Hopedale History October 1, 2006 No. 69 Draper Strike Day in the Park this year (September 23) was a great success, in spite of threatening weather. The rain never amounted to much, and all of the vendors, booths and activities seemed to be busy. The Troop 1 Boy Scouts camped overnight in the park again, and Help! was excellent as in the past. Those of us on the Historical Commission and the Friends of Historic Hopedale are grateful to Tom McGovern (TWM Systems) for all he has been doing for the Red Shop restoration fund. All profits from Tom’s sales at Day in the Park, including the great Little Red Shop tee shirts he ordered and sold, went to the fund. Tom has My Kind of Town DVDs also to benefit the Shop Chenot Associates, architects for the Little Red Shop renovation project, are working on the "Scope of Work" and as soon as that is completed, the Town Administrator will be developing the RFP to go out to bid. The expectation is to go out to bid before the end of the year. In 1918 you could have a pair of shoes “made to measure” at a place on the corner of Social and Dutcher streets, or have a tooth pulled at the Town Hall. Click here to see Hopedale business ads for 1918 and 1927. <><><><><><><><><><> Recently, Tootsie Deletti loaned me a book titled Milford, 1880 – 1930. It was published in 1930 as part of Milford’s celebration of its 150th anniversary. I copied most of the material relating to Hopedale and some other items as well. I’ve added it to the Hopedale history website, along with over thirty pictures of Milford (from old postcards, mainly from about 1900 to 1916). You can get to the first of four pages of this here. I didn’t have much on the website about the Draper strike in 1913, so I was happy to find what I did in the book. Here’s a shortened version of it. If you’d like to read the whole thing, (about 1,600 words) click here. The Draper Strike of 1913 March 22 – Threats of I.W.W. (Industrial Workers of the World) strikes in Hopedale and at Milford Iron Foundry, since the visit of Joe Ettor and Arturo Giovanniti, leaders of Lawrence strike. April 1 – I.W.W. strike at Draper Co. plant started. The Milford men assembled in Lincoln Square, marched to Hopedale and made a noisy demonstration. They tried to dissuade by force employees from entering the works but were unsuccessful as Hopedale Chief Samuel E. Kellogg had a large force of officers, armed with baseball bats, guarding the entrance to the plant. The men returned to Milford to Driving Park Hall for a meeting, about 600 being in the crowd. Worcester, Boston, Clinton and South Framingham policemen with State Police, under command of Capt. Proctor, and Worcester County Deputy Sheriffs, came upon the scene. Hopedale swore in several special policemen. Milford is in the most uncomfortable situation in its history. April 2 – The first clash of strikers and police occurred this morning when strikers resisted efforts of police to take baseball bats from them. April 8 – Twenty-three members of Metropolitan Police arrived in Milford for duty during I.W.W. strike. Women and children paraded through the streets of Milford to Hopedale, carrying many placards. Milford and Hopedale were heavily guarded by police. April 10 – Milford Board of Trade adopts resolution asking selectmen to refuse use of Town Hall to strikers because of labor unrest. April 10 – Four unknown men fired several shots into a Hopkinton-bound car of the M. & U. Street Railway Co. The car contained employees of Draper Co. The only person wounded was George Davis, of Hopedale, hit in fleshy portion of hip by 32-caliber bullet. April 14 – After the parade to Hopedale this morning strikers marched to Greene Bros, heel manufactory, [in Milford] and urged the employees to leave their work. There were 50 girls from Greene Bros. and 25 at Lapworth’s [Milford, also] who quit work. There were 428 men in the morning parade. April 15 – Girl pickets and loyal workers at the fabric mill [Lapworth’s probably], battled, many of the girls being scratched and bruised. Arrival of officers quelled the outbreak. The iron foundry of Draper Co. received 55 new employees today. April 16 – Rioting in front of Lapworth Mills today, resulted in two officers being injured and many persons clubbed. Men, women and girls numbering 150 participated. April 19 – Mass meeting held in Lincoln Square by strikers at which 4,000 people gathered. April 22 – Draper Co. strikers again attempt by force to prevent employees going to work. Strike pickets and police clash. April 24 – Emilio Bacchiocchi, 32 years old, of Milford, a Draper Co. striker, shot and killed in the Spindleville section of Hopedale, while picketing. Great excitement prevailed. Leader Coldwell arrested for infraction of the Hopedale by-laws; with being a dangerous and disorderly person and with uttering threats and menacing speeches. Colwell arraigned in District Court and his case continued. Joseph Bianco, attached to the Italian Consulate at Boston was at the trial. On Coldwell’s promise not to again lead the strikers to Hopedale, the charge against him for violating by-laws was not pressed. April 26 – Funeral of Emilio Bacchiocchi, slain striker. About 2,000 were in funeral procession, business places of Italian speaking residents were closed – many of them for the last two days and some having crepe on the doors. Services were in the afternoon in Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, after which the procession marched through the streets and to St. Mary’s cemetery, where services were again held at the grave. April 29 – Strike Leader Coldwell was convicted in District Court today and sentenced to three months in jail for threatening and fined $5 for breaking the by-laws of Hopedale. April 30 – Coldwell, Howard and Albizotti, leaders of the strike, also twenty strikers, were summoned into court today to answer to the charge of violating Hopedale’s by-laws. Coldwell went to Hopedale today on the electric cars. May 1 – Residences in Milford stoned. One Hopedale worker assaulted, receiving a fractured skull. May 2 – About 150 boys and girls marched to Hopedale from Milford this morning and were sent back by the police. May 3 – Arturo Giovannitti, a leader of the Lawrence strike and strike leaders Coldwell and Howard led a crowd of 400 men and women from Milford towards Hopedale this morning. At the Hopedale line, a big squad of officers blocked their way. May 7 – Pupils of Plains school started a miniature strike. They armed themselves with clubs and forbid other children to attend school. Police were called to round up the “strikers.” May 16 – Edgar A. Sherman of Hopedale, a special policeman, arraigned in District Court before Judge C.A. Cook, charged with manslaughter in causing the death of Emilio Bacchiocchi in Hopedale, April 24. May 23 – A crowd of 200 strike pickets stood in front of an electric car at Braggville this morning, refused to move and compelled employees of Draper Co. to get out of the car. Picketing was renewed, streetcars were stoned and women and children were active in the trouble. This evening rioting occurred at Depot square. Strikers stoned the police, who freely used their clubs. May 29 – Riot at Lincoln Square tonight when strikers refused to obey police not to parade or conduct a meeting. The riot act was read and the crowd of 2,000 soon scattered in all directions by fully 100 officers. June 5 – Joseph M. Coldwell, strike leader, was today found guilty of uttering, threatening and menacing speeches in Milford, April 24. He was sentenced to three months in Worcester jail. The strikers conducted a meeting in Town Hall tonight at which 1,200 attended, a majority of the selectmen granting them the use of it. June 7 – The backbone of the strike is broken. Many of the men are returning to work, the police are being withdrawn and there is less activity by pickets. June 8 – Two carloads of children of strikers were taken by the M., A. & W. Street Railway Co. cars today to Providence to remain until the strike is over. June 18 – Selectmen refuse use of Town Hall to strikers when it became known Carlo Tresca and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, I.W.W. agitators, were to speak. July 5 – Over 150 strikers applied for work at Hopedale today and the strike is now said to be over. More on the strike Hopedale History Ezine Menu HOME |
Scene from the 1913 IWW?Draper strike. |