Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-06-02
BARBAROUS STRIKERS.
They Throw Lot of Dynamite
Into a Cripple Ore elk Mine.
Tho Shaft Is Wrecked and Eleven Miners,
Working Hundreds of Feet Below
the Surface, Are Killed by
the Explosion.
DEPUTIES FORCED To SURRENDER.

CRIPPLE CREEK, Col, May 26.-Eleven
men dead, with a repor+ef other fatal
tiles, marks the first day of active hos
tilities here, though . pitched battle
has not yet taken place. AT 10 o'clock
Friday morning eleven men started to
work in the Strong mine on Battle
mountains. Shortly afterwards large
party of strikers blew up the shaft
house with powder, causing loss of
$4,000, and then dropped 100 pounds of
giant powder down the shaft, which
was also exploded, killing all the in
mates.
Sam Mcdonald, superintendent of
the Strong, Anna Lee and Gold King
mines, and Charley Robinson, foreman
of the Strong, are missing, which gives
credence to the story of slaughter. If
the men were in certain portions of the
mine the concussion may not have
killed them. Sam Strong, owner of
the mine, is given as authority for the
statement that eleven men were killed,
though there is rumor that the men
were warned by masked striker and
got away safely.
Not more than 800 yards from the
Strong shaft house sixteen men who
had been engaged to go to work in the
Independence mine were surrounded
in their bunk house, and, after a long
parley, agreed to surrender. Each one
was armed with rifle and brace of
revolvers. The arms are now in the
possession of the strikers.
The deputies have withdrawn from
the field. Their train has pulled out
some distance on the Florence and
Cripple Creek railway, there to re-
main until reinforcements arrive.
Denver will send another trainload of
hired fighters at IL o'clock to-day.
Colorado Springs will add several
hundred and Leadville will contribute
300. These forces with those already
in the field will aggregate 1,lO0 men,
who are selected for courage. With a
twelve pound ritled cannon at their
head they will renew the assault by
noon without, however, much prospect
of dislodging the strikers, who are ter
, ribly effective in the use of giant pow
der and dynamite.
The Anna Lee, it is now said, was
treated as was the Strong, and Nc
Donald, the defiant superintendent, is
reported dead. Following this the
strikers erected Notifications on Battle
mountain overlooking the Portland and
Independence, and now have the two
highest points in the district almost
| impregnable. Gov. Waite is consider
ing the eXpediency of calling out the
entire militia, infantry, artillery and
cavalry, to capture the deputies inn
ID
the law expressly forbids such action.
| He favors martial law.
When the deputies are finally massed
| and the two forces come together a
| desperate battle will doubtless be
! fought. The situation is one of most
| painful anxiety. Not few believe that
the town will be smoldering mass of
ruins by another sunset if the strikers
be not restrained.
At Victor, miles away, where fully
1000 persons reside, reign of terror
exists. Within a half mile of the cor
poration limits of the town all day
long fully 800 union miners, armed
with rifles, have paraded up and
down the side of the hill. Occasion
ally detour into the village
would be made and persons whom the
miners thought to be Objectionable
were ordered to leave the place. The
guards from Denver upon arrival at
Victor went into camp on neighbor.
ing hill. The strikers threw out a
picket line, entirely surrounding them
but at distance that guarantees
them safety from the deputies rifles.
1t is said that the strikers have
planted under their breastworks on
Bull hill quantity of dynamite, with
the intention of blowing it up if il
should be taken and occupied by the
deputies. One of the largest mine
owners in Colorado Springs is author
ity for the statement that the mine
owners have planted rifed cannon
on hill commanding the breast
works, and that it will be used to dis
lodge the strikers from that position.
The capturing and disarming of dep
uties numbering eighteen was accom-
plished by women, and ever since the
occurrence two of the women have
been holding high court in saloon
where the strikers shower congratula
tions on them. Two wagons loaded
with powder and cartridges for one o
the mines were captured by the strik
ers and their contents confiscated.