
Bucket, turpentine bottle and funnel; presumably a Crown exhibit in the trial of the ‘IWW Twelve’, Sydney, 1919.
From a negative found in a box marked ‘IWW Dope’. The International Workers of the World, or ‘Wobblies’, carried out a program of direct action (which included sabotage and incendiarism) in Sydney in 1916, agitating for the release of their leader, Tom Barker. Barker had been jailed for sedition after making an anti-war speech in the Sydney Domain. ‘Dope’ refers to incendiary materials, such as cotton waste, turpentine, phosphorous and kerosene, allededly found during police raids on IWW headquarters in Sussex Street and in the rooms of various IWW members.
Although the police evidence was considered slim, the ‘IWW Twelve’, were convicted of conspiracy and sedition, and all received long jail sentences. A royal commission in 1920 overturned the convictions. Detective Arthur Surridge, whose name can be read on the label here, led the police action.
This series of photographs is among the earliest forensic object/exhibit photographs yet found in the NSW Police photograph archive. See also ‘Playing cards, two of diamonds, two of spades and two of clubs laid out on dark background, presumably a police exhibit presented in the trial of the ‘IWW Twelve’, Sydney, 1919.’ in this collection.
See this image in the pictures catalogue