Biography
Niels Rundquist, listed in this database as Neils Randquist, was an International Seamen's Union member imprisoned at Maine State Prison, Thomaston, following the 1921 Portland seamen's strike. In a letter published February 18, 1925, he described a six-year sentence and approximately three and a half years in custody after a fatal encounter aboard a schooner staffed by strikebreakers. The report identifies the conviction as manslaughter. His exact arrest, prison-transfer and release dates and an identifiable portrait remain unresolved.
The International Labor Defense holiday roster in the December 29, 1925 Daily Worker lists this prisoner, printed as Wils Randquist, at Thomaston Maine. Its printed identifier is Box A; this is a prison number or mailing designation, not a year or a custody date. This documents confinement at the roster’s reporting time, without establishing an admission, transfer, release, new conviction or complete duration. Existing independently sourced custody chronology remains separate. Source: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1925/1925-ny/v02b-n297-NYE-dec-29-1925-DW-LOC.pdf#page=5
1920s custody review: The February 18, 1925 Daily Worker, page 3, prints a letter signed Niels Rundquist from Thomaston and identifies the case as arising from the 1921 Portland seamen's strike. Rundquist describes a six-year sentence and approximately three and a half years already confined; the accompanying report identifies manslaughter convictions after a fatal encounter aboard a strikebreaker-manned schooner. This supports initial custody in 1921 at year precision only, not an exact day or a separately dated state-prison transfer. Release and photograph remain unresolved. His letter gives May 11 as his birthday, conflicting with the February 11 in a later birthday list; no birth date is asserted here.
Source: published prisoner letter
The May 1926 letter from fellow Maine prisoners Fallon, Dirks and Harty reports that comrade Rundquist was already out and at sea. This adds contemporary evidence of actual freedom by the time of the letter, distinct from their forecasts for other prisoners. The undated letter does not establish a precise discharge day, or demonstrate that the discharge occurred during 1926 rather than earlier.
