The McNamara Defense Fund Ball
Everett’s labor community gathers at a boisterous benefit dance to raise funds for the legal defense of the McNamara brothers.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Organized labor in Everett held a successful benefit ball on Monday night to support the defense fund for the McNamara brothers. The event, which lasted until 2:00 AM, drew a massive crowd of dancers and featured music from the Musicians' union, who donated their services for the evening. The event included a Label League booth and a raffle for a box of cigars, drawing contributions from the Stage Workers, the Label League, and the local socialist organization. The proceeds are intended to assist in the legal defense of the brothers, whose case has become a national flashpoint for organized labor.
“The big hall was crowded with dancers from the time the band struck up the first gay strains at 8 o'clock in the evening until 2 o'clock the next morning.”
The McNamara case was one of the most high-profile labor legal battles of the early 20th century, involving the bombing of the Los Angeles Times. Benefit dances like these were the primary way local workers signaled their solidarity with national labor causes before the era of digital fundraising.
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