‘Incipient Treason’: Judge Hanford Sentences the Spokane Strikers

The seven Spokane rioters arrested at Spokane on July 5, charged with contempt of court, were tried, found guilty and sentenced in the United States court yesterday, and Judge Hanford made the trial the occasion of characterizing the disturbance as an insurrection and incipient treason. Of the prisoners, August Weise, Alexander Olsen, William Goddard and Axel Sivan were each sentenced to eight months, and Alex Rizzutto to four months, in the Pierce county jail; the other two defendants, George Foster and John Clark, were each sentenced to eight months in the King county jail. The heavy sentence was a great surprise to the prisoners, for they did not believe they would be imprisoned for more than a few weeks at most. It will be remembered that in all ten men were arrested for participating in the Spokane riots, the other three, Schomer, Carroll and Ward, having pleaded guilty weeks ago and received a sentence of thirty days each in the county jail.

The prosecution of the defendants was vigorously conducted, the government being represented by Andrew F. Burleigh. A great many witnesses were sworn for the state, and the testimony all showed that the defendants were identified with the mob at Spokane on July 5, when a mob of 10,000 men derailed cars and stoned the deputy marshals. The evidence showed that on July 5 the arrival of an east-bound train at Spokane, the first train to move after the strike had been declared, was made the occasion of a great disturbance. The deputies who guarded the train were reviled, abused and stoned by the mob. For the purpose of protecting the property of the company the deputies strung ropes across the tracks, but the ropes were cut and the mob rushed in. Several cars were derailed, and then a gang of men, the prisoners being identified among them, took possession of the roundhouse, and, running out several engines, derailed them, thus effectually blocking the tracks so that it was impossible to move trains.

Judge Hanford was not slow in pronouncing the seven prisoners guilty as charged, but before passing sentence he reviewed all the facts and circumstances attending the riots. He said the unlawful assembling and interference with the operation of the road and destruction of railroad property was an aggravated contempt of court. ‘It was a contempt of the people of the United States,’ he said; ‘it was a contempt of law and government amounting to an insurrection, while it lasted, and deserves to be dealt with as an insurrection and as incipient treason.’