Broadside: To Dead Fighters for Freedom (Funeral Chant)

New York, 1949. First Edition. Quarto (28cm.); mimeographed on yellow stock. Extremities just a hint toned and rather brittle with one long closed tear to bottom edge affecting one word without loss of meaning. Very Good overall. Poem dated July 12, 1949, and "Dedicated to the memory of Benjamin H. Fletcher, veteran Negro revolutionary Industrialist Unionist who died July 10, 1949, and to all other valiant ones who died in the fight for Freedom." Fletcher was one of the most prominent leaders of the IWW as a member Local 8, the IWW branch of Philadelphia longshoremen, consequently convicted along with hundreds of other IWW members for treasonous activity (truncated) during World War I. Sentenced to 10 years, he ultimately served three after which most sentences were commuted. Herber Mahler, the author of this poem and General Secretary-Treasurer of the IWW from 1931-2, was also among those who served time. Broadside unlocated in OCLC as of October, 2015. (Inventory #: 27624)