Biography
Jacob Tori was an IWW delegate and organizer from San Francisco, California. Jacob Tori was indicted by the Department of Justice for his "rantings" against the war and his urging young men "not to register" for the draft. He was convicted at the mass IWW trial in Sacramento and sentenced to ten years in prison, which he served in local county jails and Leavenworth Penitentiary from December 1917 to December 24, 1923. An organizer and a delegate for the IWW since 1913, Tori helped organize the fruit-packing industry. Tori's lack of cooperation in prison caused prison officials to declare him the "most worthless man" at Leavenworth. His twenty written reprimands included offenses such as "killing time, " "indolence and defiance, " "getting up from the supper table without permission, " "wasting food at dinner" and "talking in the mess hall." Twice he was placed in isolation on a restricted diet for being "worthless and insolent." On four occasions he was reprimanded for "refusing to break enough rock." Tori was among the last of the IWW prisoners released on December 24, 1923.
The March1922 official report lists J. Tori in List1 of convicted prisoners or parolees. The government entry reports Conspiracy (espionage act). a sentence of January 17, 1919, 10 years at Leavenworth.. Imposed terms, projected term-expiration dates, parole eligibility and intervals on bond are different measures; none is entered as a complete actual custody total. This attributed government entry is retained alongside the independently established individual chronology. [PDF19]
Government Prosecutions under the Espionage Act, Senate Document159 (March1922), PDF page 19.
