Centralia College grad to perform reading of 'And Justice Wept,' based on Centralia Tragedy court transcripts

On Saturday, April 25, Centralia College graduate Joan Bell will perform a dramatic reading of "And Justice Wept," an account of the Centralia Tragedy of 1919, which is also known as the Armistice Day Riot.

Written by Bell, it is based on court transcripts from the murder trial, which followed the clash between members of the local American Legion chapter marching in the Armistice Day parade and members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union chapter, also known as "Wobblies."

Bell's performance of "And Justice Wept" will begin at 2 p.m. next Saturday. The performance is free to attend, though donations are appreciated.

It was on Nov. 11, 1919, during an Armistice Day parade in Centralia celebrating the end of World War I, when, according to some accounts, Legionnaires from the local American Legion post halted in front of the IWW's union hall.

Though it's debated to this day what happened - with Legionnaires claiming the IWW opened fire first while IWW members maintaining they only fired once the attack on their union hall began - violence ensued between the two sides, resulting in four Legionnaires being killed, one member of an ensuing posse being killed by friendly fire, one IWW member being lynched and eight more charged with murder.

Despite lynching Westly Everest, himself a WWI veteran, along with accidentally killing a member of their own posse named John Haney, no American Legion members or anyone else involved in the raid on the IWW hall were ever charged.

While the statue known as The Sentinel was erected in 1924 to honor the Legionnaires killed during the Centralia Tragedy, it wasn't until 2024 when IWW members got their own memorial dedicated to the Wobblies killed and jailed.

To learn more, read The Chronicle's coverage of the 2024 dedication ceremony at https://tinyurl.com/3fbbtafe.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 11:24 AM.