Biography
John Moore was a Portland criminal-syndicalism defendant, acquitted on May 6, 1931. In the winter of 1930–31, Portland, Oregon revived its criminal-syndicalism law in a wave of raids on the Communist Party and Young Communist League, prosecuting members for their political affiliation. Ben Boloff was the first tried and drew a ten-year term; a mass defense campaign won acquittals for several of the others.
The May 6, 1931 Portland telegram published May 7 reports that Moore was acquitted and freed that day, correcting the April acquittal previously stated in this biography. The older May 3 account on page three says his trial opened April 27, identifies him as Portland ILD secretary and a Canadian-army World War I machine-gunner, and names attorney Irvin Goodman, prosecutor Dillard and Judge Hewitt. Its prediction of conviction was superseded by the later telegram. Reports connecting the original arrests with a raid and with an unemployment demonstration are retained without inventing an uninterrupted jail span. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1931/v08-n110-NY-may-07-1931-DW-LOC.pdf#page=1
The Spark and the Flame names John Moore among those arrested at the Communist meeting hall in Portland’s Worcester Building on September 10, 1930 who told police they were United States citizens. The study distinguishes that group from the men threatened with deportation. The later criminal-syndicalism proceedings and established custody information remain separate from this citizenship account. Source: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5665d770df40f3d958f69fd2/t/6362c37535b25e49dee88bf8/1667416949422/03.Thompson%2BElk%2BProtest%2BDraft-final.docx.pdf#page=4
The March 23, 1931 Daily Worker, page 3, identifies Moore as secretary of the Portland International Labor Defense branch and explicitly on bail on the same criminal-syndicalism charge while testifying for Fred Walker. It describes his World War I machine-gun service in France. Bail status is established by publication; the article supplies no exact bail-release day and no new arrest. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1931/v08-n071-NY-mar-23-1931-DW-LOC.pdf#page=3
The September 15, 1930 Daily Worker, page 1, names John Moore among sixteen people held after the September 9 raid on Portland’s Workers Center at 312 Worcester Building. The newspaper lists the worker among the other eight held on vagrancy charges. Its September 9 raid date differs from September 10 in other accounts; the release date and total time held are not stated. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1930/v07-n222-Nat-sep-15-1930-DW-LOC.pdf#page=1
The Portland dispatch recalls that Fred Walker and John Moore had been tried after Boloff and freed before the remaining cases were dismissed on November 16. This corroborates their acquittal history; it supplies no individual new physical release day or measured custody interval and does not imply Boloff was freed.
The Portland report names this defendant in the criminal-syndicalism prosecution and the jail photograph caption individually identifies him. Lambo Mitseff is also named for deportation. The article describes raids on the Workers Center and an informer, M. R. Bacon. Ten-year prison terms were threatened exposure, not imposed sentences; no physical release or complete duration is established.
During Walker’s Portland trial, prosecutor Dillard referred to Moore as a defense witness already out on bail on the same criminal-syndicalism charges. This confirms an interruption before Moore’s later trial; it is not an acquittal or exact discharge day.
Carl Munbi’s page 4 report celebrates his criminal-syndicalism acquittal after five hours of jury deliberation, describes public applause and prosecutor Dillard’s failed demand for conviction. Its account calls the verdict day Tuesday, whereas the existing chronology dates acquittal May 6, 1931, a Wednesday. The weekday conflict is retained without using either the issue date or an inferred Tuesday to overwrite a separately sourced exact date. The article’s declaration that he was free supports the outcome rather than a new custody episode.
