John Colver was in the neighborhood, and
wanted to know if Carpenter would meet him.
"Who is John Colver?" asked the prophet. And it was explained that
this was a dangerous agitator, now under sentence of twenty years in
jail, but out on bail pending the appeal of his case to the supreme
court. Colver was a "wobbly," well known as one of their poets. Said
Korwsky, "He tinks you vouldn't like to know him, because if de
spies find it out, dey vould git after you."
"I will meet any man," said Carpenter. "My business is to meet men."
And so in a few minutes the terrible John Colver was escorted into
the room.
Now, every once in a while I had read in the "Times" how another
bunch of these I.W.W's. were put on trial, and how they were
insolent to the judge, and how it was proved they had committed many
crimes, and how they were sentenced to fourteen years in State's
prison under our criminal syndicalism act. Needless to say, I had
never seen one of these desperate men; but I had a quite definite
idea what they looked like--dark and sinister creatures, with
twisted mouths and furtive eyes.
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