workingclasshistory: On this day, 7 July 1912, the Grabow massacre took place in Louisiana, leaving
workingclasshistory: On this day, 7 July 1912, the Grabow massacre took place in Louisiana, leaving 4 dead and 50 wounded. During a strike by the Brotherhood of Timber Workers, affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World union, a few dozen timber workers demonstrated outside the mill owned by the Galloway family in Grabow. When union organiser A.L. Emerson began speaking, a man emerged from the office and fired at him, clipping the brim of Emerson’s hat. Then more shooting broke out, lasting for 15 minutes during which around 300 shots were fired. While none of the bosses were charged, most of the strikers were arrested and tried for serious charges including riot and murder. However all of the workers were acquitted in a significant victory for the union. One of the union gunmen, “Leather Britches Smith”, was murdered by vigilantes later that year. Learn more about the IWW at this time in our podcast episode 6: https://workingclasshistory.com/2018/05/23/wch-e6-the-industrial-workers-of-the-world-in-the-us-1905-1918/ Pictured: IWW prisoners after the incident https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1755794554605687/?type=3 -- source link