People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1892-07-15
A REGULAR BATTLE
BETWEEN UNION AND NON UNION
MINERS IN IDAHO.
The World Wide Effort to Perfect
Capitalistic Control Of Wages
Again Manifest.

strained situation in Occur d'Alene
labor troubles eliminated this morning
between and o'clock. The events Of
the day previous consisted Of challenges
from the non-union men at Frisco and
Gem mines TO the union miners at the
speedy rupture. Both the Gem and
Frisco mines were guarded by men be-
hind barbados, armed with Winches-
ters, and as the canyon is narrow where
the miners are located the men behind
the barricades could sweep the two rail
road tracks and the country with bullets.
The Gem mine barricaders were within
500 feet Of the center of the town of
Gem
This morning at o'clock miner from
Gem started from Burk When oppo-
site Frisco mine he was fired upon. He
ran back several hundred yards to Gem,
where the shot had been heard, and soon
the miners in town gathered with arms
They marched in q body toward the
Frisco mill, located directly in front Of
the mine. When scarcely within rifle
range, a volley from Frisco mill greeted
the miners, and lead whistled all about
them. They scattered, and a regular
battle ensued One miner and one nom
union man were killed and six wounded
during the engagement. The miners, il
the meantime, went around the hills up
the canyon above the mines, loaded a
car with seven hundred and fifty pounds
Of giant powder and sent it down the
track toward the Frisco mine. Directly
in front of the mill the explosion oc-
CURED, SCATTERING the mill to splinters
and making it q compIe.e wreck.
The on,union men showed the white
flag. and arrendeyed. rhoy. Wa
marched down to the miners union hall
ard guarded.
While the fight was going on at Frisco,
the guards suddenly began firing volley
after volley into the town of Gem, rid
ding buildings with bullets. John
Ward, a citizen, was shot through the
arm, and Gus Carlson, union man. was
shot and killed.
Attempts to recover Carlson's body
were met with volleys from the Gem
breastworks, and when the body was re-
covered an hour afterward 1t was life
less, another bullet having been sent
through the breast. No shots were re-
turned from the Gem until armed miners
from the Frisco, half mile above the
Gem, returned.
At &C Ock a. m. a truce occurred and
the sheriff, district attorney and deputy
United States marshal appeared on the
scene. The train was stopped by an
armed guard at the Gem mine. The
sheriff took the mail on his shoulders
and passed on to Gem. The guards
leveled their rifles at him but dropped
them when they learned his identity.
At Gem several hundred men were
gathered in the streets with rifles and re-
volvers. Peace negotiation were imme-
diately set on foot, and at IL o'clock the
nom union force surrendered to the
union men.
The number of killed, so far as can be
learned, is four, and about ten wounded,
though there may be bodies under the
Frisco mill. Frisco and Gem were the
only non-union places in tie east end of
the Occur d'Alene.
The cause of the strike was the de-
mand of the union miners of the dis
trict for $3.50 per day for every man
working under ground. The mine
owners held that laborers should
be paid only So. When the miners re-
fused to accept the scale the mines were
closed. The owners declared excessive
freight rates were the cause of the re-
duction. A lockout was begun April 1st
by the Mine Owners Association, and
3 900 miners were thrown out of work.
Since then the mine owners have been
making a struggle to run their mines
with non-union men and guards. The
tension has been great for months, and
the opinion has prevailed that only a
spark was needed to start the flame of
riot. The example at Homestead and
the decision Of the United States court
at Boise, making perpetual the injunc-
ton against the Miners Union, brought
matters to head.
The fear is expressed that the scene of
violence may extend to other parts of
the State, necessitating the proclama-
ton of martial law. Tue Governor has
called on the President for troops. The
union miners are described as an undis-
ciplined mob of from four to five hum
dred, armed with Winchesters and re-
volvers. They are elated with their
success and will not be satisfied until