This list records the items received from William “Big Bill” Haywood when he was admitted to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. It comes from his inmate case file and shows: money in the amount of $22.39, a watch, gum, handkerchiefs, socks, papers, a comb, a toothbrush, and a magnifying glass, among other items.
Haywood was convicted of obstruction of military service and sedition under the Espionage Act of 1917 and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. He 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.
Also included in Haywood’s inmate file are his “mug shot,” “record sheet,” “rap sheet,” commitment order, fingerprints, Bertillon measurements (an anthropometric identification system), and other documents. See the entire file in the National Archives online catalog.
