The Forgotten Siege of Franklin

The trial of Park Robinson for his role in the labor violence at Franklin, Washington, reached its conclusion yesterday after four days of intense testimony. The defense mounted a massive effort to shift the narrative, bringing forward a parade of witnesses—many of them Black miners—to describe a climate of intimidation by white strikers. Robinson’s own wife, Catherine, testified to the terror of the day, describing the bullets flying as she attempted to flee with their three young children. Other witnesses painted a picture of a coordinated effort by white miners to forcibly remove the new workforce, with testimony detailing armed groups patrolling the woods and hillside. A dramatic moment occurred when an attempt was made to introduce testimony from the Chief of the Mukilshoot tribe regarding recruitment for a raid on the town, but the court excluded the evidence as irrelevant. As the defense rested, the courtroom was left with two conflicting realities: one of a justified defense against aggression, and another of a community shattered by armed labor warfare.