Tag: July 1917
Conscription Chaos: Montana’s Draft Board Plagued by vacancies and Eligibility Woes
July 30, 1917, was a chaotic day in Butte, Montana, as the local draft board struggled to cope with the weight of conscription. The master key list of names of those subject to elective conscription for the army had finally been received by the board, but a major hurdle stood in its way – a…
Summer of Corruption: Local Farmers Embroiled in Melon Scandal
July 1917 will go down in history as a season of deceit and corruption in the small town of Graceville, Florida. The usually tranquil streets of this rural community were rocked by a scandal that would shake the very foundations of the local farming industry. A shocking revelation has come to light, exposing a web…
Red Desert Refuge: Deported IWW Men Find Brief Respite in New Mexico
July 14, 1917, was a day of makeshift beds and makeshift homes for the deported IWW miners and merchants, who had been driven out of Bisbee, U.S., on July 12. After a grueling two-day journey, they arrived in Columbus, New Mexico, a small town on the American-Mexican border. This was their first glimpse of civilization…
Blood on the Capitol Steps: Clemency for Some, Justice for Others
On a sweltering July day in 1917, the Montgomery County Board of Pardon gathered at the Alabama Capitol to deliberate on the fates of several inmates. The board’s decisions would seal the destinies of men convicted of crimes ranging from grand larceny to murder. For George Holmes, a Montgomery County man convicted of grand larceny,…
Whiskey Wars: Governor Brough’s Bootlegger Buddy
On June 30, 1917, Governor Brough of Arkansas granted a pardon to a notorious bootlegger, sparking outrage in the community. The Marianna County Courier weighed in on the issue, questioning the governor’s decision and the state’s prohibition laws. ‘There may be some difference between a common, ordinary bootlegger who wilfully violates the law and the…
