapters of the Legion, as well as a large number of IWW members, some also war veterans.
The ramifications of this event included a trial that attracted national media attention, notoriety that contributed to the Red Scare
of 1919-20, the creation of a powerful martyr for the IWW, a monument to one side of the battle and a mural for the other, a formal tribute to the fallen Legionnaires by President Warren G. Harding
, and a deep-rooted enmity between the local American Legion and the Wobblies that persisted into the 21st century.
The IWW succeeded in opening a union hall in 1918. Unfortunately, their enmity with residents of the town and conservative soldiers who would eventually form the local chapter of the new American Legion in 1919 was getting worse. The Bolshevik
s had come to power in Russia and many feared that the IWW's intentions were similar, due in part to constant inflammatory allegations of ties between the two. Union members were being arrested across the country on federal sedition
charges. To many people in Centralia, and the American Legion members in particular, the political leanings of the Wobblies were believed to be un-American
and possibly treason
ous.
Soon thereafter, the union hall was looted during a local parade celebrating the Red Cross. A small group of men broke off from the parade and destroyed the hall. The men threw out the Wobblies inside and forcibly removed them from the downtown area. However, both sides dispute the details. Some local residents claimed that this action was in response to ongoing provocations by the Wobblies and the general desire to remove seditious elements from the town. According to the IWW, the looters were not just local residents but included hired thugs acting under orders from the lumber companies which the union had been organizing. In addition, the members thrown out into the street were then humiliated and beaten by both the alleged hired muscle and some of Centralia’s business owners.
After this incident, the IWW reopened its union hall in the old Roderick Hotel. The Wobblies vowed they would not be evicted again.
, Smith strongly encouraged union members to pursue a non-violent course and to try to reach a peaceful arrangement with the other residents of Centralia. Whether the result of unwillingness to compromise by the Wobblies, the American Legion, or most likely both groups, Smith’s mediation efforts failed.
With attempts at a peaceful compromise unsuccessful, local IWW leader Britt Smith pressed Elmer Smith for additional advice. Elmer Smith agreed that it would be legal for the Wobblies to physically defend themselves, but, as he later testified, only in self defense if attacked first. Regardless, the IWW members used this legal advice as justification to arm themselves for what they perceived as an inevitable and dangerous confrontation.
During Smith's trial the following year for his part in the Centralia Massacre, prosecutors would present this advice as proof that the IWW had planned the massacre. However, considering Elmer Smith’s strong belief in non-violence and seeming good character, it is doubtful that armed conflict was his objective. The true intent of Smith’s recommendation will probably never be known.
Legion Post Commander Warren Grimm
, the first casualty of the massacre, was a local lawyer who interacted regularly with Smith. Despite vastly different viewpoints, evidence from personal logs indicates that the professional dealings between these two men were generally respectful and they had an appreciation for each other’s legal acumen.
Grimm was one of the leading figures in Centralia. A local high-school football star and an All-American at the University of Washington
, he had served with distinction as a U.S. Army officer with the American Expeditionary Force Siberia
protecting the Trans-Siberian Railway
during the Russian Revolution. To this day, the American Legion believes that Grimm was specifically singled out in advance as a target, especially since he had made a public speech about the "evils of the Bolsheviks" based on his experiences in Siberia, and was known to be strongly anti-IWW. The post-massacre Labor Jury of union leaders paints him as a lead participant in a Centralia Conspiracy who subverted his own men into attacking the Roderick Hotel. Wobbly-sympathetic author John Dos Passos
ironically described Grimm as a "young man of good family and manners" in 1919, the second book of the U.S.A. trilogy
, published in 1932.
Warren's brother and law partner, Huber "Polly" Grimm, was Centralia's city attorney at the time. Regardless of his personal feelings toward the Wobblies, Huber is on record during the town hall meeting of October 20, 1919 asserting that the IWW had legal rights and there was no law that could be used to force them to leave town.
To celebrate Armistice Day
, the town leaders of Centralia planned a combined parade with the neighboring city of Chehalis, to be followed by festivities. The full contingent of both Centralia and Chehalis American Legion Posts, along with other civic organizations, were to march in the parade. This helped create a parade body that was overly crowded and unwieldy.
To make matters worse, the route was entirely inadequate, with the parade doubling back on itself at 3rd Avenue, a short way from the IWW Hall on North Tower. In addition, the route was modified only weeks before the festivities. According to event planners, this new route meant to accommodate the larger-than-usual parade. In consequence, the parade was beset by a high number of starts and stops, tight crowding, and large gaps. More menacing, for the first time, part of the changes would result in the parade passing directly in front of the new Wobbly hall.
There were persistent rumors circulating among union members that the lumber companies and local business leaders were ready for a repeat of the 1918 incident and would use the Armistice Day parade as cover. The changes to the parade route, along with various inflammatory speeches by Centralia leaders, helped to fuel these fears.
Regardless of the veracity of these rumors, they began to take on a life of their own. They became so prevalent that the owner of the Roderick Hotel, who was renting the facility to the IWW, asked the local sheriff for assistance during the march. The sheriff declined to provide protection. According to the Centralia Sheriff’s Department, it was unable to commit already scarce resources simply on the basis of a rumor. In contrast, the Wobblies viewed this unwillingness as additional proof of what they believed to be the developing conspiracy against them.
Members of the Legion marched with rubber hoses and gas pipes, although whether their nature was defensive or offensive is debatable.
According to the IWW, their union members, fearing attack, decided to place men armed with revolvers within their hall. To help prevent a repeat of the 1918 street beatings, additional Wobblies were staked out across the street in the Avalon Hotel, further ahead in an old rooming house, and on the rooftops to gain a good view of the area in front of the hall and provide warning. Members were also stationed on nearby Seminary Hill, with a commanding view of the street in front of the Roderick.
According to other people living in Centralia, the IWW, being on the losing end of the previous confrontations, was looking for a fight and wanted to even the score with bloodshed. As proof, they point out that only seven Wobblies were actually inside the hall. The rest, allegedly armed with high-powered rifles and stationed in those other buildings, rooftops, and on Seminary Hill, served not as lookouts but as ambushers. Since they could not influence any confrontation within the hall, these residents believed, the Wobblies' goal was to create a killing field in the middle of North Tower Street.
Both sides have cited witnesses, claimed witness intimidation and false testimony by the other, and have used forensic evidence to support their arguments.
Both sides agree that the Centralia contingent, which was beginning to press up on the Chehalis contingent, paused just before reaching the site of the hall. As the gap began to open back up with the Chehalis group, Warren Grimm turned to address his troops and uttered the command "Halt. Close up." at which point the front ranks began to mark time.
At this moment, the American Legion and the IWW believe in radically different series of events which still evoke bitter arguments. Mired in confusion, both views contain glaring inconsistencies and both certainly have at least some elements of truth.
According to the American Legion, this realigning of ranks presented Wobbly Eugene Barnett, stationed in the Avalon, a direct shot at Grimm. The bullet from Barnett’s high powered rifle caught Grimm in the chest, passing through his body and eviscerating him where he stood. Legionnaire McElfresh, standing nearby, was next. Hit in the brain by a .22 caliber bullet allegedly fired from Seminary Hill over 500 yards away, he was killed instantly. As the mortally wounded Grimm was dragged to the sidewalk, additional shots rained down on the unarmed Legionnaires. At this point, caught between dying in the open and charging their ambushers, the Legionnaires stormed the Roderick and surrounding buildings.
In contrast, the IWW claims that, as the Legionnaires paused, a small group, possibly with Grimm’s complicity, broke off and charged the Roderick with the intent to repeat the events of the previous year. When this initial group broke down the doors, the Wobblies, fearing for their lives, fired in self defense. As the first group of Legionnaires fell back in disarray, Grimm was gut shot in the entrance of the hall leading a second group of attackers. McElfresh was then shot by John Doe Davis, one of the few Wobblies never to be captured, as he waited his turn outside.
Evidence supports and contradicts both theories. First, Grimm’s and McElfresh’s wounds were caused by rifle bullets fired at medium to long range, not revolvers, and the blood trails from both men began in the middle of the street. In contrast, the IWW claims that Grimm and McElfresh were two of the three "secret committeemen" behind the Centralia Conspiracy and point to the significant fact that Grimm did give the order to halt in front of the Wobbly hall. The American Legion counters by pointing out what they believe is the incriminating coincidence that Grimm and McElfresh were the first two men killed by the Wobblies and both were shot in the street over 100 feet away from the Roderick on the north side of Second Street on Tower Avenue. The IWW responds with a statement by Dr. Frank Bickford asserting that he personally led the raid and that the Legionnaires initiated the conflict. Dr. Bickford later testified, "the door of the I.W.W. was kicked open before the shooting from inside began." The Legionnaires counter that Bickford was a lying braggart and, by his own admission on the stand, was legally deaf and thus could not know when the shooting actually started. The Legionnaires further counter with statements from IWW member Tom Morgan who was inside the Wobbly hall during the massacre and testified "that shots were fired before any rush was made upon the I.W.W. Hall". The IWW replies that Tom Morgan committed perjury in order to "make a deal," as evidenced by all charges against him being dropped. Both sides have additional eyewitnesses that support their side of the story. Most of the witnesses supporting the IWW’s version of events were members of various unions. Most of those supporting the American Legion’s version were war veterans and local businessmen sympathetic to the Legion.
A close examination of the trial transcript and the most reasonable interpretation of the evidence is that Davis killed Grimm while firing from the Avalon Hotel; McElfresh was killed by a Wobbly firing from the IWW hall, and that Cassagranda was killed while running west on Second Avenue by a revolver probably fired by Davis firing from the Avalon Hotel.
A third theory was advanced by defense counsel George Vanderveer. In his opening statement, Vanderveer said "I exonerate now and forever the American Legion from any responsibility for this. They were made catpaws." According to Vanderveer, as the Centralia contingent of Legionnaires began to pass by the Wobbly hall, a small group of men did in fact attempt to storm the building. However, although a few Legionnaires as individuals may have participated, the main aggressors were from the Centralia Citizens' Committee acting at the behest of F.B. Hubbard, president of the Eastern Railway & Lumber Company. Grimm, facing partially backwards towards the first platoon, would have seen this movement and assumed they were his troops. Thus, his command "Halt. Close Up." makes more sense and could have been an attempt to return those men to the parade. However, when Wobblies saw this smaller group of men start towards their union hall, they naturally opened fire. Since the main body of Legionnaires was facing forward, they would not have seen this smaller group and, thus, honestly believed that they were fired upon first. In addition, these packed Legionnaires, including Grimm, standing stationary in the street would have been the easiest targets.
Much of this theory depends upon the character of Grimm. Like Elmer Smith, he may simply have been a man unfortunately caught in the middle. Although anti-Wobbly, he also seemed a man of outstanding character who valued individual respect and order in the ranks.
After these opening movements, the subsequent series of events is somewhat agreed upon, as the group (or second group) of enraged Legionnaires charged the hall. Legionnaire Bernard Eubanks took a bullet in the leg on the curb in front of the Wobbly hall and Eugene Pfitzer was shot through the arm.
Then, as additional Legionnaires broke into the hall and began to overpower the armed men, Wobbly Wesley Everest
ran for the back of the hall. Legionnaire Earl Watts was shot and fell within a few feet of the mortally wounded Cassagranda. Everest was able to escape out the rear of the Roderick Hotel, firing at his pursuers and reloading as he ran. Legionnaire Alva Coleman grabbed a non-functioning revolver (either from a captured Wobbly or a nearby house) and began to chase Everest. Shot and wounded by Everest, he passed the revolver to Legionnaire Dale Hubbard, a noted athlete, who caught up with Everest as the Wobbly was trying to ford the Skookumchuck River. Pointing the useless revolver at Everest, Hubbard ordered Everest to drop his gun and surrender. It is not known whether Hubbard knew his revolver was useless. Everest most certainly would have assumed it was not. Everest, unable to cross the river, turned and shot Hubbard. Everest returned to shore and, according to the townsmen next to arrive on the scene, proceeded to pistol whip the mortally wounded Hubbard before being subdued. In contrast, IWW memoirs make no mention of this final brutal act.
All of the captured Wobblies were taken to the local jail. Elmer Smith, who did not participate in the actual massacre, was also rounded up and incarcerated. There is also some confusion over whether IWW leader Britt Smith was jailed at this point or captured soon thereafter. Wobbly Loren Roberts, 16, turned himself in on November 13. Then, as the hunt for escaped Wobblies continued over the next few days, Deputy Sheriff John M. Haney was killed on November 15. This final fatality was most likely caused by friendly fire. Bert Bland was the last Wobbly captured on November 19.
Under cover of darkness, the mob seized Wesley Everest. Although Everest's personal identity was unknown, with some believing him to be IWW leader Britt Smith, he was positively recognized as the Wobbly who had shot and killed Hubbard. Everest was the only Wobbly taken from the jail.
Everest was taken to the Chehalis River Bridge and lynched. The bridge was subsequently known as the "Hangman’s Bridge." The next day his body was cut down and returned to the jail.
Later published accounts said that Everest was castrated on the way to being lynched.
The castration myth gained attention with the publication of "The Centralia Conspiracy" by IWW member Ralph Chaplin, six months after the events. He admitted later that his account was not objective.
A police report, filed on November 12th, the day after the lynching, should discredit the castration myth. A man (presumably a police officer) examined his body and filed a police report dated November 12th. The report includes a set of fingerprints and a description of the body. It estimates the height and weight. The it notes: "No scars that could be located on the body outside where rope cut neck hole that looked like bullet hole Prints taken in the Jail at Centralia, Wash. room very dark to see any thing on the body in line [of] scars: rope was still around the neck of the man."
If the police officer was looking for scars and could see the color of Everest's eyes and hair, he could hardly miss evidence of castration. Another myth about Everest is that his body was riddled with bullets while dangling on the bridge. The police report described only one bullet hole.
No one was ever charged with the lynching.
As time passed and passions cooled, a public campaign spearheaded by Elmer Smith was eventually able to secure the release of those Wobblies still in prison. Although their convictions were never overturned, all of the remaining Wobblies save Ray Becker were paroled in 1931 and 1932. Continuing to maintain his innocence, Becker refused parole and was eventually pardoned in 1939, with his sentence commuted to time served.
A bronze statue of a doughboy
, erected to honor the four Legionnaires killed in the massacre, was erected in Centralia's George Washington Park. Although E. M. Viquesney
received a letter in 1921 from the American Legion informing him his statue, Spirit of the American Doughboy
, had won the organization's design award competition and was to be the monument placed at Centralia, in 1924, Alonzo Victor Lewis
's statue The Sentinel was placed there instead.
In 1999, the owner of the nearby former Elks building commissioned a mural to memorialize Wesley Everest and the Wobblies.
The incident also features prominently in John Dos Passos
' U.S.A. trilogy.
Mike Sheehan and Elmer Smith were acquitted. Bert Faulkner and Tom Morgan, who turned states evidence
, had their charges dropped.
Centralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
on November 11, 1919, during a parade celebrating the first anniversary of Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
. This conflict between the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and workers who were members of the Industrial Workers of the World
Industrial Workers of the World
The Industrial Workers of the World is an international union. At its peak in 1923, the organization claimed some 100,000 members in good standing, and could marshal the support of perhaps 300,000 workers. Its membership declined dramatically after a 1924 split brought on by internal conflict...
(IWW or "Wobblies") resulted in six deaths, additional wounded, multiple prison terms, and an ongoing and especially bitter dispute over the motivations and events that precipitated the massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
. It was the culmination of years of bad blood between members of the local Legion and members of the IWW. Both Centralia and the neighboring town of Chehalis
Chehalis, Washington
Chehalis is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,259 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County.-History:...
had a large number of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veterans, with robust chapters of the Legion, as well as a large number of IWW members, some also war veterans.
The ramifications of this event included a trial that attracted national media attention, notoriety that contributed to the Red Scare
First Red Scare
In American history, the First Red Scare of 1919–1920 was marked by a widespread fear of Bolshevism and anarchism. Concerns over the effects of radical political agitation in American society and alleged spread in the American labor movement fueled the paranoia that defined the period.The First Red...
of 1919-20, the creation of a powerful martyr for the IWW, a monument to one side of the battle and a mural for the other, a formal tribute to the fallen Legionnaires by President Warren G. Harding
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
, and a deep-rooted enmity between the local American Legion and the Wobblies that persisted into the 21st century.
Prior conflicts
Local Wobblies were active in the union from at least 1914. Although open conflict was avoided, low-level harassment simmered on both sides. IWW efforts to open a hall for local members were met by opponents of the IWW who lived in Centralia. In 1917, the Wobblies tried to open a hall using an alias on the lease agreement. However, the landlord evicted the group when he discovered its identity.The IWW succeeded in opening a union hall in 1918. Unfortunately, their enmity with residents of the town and conservative soldiers who would eventually form the local chapter of the new American Legion in 1919 was getting worse. The Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s had come to power in Russia and many feared that the IWW's intentions were similar, due in part to constant inflammatory allegations of ties between the two. Union members were being arrested across the country on federal sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
charges. To many people in Centralia, and the American Legion members in particular, the political leanings of the Wobblies were believed to be un-American
Un-American
Un-American is a pejorative term of US political discourse which is applied to people or institutions in the United States seen as deviating from US norms....
and possibly treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
ous.
Soon thereafter, the union hall was looted during a local parade celebrating the Red Cross. A small group of men broke off from the parade and destroyed the hall. The men threw out the Wobblies inside and forcibly removed them from the downtown area. However, both sides dispute the details. Some local residents claimed that this action was in response to ongoing provocations by the Wobblies and the general desire to remove seditious elements from the town. According to the IWW, the looters were not just local residents but included hired thugs acting under orders from the lumber companies which the union had been organizing. In addition, the members thrown out into the street were then humiliated and beaten by both the alleged hired muscle and some of Centralia’s business owners.
After this incident, the IWW reopened its union hall in the old Roderick Hotel. The Wobblies vowed they would not be evicted again.
Fateful decisions
Elmer Smith was a Centralia lawyer sympathetic to the IWW. A pacifistPacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
, Smith strongly encouraged union members to pursue a non-violent course and to try to reach a peaceful arrangement with the other residents of Centralia. Whether the result of unwillingness to compromise by the Wobblies, the American Legion, or most likely both groups, Smith’s mediation efforts failed.
With attempts at a peaceful compromise unsuccessful, local IWW leader Britt Smith pressed Elmer Smith for additional advice. Elmer Smith agreed that it would be legal for the Wobblies to physically defend themselves, but, as he later testified, only in self defense if attacked first. Regardless, the IWW members used this legal advice as justification to arm themselves for what they perceived as an inevitable and dangerous confrontation.
During Smith's trial the following year for his part in the Centralia Massacre, prosecutors would present this advice as proof that the IWW had planned the massacre. However, considering Elmer Smith’s strong belief in non-violence and seeming good character, it is doubtful that armed conflict was his objective. The true intent of Smith’s recommendation will probably never be known.
Legion Post Commander Warren Grimm
Warren Grimm
Lt. Warren O. "Wedge" Grimm , was born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. An All-American at the University of Washington and an officer in the United States Army, he served with distinction as part of the American Expeditionary Force Siberia stationed in Russia in 1918-1919...
, the first casualty of the massacre, was a local lawyer who interacted regularly with Smith. Despite vastly different viewpoints, evidence from personal logs indicates that the professional dealings between these two men were generally respectful and they had an appreciation for each other’s legal acumen.
Grimm was one of the leading figures in Centralia. A local high-school football star and an All-American at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, he had served with distinction as a U.S. Army officer with the American Expeditionary Force Siberia
American Expeditionary Force Siberia
The American Expeditionary Force Siberia was a United States Army force that was involved in the Russian Civil War in Vladivostok, Russian Empire, during the tail end of World War I after the October Revolution, from 1918 to 1920....
protecting the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
during the Russian Revolution. To this day, the American Legion believes that Grimm was specifically singled out in advance as a target, especially since he had made a public speech about the "evils of the Bolsheviks" based on his experiences in Siberia, and was known to be strongly anti-IWW. The post-massacre Labor Jury of union leaders paints him as a lead participant in a Centralia Conspiracy who subverted his own men into attacking the Roderick Hotel. Wobbly-sympathetic author John Dos Passos
John Dos Passos
John Roderigo Dos Passos was an American novelist and artist.-Early life:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dos Passos was the illegitimate son of John Randolph Dos Passos , a distinguished lawyer of Madeiran Portuguese descent, and Lucy Addison Sprigg Madison of Petersburg, Virginia. The elder Dos Passos...
ironically described Grimm as a "young man of good family and manners" in 1919, the second book of the U.S.A. trilogy
U.S.A. trilogy
The U.S.A. Trilogy is a major work of American writer John Dos Passos, comprising the novels The 42nd Parallel ; 1919, also known as Nineteen Nineteen ; and The Big Money . The three books were first published together in a single volume titled U.S.A by Harcourt Brace in January, 1938...
, published in 1932.
Warren's brother and law partner, Huber "Polly" Grimm, was Centralia's city attorney at the time. Regardless of his personal feelings toward the Wobblies, Huber is on record during the town hall meeting of October 20, 1919 asserting that the IWW had legal rights and there was no law that could be used to force them to leave town.
To celebrate Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
, the town leaders of Centralia planned a combined parade with the neighboring city of Chehalis, to be followed by festivities. The full contingent of both Centralia and Chehalis American Legion Posts, along with other civic organizations, were to march in the parade. This helped create a parade body that was overly crowded and unwieldy.
To make matters worse, the route was entirely inadequate, with the parade doubling back on itself at 3rd Avenue, a short way from the IWW Hall on North Tower. In addition, the route was modified only weeks before the festivities. According to event planners, this new route meant to accommodate the larger-than-usual parade. In consequence, the parade was beset by a high number of starts and stops, tight crowding, and large gaps. More menacing, for the first time, part of the changes would result in the parade passing directly in front of the new Wobbly hall.
There were persistent rumors circulating among union members that the lumber companies and local business leaders were ready for a repeat of the 1918 incident and would use the Armistice Day parade as cover. The changes to the parade route, along with various inflammatory speeches by Centralia leaders, helped to fuel these fears.
Regardless of the veracity of these rumors, they began to take on a life of their own. They became so prevalent that the owner of the Roderick Hotel, who was renting the facility to the IWW, asked the local sheriff for assistance during the march. The sheriff declined to provide protection. According to the Centralia Sheriff’s Department, it was unable to commit already scarce resources simply on the basis of a rumor. In contrast, the Wobblies viewed this unwillingness as additional proof of what they believed to be the developing conspiracy against them.
Members of the Legion marched with rubber hoses and gas pipes, although whether their nature was defensive or offensive is debatable.
According to the IWW, their union members, fearing attack, decided to place men armed with revolvers within their hall. To help prevent a repeat of the 1918 street beatings, additional Wobblies were staked out across the street in the Avalon Hotel, further ahead in an old rooming house, and on the rooftops to gain a good view of the area in front of the hall and provide warning. Members were also stationed on nearby Seminary Hill, with a commanding view of the street in front of the Roderick.
According to other people living in Centralia, the IWW, being on the losing end of the previous confrontations, was looking for a fight and wanted to even the score with bloodshed. As proof, they point out that only seven Wobblies were actually inside the hall. The rest, allegedly armed with high-powered rifles and stationed in those other buildings, rooftops, and on Seminary Hill, served not as lookouts but as ambushers. Since they could not influence any confrontation within the hall, these residents believed, the Wobblies' goal was to create a killing field in the middle of North Tower Street.
Both sides have cited witnesses, claimed witness intimidation and false testimony by the other, and have used forensic evidence to support their arguments.
Massacre
Armistice Day, November 11, 1919, was a celebration marking the end of World War I and commemorating the millions of victims. The memorial parade kicked off with the usual fanfare as local civic organizations and war veterans marched in full regalia. As the parade unevenly wound its way through Centralia, the Chehalis contingent of the American Legion passed in front of the IWW Union Hall.Both sides agree that the Centralia contingent, which was beginning to press up on the Chehalis contingent, paused just before reaching the site of the hall. As the gap began to open back up with the Chehalis group, Warren Grimm turned to address his troops and uttered the command "Halt. Close up." at which point the front ranks began to mark time.
At this moment, the American Legion and the IWW believe in radically different series of events which still evoke bitter arguments. Mired in confusion, both views contain glaring inconsistencies and both certainly have at least some elements of truth.
According to the American Legion, this realigning of ranks presented Wobbly Eugene Barnett, stationed in the Avalon, a direct shot at Grimm. The bullet from Barnett’s high powered rifle caught Grimm in the chest, passing through his body and eviscerating him where he stood. Legionnaire McElfresh, standing nearby, was next. Hit in the brain by a .22 caliber bullet allegedly fired from Seminary Hill over 500 yards away, he was killed instantly. As the mortally wounded Grimm was dragged to the sidewalk, additional shots rained down on the unarmed Legionnaires. At this point, caught between dying in the open and charging their ambushers, the Legionnaires stormed the Roderick and surrounding buildings.
In contrast, the IWW claims that, as the Legionnaires paused, a small group, possibly with Grimm’s complicity, broke off and charged the Roderick with the intent to repeat the events of the previous year. When this initial group broke down the doors, the Wobblies, fearing for their lives, fired in self defense. As the first group of Legionnaires fell back in disarray, Grimm was gut shot in the entrance of the hall leading a second group of attackers. McElfresh was then shot by John Doe Davis, one of the few Wobblies never to be captured, as he waited his turn outside.
Evidence supports and contradicts both theories. First, Grimm’s and McElfresh’s wounds were caused by rifle bullets fired at medium to long range, not revolvers, and the blood trails from both men began in the middle of the street. In contrast, the IWW claims that Grimm and McElfresh were two of the three "secret committeemen" behind the Centralia Conspiracy and point to the significant fact that Grimm did give the order to halt in front of the Wobbly hall. The American Legion counters by pointing out what they believe is the incriminating coincidence that Grimm and McElfresh were the first two men killed by the Wobblies and both were shot in the street over 100 feet away from the Roderick on the north side of Second Street on Tower Avenue. The IWW responds with a statement by Dr. Frank Bickford asserting that he personally led the raid and that the Legionnaires initiated the conflict. Dr. Bickford later testified, "the door of the I.W.W. was kicked open before the shooting from inside began." The Legionnaires counter that Bickford was a lying braggart and, by his own admission on the stand, was legally deaf and thus could not know when the shooting actually started. The Legionnaires further counter with statements from IWW member Tom Morgan who was inside the Wobbly hall during the massacre and testified "that shots were fired before any rush was made upon the I.W.W. Hall". The IWW replies that Tom Morgan committed perjury in order to "make a deal," as evidenced by all charges against him being dropped. Both sides have additional eyewitnesses that support their side of the story. Most of the witnesses supporting the IWW’s version of events were members of various unions. Most of those supporting the American Legion’s version were war veterans and local businessmen sympathetic to the Legion.
A close examination of the trial transcript and the most reasonable interpretation of the evidence is that Davis killed Grimm while firing from the Avalon Hotel; McElfresh was killed by a Wobbly firing from the IWW hall, and that Cassagranda was killed while running west on Second Avenue by a revolver probably fired by Davis firing from the Avalon Hotel.
A third theory was advanced by defense counsel George Vanderveer. In his opening statement, Vanderveer said "I exonerate now and forever the American Legion from any responsibility for this. They were made catpaws." According to Vanderveer, as the Centralia contingent of Legionnaires began to pass by the Wobbly hall, a small group of men did in fact attempt to storm the building. However, although a few Legionnaires as individuals may have participated, the main aggressors were from the Centralia Citizens' Committee acting at the behest of F.B. Hubbard, president of the Eastern Railway & Lumber Company. Grimm, facing partially backwards towards the first platoon, would have seen this movement and assumed they were his troops. Thus, his command "Halt. Close Up." makes more sense and could have been an attempt to return those men to the parade. However, when Wobblies saw this smaller group of men start towards their union hall, they naturally opened fire. Since the main body of Legionnaires was facing forward, they would not have seen this smaller group and, thus, honestly believed that they were fired upon first. In addition, these packed Legionnaires, including Grimm, standing stationary in the street would have been the easiest targets.
Much of this theory depends upon the character of Grimm. Like Elmer Smith, he may simply have been a man unfortunately caught in the middle. Although anti-Wobbly, he also seemed a man of outstanding character who valued individual respect and order in the ranks.
After these opening movements, the subsequent series of events is somewhat agreed upon, as the group (or second group) of enraged Legionnaires charged the hall. Legionnaire Bernard Eubanks took a bullet in the leg on the curb in front of the Wobbly hall and Eugene Pfitzer was shot through the arm.
Then, as additional Legionnaires broke into the hall and began to overpower the armed men, Wobbly Wesley Everest
Wesley Everest
Wesley Everest was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and a World War I veteran...
ran for the back of the hall. Legionnaire Earl Watts was shot and fell within a few feet of the mortally wounded Cassagranda. Everest was able to escape out the rear of the Roderick Hotel, firing at his pursuers and reloading as he ran. Legionnaire Alva Coleman grabbed a non-functioning revolver (either from a captured Wobbly or a nearby house) and began to chase Everest. Shot and wounded by Everest, he passed the revolver to Legionnaire Dale Hubbard, a noted athlete, who caught up with Everest as the Wobbly was trying to ford the Skookumchuck River. Pointing the useless revolver at Everest, Hubbard ordered Everest to drop his gun and surrender. It is not known whether Hubbard knew his revolver was useless. Everest most certainly would have assumed it was not. Everest, unable to cross the river, turned and shot Hubbard. Everest returned to shore and, according to the townsmen next to arrive on the scene, proceeded to pistol whip the mortally wounded Hubbard before being subdued. In contrast, IWW memoirs make no mention of this final brutal act.
All of the captured Wobblies were taken to the local jail. Elmer Smith, who did not participate in the actual massacre, was also rounded up and incarcerated. There is also some confusion over whether IWW leader Britt Smith was jailed at this point or captured soon thereafter. Wobbly Loren Roberts, 16, turned himself in on November 13. Then, as the hunt for escaped Wobblies continued over the next few days, Deputy Sheriff John M. Haney was killed on November 15. This final fatality was most likely caused by friendly fire. Bert Bland was the last Wobbly captured on November 19.
Death of Wesley Everest
As evening fell on November 11, 1919, a vigilante mob began to form outside the jailhouse. Suddenly, the power grid at the municipal electric power plant was turned off, plunging the town into darkness. Whether this individual responsible was working alone, supporting the growing mob, or was acting under the direction of Centralia’s sheriff remains another disputed issue.Under cover of darkness, the mob seized Wesley Everest. Although Everest's personal identity was unknown, with some believing him to be IWW leader Britt Smith, he was positively recognized as the Wobbly who had shot and killed Hubbard. Everest was the only Wobbly taken from the jail.
Everest was taken to the Chehalis River Bridge and lynched. The bridge was subsequently known as the "Hangman’s Bridge." The next day his body was cut down and returned to the jail.
Later published accounts said that Everest was castrated on the way to being lynched.
The castration myth gained attention with the publication of "The Centralia Conspiracy" by IWW member Ralph Chaplin, six months after the events. He admitted later that his account was not objective.
A police report, filed on November 12th, the day after the lynching, should discredit the castration myth. A man (presumably a police officer) examined his body and filed a police report dated November 12th. The report includes a set of fingerprints and a description of the body. It estimates the height and weight. The it notes: "No scars that could be located on the body outside where rope cut neck hole that looked like bullet hole Prints taken in the Jail at Centralia, Wash. room very dark to see any thing on the body in line [of] scars: rope was still around the neck of the man."
If the police officer was looking for scars and could see the color of Everest's eyes and hair, he could hardly miss evidence of castration. Another myth about Everest is that his body was riddled with bullets while dangling on the bridge. The police report described only one bullet hole.
No one was ever charged with the lynching.
Aftermath
The captured Wobblies were charged with murder and the resulting trial was held in Montesano, in nearby Grays Harbor County. After a trial that received national coverage, eight Wobblies were convicted of second degree murder, two were acquitted (including Elmer Smith), and two had all charges against them dropped. Those convicted were sentenced to prison terms of 25–40 years, far in excess of the standard 10-year sentence of the day.As time passed and passions cooled, a public campaign spearheaded by Elmer Smith was eventually able to secure the release of those Wobblies still in prison. Although their convictions were never overturned, all of the remaining Wobblies save Ray Becker were paroled in 1931 and 1932. Continuing to maintain his innocence, Becker refused parole and was eventually pardoned in 1939, with his sentence commuted to time served.
A bronze statue of a doughboy
Doughboy
Doughboy is an informal term for an American soldier, especially members of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. The term dates back to the Mexican–American War of 1846–48....
, erected to honor the four Legionnaires killed in the massacre, was erected in Centralia's George Washington Park. Although E. M. Viquesney
E. M. Viquesney
Ernest Moore Viquesney American sculptor best known for his very popular World War I monument Spirit of the American Doughboy, installed in front of many American city halls and courthouses and in public parks and cemeteries in the years 1920 through 1940...
received a letter in 1921 from the American Legion informing him his statue, Spirit of the American Doughboy
Spirit of the American Doughboy
The Spirit of the American Doughboy is a pressed copper sculpture by E. M. Viquesney, designed to honor the veterans and casualties of World War I...
, had won the organization's design award competition and was to be the monument placed at Centralia, in 1924, Alonzo Victor Lewis
Alonzo Victor Lewis
Alonzo Victor Lewis was an American artist. He is primarily known for public sculptures in the State of Washington; he also painted in the Impressionist style....
's statue The Sentinel was placed there instead.
In 1999, the owner of the nearby former Elks building commissioned a mural to memorialize Wesley Everest and the Wobblies.
The incident also features prominently in John Dos Passos
John Dos Passos
John Roderigo Dos Passos was an American novelist and artist.-Early life:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dos Passos was the illegitimate son of John Randolph Dos Passos , a distinguished lawyer of Madeiran Portuguese descent, and Lucy Addison Sprigg Madison of Petersburg, Virginia. The elder Dos Passos...
' U.S.A. trilogy.
Victims
The only significant facts not in dispute are the identities of the victims:
Killed:
- Warren Grimm
Warren GrimmLt. Warren O. "Wedge" Grimm , was born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. An All-American at the University of Washington and an officer in the United States Army, he served with distinction as part of the American Expeditionary Force Siberia stationed in Russia in 1918-1919...
, American Legion Post Commander- Arthur McElfresh, American Legion
- Ben Cassagranda, American Legion
- Dale Hubbard, American Legion
- John M. Haney, Centralia Deputy Sheriff
- Wesley Everest
Wesley EverestWesley Everest was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and a World War I veteran...
, IWW
Wounded:
- Bernard Eubanks, American Legion
- Eugene Pfitzer, American Legion
- Earl Watts, American Legion
- Alva Coleman, American Legion
- John Watt, American Legion
Eight Wobblies were convicted of 2nd degree murder for their roles in the massacre:
- Eugene Barnett;
- Bert Bland;
- O.C. Bland;
- Ray Becker;
- John McInerney;
- John Lamb; and,
- Loren Roberts (guilty, but found insane).
Mike Sheehan and Elmer Smith were acquitted. Bert Faulkner and Tom Morgan, who turned states evidence
Turn state's evidence
To turn state's evidence is when an accused or convicted criminal testifies as a witness for the state against his associates or accomplices. Turning state's evidence is occasionally a result of a change of heart or feelings of guilt, but more often is done in response to a generous offer from the...
, had their charges dropped.
External links
- The Centralia Massacre Collection at University of Washington.
- Essay: The Centralia Massacre
- The Centralia Conspiracy by Ralph Chaplin. IWW Pamphlet. Reissued 1971. 83 pages. PDF Warning large file
- an account from Marxist.com
Archives
- American Civil Liberties Union of Washington Records, circa 1942-1996 136.66 cubic feet (including 13 microfilm reels and 1 videocassette) plus 62 cartons and 2 rolled posters. At the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
- American Legion, Department of Washington Records, 1919-1920 .5 linear feet (4 microfilm reels : positive; 4 microfilm reels : negative) At the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
- E. Raymond Attebery Papers, 1913-1979 1.55 cubic ft. At the Labor Archives of Washington State, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
- Rayfield Becker Papers, 1919-1939 .28 cubic foot. At the Labor Archives of Washington State, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
- Industrial Workers of the World, Seattle Joint Branches Records, 1905-1950 3.31 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington State, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
See also
- List of massacres in Washington