The Catonsville Nine were nine Catholic activists who burned draft files to protest the Vietnam War. On May 17, 1968 they went to the draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, took 378 draft files, brought them to the parking lot in wire baskets, dumped them out, poured homemade napalm over them, and set them on fire. News footage shot by WBAL- a tv channel in Baltimore, Md.-exists of this action.
The 9 were:
George Mische and Father Phil Berrigan were prime organizers of the Catonsville 9. Numerous Baltimore community members assisted in key ways as well. The organizing process was very democratic- with interminable meetings and who's in, who's out hand raisings.
Fr. Philip Berrigan and Tom Lewis had previously poured blood on draft records as part of "The Baltimore Four"- with David Eberhardt and James Mengel - and were out on bail when they burned the records at Catonsville. The first documented action against draft files is reputed to have been by Barry Bondhus in Minnesota- who, along with other family members, carried human ordure into a draft board and then defaced draft records.
The Catonsville Nine were tried in federal court October 5–9, 1968. The lead defense attorney was William Kunstler. They were found guilty of destruction of U.S. property, destruction of Selective Service files, and interference with the Selective Service Act of 1967. They were also sentenced to a total of 18 years jail time and a fine of $22,000. Several of the nine- Mary Moylan, Phil Berrigan, Dan Berrigan and George Mische, went "undergound"- when it came time to show up for prison- in other words, the FBI had to try to find them. Father Dan Berrigan caused considerable embarassment to FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, by popping up and giving sermons and then fading back into the "undergound".
Fr. Daniel Berrigan wrote, of the Catonsville incident: "Our apologies, good friends, for the fracture of good order, the burning of paper instead of children. . . ."- the whole of his statement is in The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.
Large demonstrations occurred outside the Federal Courthouse on Calvert St. during the trial. The trial came soon after the events of the Democratic Convention in Chicago- where considerable violence took place. The 9's trial, with clergy men involved, made the over all peace movement a bit harder to dismiss- since protesters in Chicago consisted of younger, student and SDS, Weathermen, and youths with long hair.
Both the Judge- Rozwell Thompson and prosecutor of the 9- Stephen Sachs, realized the historic proportions of the event- but allowed little leeway to the defendants arguments. In these early trials of such actions- the government always overcharged and always tried to keep the trials to "nothing but the facts"- i.e.- did the 9 destroy files? or did they not. The 9, on the other hand, often referred to a higher law that they were following- God's moral law, as well as such precedents as the Nuremberg war crimes trials after World War II. They called several expert witnesses. At one point, prosecutor Sachs quipped that "the government is not a balloon attached to the consciences of the 9."
Numerous reunions have occurred with participants including jurors- the prosecutor- Steve Sachs, who later ran for Governor of Maryland- and, of course - members of the 9.
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Fr. Daniel Berrigan wrote a play in free verse, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, about the trial. The version performed is usually an adaptation into regular dialogue by Saul Levitt. The play is but a partial transcript of the trial.
In 1972 a film version of the play was produced by Gregory Peck. The play, as of 2009, is on tour presented by the "Actors' Gang" of Culver City Calif., founded by film star Tim Robbins, but has been presented innumerable times as well.
The "9", as well as the 4, inspired many other anti draft and anti military actions in the 60's and 70's- some publicized, others not....actions such as the Milwaukee 14, DC 9, Chicago 8, Harrisburg 7, Camden 28- etc. etc. The action in Camden was portrayed in a documentary that appeared on Public Television. There were actions where persons stayed- to be arrested- and actions where the participants were happy not to stay! It is unknown how many persons were not drafted because of these actions, although some few stories have surfaced.
Beginning in 1980 with the "Plowshares 8", the movement morphed into a movement that continues today (2009)- with an emphasis on nuclear weapons. These actions,called "Plowshares" actions, along with the Catonsville 9 and other earlier actions, have been portrayed in numerous films, books, etc. etc. Jonah House, in Baltimore, Md., maintains a website that updates these actions. A Chronology of Plowshares Disarmament Actions -1980-2003- has been edited and compiled by Arthur Laffin.
The 1971 play "The Trial of The Catonsville Nine" - Gordon Davidson, Director
The 1972 film "The Trial of The Catonsville Nine" - Gordon Davidson, Director - Gregory Peck, Producer.
A documentary film- "Holy Outlaw" about Daniel Berrigan- exists only on 16 mm
A Documentary about the "Plowshares 8"- "In the King of Prussia" by Emile d'Antonio
A documentary film about the event, Investigation of a Flame, was produced in 2001 by the filmmaker Lynne Sachs.
A documentary film about the Camden 28
A book by Ed Mcgowan about the Camden 28
Dar Williams' song, "I Had No Right", from her album The Green World, is about the trial of the Catonsville Nine.
Adrienne Rich's poem "The Burning of Paper Instead of Children" makes numerous references to the Catonsville Nine and includes an epigraph from Daniel Berrigan during the trial ("I was in danger of verbalizing my moral impulses out of existence").
David Eberhardt (Baltimore 4 member)- several poems in his book: Blue Running Lights- also his web site- "David Eberhardt - Poetry and Prose"
   | Fire and Faith: The Catonsville Nine File - The Catonsville Nine File : Home |
| | DVD on the Catonsville Nine - Investigation of A Flame |
| | A retreat center that honors the inspiration of Br. David Darst, one of the Catonsville Nine - BR. DAVID DARST CENTER, FOR JUSTICE & PEACE SPIRITUALITY & EDUCATION |
| | Video on the Catonsville Nine - Investigation of a Flame |
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