d to open
it up. Within a few minutes Sheriff McRae, in company with police
officer Fox, entered the place and ordered Rowan to leave town by two
o'clock. He then tore up the balance of the advertising matter for the
Thompson meeting. McRae was drunk. Rowan went to Seattle, where the
report of this occurrence made the members more determined than ever to
hold the meeting that night.

With about twenty other members of the I. W. W., Thompson went to
Everett. The Salvation Army was holding services on the corner. Placing
his platform even further back from the street intersection Thompson
waited until the Army had concluded and then commenced his lecture.
Using the Industrial Relations Commission Report as the basis of his
talk, he spoke for about twenty minutes without interruption. Then a
body of fifteen policemen marched down the street and swung into the
crowd. The officer in charge stepped up to Thompson and requested him to
go to see the chief of police at the police station. After addressing a
few remarks to the crowd Thompson withdrew from the platform. His place
was taken at once by Rowan, who was immediately dragged from the stand
and turned over to the same officer who had charge of Thompson and his
wife. Mrs. Edith Frennette then spoke briefly and called for a song. The
audience responded with "The Red Flag," but meanwhile Mrs. Frennette and
Mrs. Lorna Mahler had been placed under arrest. In succession several
others attempted to speak but were pulled or pushed off the stand. The
police then formed a circle by holding hands around those who were close
to the platform. One by one the citizens were allowed to slip outside
the "ring-around-a-rosy" until only "desperadoes" were left. These made
no effort to resist arrest, and were started toward the city jail. The
officer entrusted with Thompson was so interested in his captive that
Rowan was able to quietly remove himself from the scene, returning to
the street corner where he spoke for more than half an hour before being
rearrested.

Aroused by this invasion of liberty, Mrs. Letelsia Fye, an Everett
citizen, arose to recite the Declaration of Independence, but even that
proved too revolutionary for the tools of the lumber trust. A
threatening move on the part of the police brought back the thought of
her two unprotected children and caused her to cease her efforts to
declare independence in Everett.

"Is there a red-blooded man in the audience who will take t