This “record sheet” for William “Big Bill” Haywood comes from his inmate case file from Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. Haywood had been convicted of obstruction of military service and sedition under the Espionage Act of 1917 and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
Haywood was the leader of the Western Federation of Miners and a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), commonly referred to as the “Wobblies.” He assembled unionists, and intimidated company bosses for improved labor conditions.
This document lists his name, registration number, crime, prison sentence, court fines and costs, sentence dates, maximum and minimum term dates, good time allowed, parole eligibility date, age, occupation, where and when he was arrested, jail time, family information, and other information about his habits. Also included is his blank “rap” sheet for prior and subsequent arrests, convictions, and incarceration. The third page shows that Haywood was released on bond on July 28, 1919. In 1921, while out on bond, he fled to the Soviet Union.
Also included in Haywood’s inmate file are his “mug shot,” commitment order, fingerprints, Bertillon measurements (an anthropometric identification system), record of items received, and other documents. See the entire file in the National Archives online catalog.
