Chapter 33
The story so far: Union organizers are arrested and jailed.
By the time the meeting started, the Finnish Socialist Hall was overflowing with workers. Katka and Adeline Sherek had positioned themselves right in front. Katka had her notebook. Men spilled into the street outside the main entrance like bubbles over the rim of a washbasin. Everyone was talking at once. Then Paul and Frank Little put their arms high up in the air. Andre Kristeva, the Bulgarian who had spied for the Wobs, rapped three times on the table with his fists and the hall was instantly quiet.
"We have organized this hall by language," Andre said. "I will be speaking English. If you don't speak English, go sit next to your translator." The translators were holding large signs with the name of their language painted upon them. "Italiano, here!" a translator yelled. "Slovensko!" another yelled. "Norske!" "Deutsch!" Katka looked around. Most of the miners were already seated with the men who spoke their language, but the few who were not moved.
Andre waited until the movement had ceased. "The Finns have drawn up a list of demands. It has been once amended and approved by our strike council. Our task is to vote on this list, to come to an agreement. Then we will discuss our plans to get our demands met." He paused momentarily for the translators.
He listed the demands. In a little more than two hours, the miners agreed to the wording and an appeal was sent to the local mine officials asking to meet and settle.
After the meeting, the miners filed out of the hall and walked to the city jail. They quickly surrounded the building and began chanting. Katka and Adeline joined them. "Free the Wobs! Free the Wobs!" Scarlett, Tresca, Gilday and Ettor could hear it from behind bars. Each took off a shoe and banged it against the bars of their cell, in time with the chant.
• • •