1914.11.11: BERKMAN HELD IN $1,000.

November 11, 1914

BERKMAN HELD IN $1,000.

Girl Comrades of Anarchist Choose Jail to Freedom.

New York, Nov. 10—Alexander Berkman, Anarchist, today waived examination before Magistrate Simms in the Essex Market Court and was held for trial. He told the court he appeared as his own counsel and said he was fully informed of his rights.

Berkman, with four others, was arrested yesterday morning, charged with interfering with Policeman Wagner and permitting the escape of a prisoner. He is out on $1,000 bail.

“Helen of Troy,” Helen Goldblatt, her sister Lillian Goldblatt, and Abraham Blecker refused to pay $10 fine and were sent to the island for ten days.

1914.08.21: FREE BECKY EDELSON, FUNERAL PLANS OFF

August 21, 1914
FREE BECKY EDELSON, FUNERAL PLANS OFF
Friends Give a Bond for Agitator Who Has Been on a Hunger Strike in Prison.
THEY SAY SHE IS VERY ILL
But Prison Authorities Tell Dr. Davis She Seems to be In Good Health.

1914.08.20: The Lock Haven Express

"I am still fasting," writes Becky Edelson from Blackwell's. Well, well. And here we had gone and forgotten all about Becky. How very careless of us!

1914.08.11: BECKY EDELSON PROTEST

August 11, 1914

BECKY EDELSON PROTEST

Rose Pastor Stokes Heads Meeting to Warn Commissioner Davis.

A woman's mass meeting to protest against forcibly feeding Becky Edelson attracted 300 women and a few men to Murray Hill Lyceum last night. Rose Pastor Stokes presided.

 A resolution calling upon the Attorney General to investigate "tortures inflicted upon Becky Edelson, not contemplated in the sentence passed upon her by a Magistrate," was voted down, and a substitute was passed notifying Commissioner Davis that the women held her "personally responsible" for Miss Edelson's well being.

When forcible feeding was under consideration a women asked if those present favored letting Miss Edelson starve to death since Commissioner Davis could not release her and must feed her or let her die.

"The Commissioner can resign as a protest against the outrageous alternatives presented by the judicial system," shouted some one, and the sentiment was applauded.

Elizabeth Gurley Flynn hailed Commissioner Davis as "The Asquith of America," and Mrs. William English Walling denounced the newspapers. Miss Matilda Robbins said Miss Edelson was "a captive revolutionist, giving her life in protest against denial of her rights."

1914.08.01: Last Reference To Jane Est Found On Newspaperarchive

August 1, 1914

As To Hunger Strikes.

Becky Edelsohn, Jane Est and the rest of the I.W.W. crowd are using--but with a little less violence--the identical methods of the British militants, and for exactly the same purpose.

1914.07.30: MATTEAWAN CURE FOR HUNGER STRIKERS.

July 30, 1914

MATTEAWAN CURE FOR HUNGER STRIKERS.

New York.--Having refused to eat until released, Jane Est, the anarchist agitator, has been transferred to theMatteawan asylu. Commisioner of Correction. Katherine B Davis says that Becky Edelson now imprisoned at Blackwell's Island, will receive the same treatment unless She changes her tactics.

See also:

El Paso Herald, July 31 ,1914
Washington Herald, July 27, 1914
Porthsmouth Daily Times, July 27, 1914
East Oregonian, July 31, 1914

1914.07.30: BECKY EDELSON

July 30, 1914

BECKY EDELSON

Becky Edelson, the I.W.W. agitator, was sentenced to serve three months in the workhouse for inciting a riot in New York. Preparations for forcible feeding were abandoned when it was discovered that her hunger strike was a fake and that she was receiving food in secret.

1914.07.29: TARRYTOWN SENDS 8 'REDS' TO PRISON

July 29, 1914

TARRYTOWN SENDS 8 'REDS' TO PRISON

Justice Moorhouse Imposes Imposes Sentence of Sixty Days Each in Penitentiary.

BECKY EDELSON UNMASKED

Gives Testimony In Whispers Until She Forgets Herself--Police Head Resigns.

...

1914.07.28: I.W.W. TRIALS BEGIN TODAY

1914.07.28:
I.W.W. TRIALS BEGIN TODAY
Becky Edelson, Hunger Striking on Eggs, to Attend Under Suppoena

...

1914.07.28: I.W.W. TRIALS BEGIN TODAY.; Becky Edelson, Hunger Striking on Eggs, to Attend Under Subpoena.

I.W.W. TRIALS BEGIN TODAY.

Becky Edelson, Hunger Striking on Eggs, to Attend Under Subpoena.

Trials of nine I.W.W. agitators are to begin before Justine Moorhouse in Tarrytown this morning. The prisoners are to be tried separately, and the building will be guarded heavily by the police. 

Becky Edelson will leave the workhouse this morning and be taken to Tarrytown to appear as a witness and a defendant in the trials. She was subpoenaed yesterday.

All the other defendants will assemble at the Ferrer School in East 107th Street at 7:30 A.M. With their followers, they will take trolley cars to Hastings to Tarrytown by a New York Central train. 

Miss Edelson's aged mother, Mrs. Lena Edelson, sat in the office of Assistant District Attorney Ellison, yesterday, weeping about her and denouncing Alexander Berkman and other anarchists. She cried out that the District Attorney ought to do something "to stop the hunger-striking foolishness." Mrs. Edelson lives with friends at 2,704 West Third Street, Brighton Beach.

Dr. Katharine B. Davis, Commissioner of Correction, said Becky Edelson's physical condition remained excellent, and that no forcible feeding would be attempted for some time. the young woman refused all meals offered to her, but early in the morning she took the whites of two eggs.

1914.07.27: BECKY EDELSON WEAKER

July 27, 1914

BECKY EDELSON WEAKER

Prisoner Takes Medicine for Her Nerves, but Refuses Food.

While she seemed somewhat weaker from her hunger strike in the Workhouse, Becky Edelson still had enough strength left yesterday to denounce the officers of the Department of Correction and their refusal either to feed her forcibly or the release her.

Miss Edelson at 6 o'clock last night was supposed to have been 250 hours without food. If she is still fasting at noon today, she will have gone a week without eating, so far as the prison authorities know. She was led to the dining room twice yesterday and food was offered to her, but she refused it. She asked for some medicine for her nerves and took a glass of water with the medicine. 

Deputy Commissioner of Correction Burdette G. Lewis said last night he understood that Miss Edelson would attempt to obtain her release today by giving the peace bond she refused to give at first. Her lawyer, Justus Sheffield, is expected at the Workhouse this morning. 

Alexander Berkman said that the stories about Miss Edelson's desire to give a peace bond were "inspired because Commissioner Davis found she had a white elephant on her hands." He asserted that no peace bond would be given with Miss Edelson's consent.

1914.07.26: BECKY EDELSON IN A RAGE.

July 26, 1914

BECKY EDELSON IN A RAGE.

Threatens to Smash Prison Furniture and Denies She Is Eating.

With loud demands for her lawyer, accompanied by expressions that startled those employed in the Workhouse, Becky Edelson ceased to be a quiet hunger striker yesterday and adopted tactics similar to those of the suffragette furies in England.

The prisoner threatened to small all the furniture in the hospital, and became so boisterous that she annoyed the other patients. She was forced for that reason to give up her comfortable bed in the hospital and to return to the cell in which she was kept for the first two days of her three months term.

Three times yesterday she was led from her cell to the mess hall. Food was offered to her, but she asserted that she would smash the dishes if they were not taken away. She demanded that she should be released or that she should be fed forcibly, and said many things uncomplimentary to Commissioner of Correction Davis.

One of her complaints was that the authorities and the newspapers had conspired to make her seem ridiculous by saying that she was eating "on the side." She said that she wanted to get out on a peace bond so that she could tell her anarchist friends that she was really keeping up her hunger strike. Then she would be willing to return to jail, she said, and keep right on with the hunger strike as before.

Commissioner Davis attempted to find Justus Sheffield, the lawyer representing Miss Edelson, but it was said that he was ill and could not visit his client.

Mr. Sheffield, it was asserted, would visit miss Edelson on Monday. A plan was considered to have some radical sympathizer with Miss Edelson give a peace bond for her when she would be released, whether she consented or not. That would make her free from arrest, unless she engaged again in disorderly conduct. Alexander Berkman said Miss Edelson would never consent to come out on a peace bond except for the purpose of breaking it so as to go back to prison again after making one speech in public.

1914.07.25: HUNGER STRIKER WANTS FREEDOM

July 25, 1914

Reba Edelson Says She Did Not Eat as Workhouse Official Says She Did.

NEW YORK, July 25.—"Feed me forcibly or let me out to get a square meal," was the plea today of Reba Edelson, I. W. W. agitator, who declared for a hunger strike when she was take to the workhouse a few days ago to serve a sentence. Becky confided to Dr. Katz, house physician, that she was "sick and tired of this whole business."

"Do you mean that you want to get out of here after your promise to starve to death?" asked Dr. Katz with much concern.

"I didn't eat as you said I did," declared Becky. “You are giving me a black eye among Berkman, Tucker and other great men and I want to get out and tell the world what a pack of liars you all are.”

1914.07.25: Berkman: "WILL BLAME AUTHORITIES IF HARM COMES TO REBA"

July 25, 1914

WILL BLAME AUTHORITIES IF HARM COMES TO REBA

Should "anything happen" to Reba Edelson, the anarchist, now on a hunger strike at Blackwells Island, Alexander Berkman, anarchist leader says his organization will hold the authorities "morally and legally responsible." Should she die, the authorities will be blamed for her "murder." "they are not dealing with ane Est (who was sent to Matteawan when she went on a hunger strike) when they have Reba Edelson on their hands," says Berkman. "Miss Edelson is not a girl, but a determined woman."

See Also:

http://newspaperarchive.com/uniontown-morning-herald/1914-07-25/page-8?tag=jane+est&rtserp=tags/?pci=7&ndt=by&py=1914&pey=1914&pf=jane&pl=est&psb=date

http://newspaperarchive.com/lebanon-daily-news/1914-07-25/page-7?tag=jane+est&rtserp=tags/?pci=7&ndt=by&py=1914&pey=1914&pf=jane&pl=est&psb=date

1914.07.25: 'BECKY' EDELSON 'FUDGES' IN HER HUNGER STRIKE

July 25, 1914

'BECKY' EDELSON 'FUDGES' IN HER HUNGER STRIKE

Physicians at Blackwell's Island Assert Young Woman Has Been Taking Food and Drink.

New York, July 24-- "Becky" Edelson is "fudging" in her hunger and thirst strike on Blackwell's Island. Convincing evidence of this was received by Katherine B. Davis, commissioner of corrections, today, when it was positively learned that the I.W.W. speaker has been drinking water for two days, and every indication points to her having obtained food.

When physicians today examined the young woman who said she would neither drink nor eat until released from jail, they found her in perfect physical condition. She now has been at Blackwell's Island for days.

The keepers learned that she obtained a lemon yesterday which she carried to her cell. She also went into the mess hall with the prisoners last night. She was not seen to eat anything, but is believed to have carried food back to her cell.

1914.07.25: Sentenced to Three Months, Goes on Hunger Strike

July 25, 1914

Sentenced to Three Months, Goes on Hunger Strike

New York.--Sentenced to spend three months in jail as a result of her activities as an anarchist agitator and I.W.W. riot in Printing House square last April, Becky Edelson has started a hunger strike. The woman has not yet quit eating, however, and the date for the start of the strike is unknown. Alexander Berkman, her co-worker, said that if she starves to death his organization will hold the authorities responsible for her "murder."

1914.07.25: EDELSON GIRL HAS ANANIAS CLUB NOW

1914.07.24: EDELSON FAST STILL ON.

July 24, 1914

EDELSON FAST STILL ON.

Prisoner Taken to hospital Preparatory to Forcible Feeding.

When Becky Edelson gave no sign of yielding when she passed the eightieth hour of her hunger strike yesterday afternoon, the Workhouse officials removed her to the Blackwells Island Hospital, so that surgeons might keep a closer watch on her heart and be ready to feed her forcibly on the first indication of collapse.

It was feared that fever, due to refusal to drink, might set in, and it was desired to start the forcible feeding in time to stop it.

The bed to which Miss Edelson was assigned was built for fractious prisoners who might need to be forcibly fed. Devices to hold a prisoner are a part of the bed, and the bed frame may be tilted so that a prisoner strapped to it is in the best position to receive food through a tube.

Miss Edelson passed the eighty-fourth hungry hour at midnight last night. Dr. Anna Hubert, who watched Miss Edelson, reported to Commissioner Davis that she was in fine condition and showed no signs of collapse. Dr. Hubert thought that Miss Edelson would not again suffer from acute hunger for another forty-eight hours. Commissioner Davis plans to let her fast six days.

Alexander Berkman tried to send Dr. A.L. Goldwater, a brother of Health Commissioner Goldwater, to the Workhouse yesterday to examine Miss Edelson "on behalf of her friends."

Commissioner Davis refused to let anyone representing Berkman visit Miss Edelson. She notified Dr. Goldwater that the Department of Correction medical staff was quite sufficient, and that if other surgeons should be needed, the Health Department would be asked to furnish them.

One protest against forcible feeding reached Commissioner Davis yesterday; a letter from Mrs. Bedford Fenwick, an official of the International Council of Nurses. The letter inclosed many clippings depicting the "scandal" of forcible feeding in England.