The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-27
A TRUCE AT GILMAN.
LawIess Leaders Bring the
Miners Into Disrepute.
THE HOME GUARDS DANGEROUS.
Saloons Closed at the Request Of Citi-
zens-Tbe Experimentation In
sist That They Are Blacklistcd.

still striking and the mine 10 still idle That
sums up the condition of Affairs, as it Is likely
20 do for several days to come. No more violence
has been committed, but threats abound. The
disorderly element among the miners seem TO
have no more use for the deputies than for Sui
liyan's guards, for while group Of them stood
on the street last night talking with the deputies
one man said:
.when we get ready for you, you'll go out Of
camp
fresh instance Of intimidation developed
this morning John Reinschmidt, German
blacksmith, living in O shanty beside the creek
at the lower end of town, short distance from
the other houses has been an object OF wrath
because he shoes the company's horses This 10
his story:
They come 70 I'M me and they must wI
work for any man who brings me work" Last
Monday night went home 70 my shanty about
9:3O, and found that IL had been broken into.
There must have been man watching outside,
because all my cabbages were trampled down.
They took my breech-loading rife, a razor,
comb, threw the butter and the vinegar in the
water pail, broke open my trunk and scattered
about six pounds of rice about the floor. and
stole little bag containing s. or 81 in Ameri-
countries Last night slept at the bakers
house, and when went home to get my break
fast this morning 1 found board
my shanty set against the door, and on it
was written in lead pencil: "You damned -
of a -, IL you talk any more about the miners
we will hang you" don't know who stole my
things, SO / don't say any of the miners did it,
but / believe they wrote that message. They
are mad with me because i talk about them,
and they want to drive me out of camp. They
can't drive me out unless they take me out
dead.
The following notice appears on the BARRIERS
shop, apparently intended for the Sullivan men:
All Pinkertons & deputys scab labour are re-
quested to keep inside OF the dead line after four
o'clock, June 23rd. GILMAN RESIDENTS.
The facts appear to be that there is a lawless
element among the strikers, who are determined
10 gain the end in view, namely, to prevent the
operation OF the mines by any men except them
selves and at their terms. They do not contine
themselves to the methods by which a
strike can be carried on within the limits of the
law-remaining idle on the scene OF their
work, and seeking, by reason and argument, to
dissuade any men from going to work until the
object of the strike is gained This element
may be a small proportion of the 200 or 300 strik
ers here, but il is the most active and the most
mischievous, and is damaging the cause of the
miners in the eyes of workingmen generally,
a well as of the general public. There are per-
hsps forty or fifty such men-there may be less
but they rule the roost. III any man is suspect
ed or accused of weakening, he Is interviewed
by committee and threatened, at first vaguely,
and, according to the degree of readiness he
shows to give in, the threats become more and
the man remains obstinate, he is held in con-
slant dread and Is the recipient of threatening
messages.
These men are only minority, but they con-
troll everything by their extreme methods
There is a proportion of the men, perhaps equal
in numbers to the extreme radicals, who are
anxious to work but are intimidated. Several
have admitted much TO the writer, but only
in confidence, for they evidently feared to speak
their minds IL there was any danger of their
words being repeated and their names revealed.
Others there are who are willing to abide by the
decision of the majority al to ending the strike.
They approved the beginning of it, but take no
active part in the affairs. They remain at home,
reading or working in their gardens or go out
fishing and hunting. They do not approve of
the organization of the 'home guard" and have
refused 70 join in it. One of them said: "If 1t
is wrong for the Sullivan men TO carry guns il is
wrong for NJ, and two wrongs never yet made a
right" II tho strike should be declared
off they would go to work. They are consid-
cred good, steady workmen, but they dread the
slur OF being called blacklegs more than the
name OF murderer, and will never break away
from the ranks. There 10 another class, more
radical than these passive strikers and more
conservative than the extreme radicals. They
favor activity in keeping the ranks solid by law
full means and in securing aid from other I'M
ions, but they are opposed to overstepping the
line between law and lawlessness, yet their en-
thuSiasm is such that in a fit of temporary ex-
element they are liable to overstep that line
and thus probably many of them were engaged
IN the disorderly scene on Wednesday, though
they may have afterwards regretted il. As the
strike is prolonged this class grows more angry
and merges into the radical faction, yet it serves
rs brake on the lawless disposition Of that fac
ton by its active opposition to extreme
measures. The whole body of the Gill
man miners cannot Justly be considered
a mail nf fhair
Der are so, yet they are in g sense responsible,
because they do not restrain the lawless. Their
only excuse can be that the threats and acts of
intimidation and anonymous letters are the
work of few men acting on their own mo ton.
Thus one man was probably concerned in the
sending OF the threatening letter TO Heist, the
baker. Only one man may have been concerned
In the threatening message to Reinschmidt, and
only two or three men may have done the shoot
ing on Superintendent Parker's house. but the
miners o. Gilman as body are blamed for these
acts. If the radicals had not been here the men
who are willing to work would probably have
been mining coal long before now, or would have
united with the passive strikers in carrying a
motion to declare the strike off. The conserva-
tive leaders, by keeping up enthusiasm and sup
plies, and the radicals, by threats and intimida
tion, have kept the ranks solid and prevented
either strikers or new men from going to work
The deputies, with revolyers, seem TO feel that
they are no match for the superior numbers of
the home guard, with rifles and shotguns and.
though this regiment of miners processes 10
exist only for the protection of homes the depu-
ties believe il would fire on them If they
attempted TO escort any blacklegs TO the mine
One OF the quieter miners. who refused 10 ioin
this body, said: al don't want to march and
drill 70 protect my home l have got q gun 10
protect my home, and you bet know how 10
shoot" The miners insist that they are Quiet
law-sbiding citizens, and probably nine-tenths
OF them are such in intention, and three fourths
or hve-sixths are such in fact
J. ID. Mullarkey, the father of the young man
who had the quarrel with Mrs. Hest, this
morning proposed that su OF the saloons be
closed, for a few days At any rate, or at least
until affairs are quieter, and the postmaster,
George Parks, went around to the several
saloons and obtained the consent OF their pro
ptietors To the arrangement Deputy Sheriff
Mcdonald found Auditor Twichell, Commits
sioner TAYLOR, Prosecuting Attorney Miller and
DIR. X. NJ. Eames, the county physician on the
train on the way up the road, and obtained a
promise from Mr.. Taylor that the licenses would
be extended for as many DAYS as the saloon,
remained closed. He made q round OF the
saloons in the afternoon, and found them all
closed.
The following statement was addressed TODAY
10 the editor of the Observation-Disclosures:
We As committee appointed by the miners
OF diInisn 20 act IN this matter would saw in re-
ply to Manager Wilson's statement contained
in your issue OF the Goth: Flr.t-Thst III be
WISHES 70 shut the mine down indefinitely IL is
bis privilege. Ills mine superin tendeut is the
man 10 blame, for be has declared that we must
eaerihce our homes and all of our sufround fnrS
sud leave the state of Washington for throuSh
MT. narkers agency We are blaeklis,sd through
a - F.f d 800 81 -.