Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-29
RIOTS AT LEADVILLE.
COLORADO MILITIA ORDERED
TO THE SCENE.
Strikin. Miners Attack the Coronado
and Emmett Mines with Dynamite
and Five Lives Are Lost In the Fight
Ing That Follows.

Leadville, Colo, Sept. 23-Five dead
bodies lying at the morgue, and half
dozen wounded, with damage to
property to the amount of $4,000 are
the visible effects of Sunday nights
lawlessness. 1t is believed that when
al is known the list Of dead and in
jured will considerably exceed these
figures. Everything is quiet now, the
camp being practically under military
rule.
The fifth name was added to the
death list by the discovery of the body
OF Michael Daugherty on the ground
near the Emmett mine, where he had
fallen in the attack of the rioters upon
the Emmett while flushed with their
victory at the Coronado. There were
many people in the upper windows,
and on house roofs provided with night
glasses, who, in the brilliant moonlight,
saw the attack on the Emmett and the
repulse of the rioters. These watchers
say the first volley from the mine was
delivered at close range, and that the
attacking party fell like grain before
the sickle. How many met the fate
of Daugherty it may remain for the
search of long abandoned shaft in
that vicinity to tell. 1t now seems
that the rioters dragged away their
dead and wounded
The following are the dead SO far
as known:
BERT MEIER.
JAMES BENSON.
JOHN MAHONEY, died this after
noon.
They were miners employed at the
Coronado. and were killed by the ex-
plosion. They were identified only by
means Of papers found on the bodies.
Dying:
WILLIAM o'KEEFE, foreman of
hose company No. 2; shot through the
stomach.
j. HIGGINS, miner employed at the
Coronado; shot eight times in arms
and stomach.
Injured:
T.. Frank Telle.
Martin Scott.
Both were Coronado miners. Their
wounds are not believed to be fatal.
The Coronado people had heard of
the coming of trouble, but the SUPPOSE
ton was that the attack was to be
made at the Emmett. Soon after the
destruction commenced many Of the
citizens responded quickly, armed with
rifles and shotguns, but they could do
little in fighting the fire and dynamite
Foreman O'Keefe was shot from behind
just after he turned a stream on the
fire at the Coronado. The first attack
mite near the oil tanks. The men with
in the Enclosure returned the attack
and a fusilade of bullets followed but
the dynamite did it's work well.
1t is charged that the lawlessness
Sunday was due to a mob of strikers,
principally from the Occur d'Alene
country, who have long been breeding
trouble IN Leadville, and who, seeing
that the strike was nearing an end,
were determined to make a final
stroke. This assertion is largely made
by the peaceful miners of the camp.
Early Sunday night there was every
evidence that the strike was broken.
Many miners had announced their in
tention of going to work in the morn
ing After being repulsed at the EN-
NETT mine, the mob, which numbered
not over fifty persons, fled the town,
and arc hiding in the hills
Denver, COL, Sept. 23.-Gov. McIn-
tyre Monday morning received the fol-
lowing letter from the sheriff at Lead
vile:
"Leadville, Col, Sept. 81, 3 a. m.-
Gov. Mcintyre, Denver: The situa-
ton here is beyond my control. am
compelled to call on you for aid to
preserve order, and hereby do so. All
are of the present opinion that a
strong force is needed.
IN II. NEWMAN, Sheriff."
The governor at once ordered out
a strong force of militia. The Denver
& Rio Grande officials took extraordi-
nary precautions to prevent the wreck
ing of trains carrying troops to Lead
Vile. Guards were sent out and the
entire road from Salida to Leadville
was patrolled and picketed. Three
special trains were dispatched from
Denver carrying tsoldiers and supplies. |
The troops are under command of
Brighten. Brooks, and Adjt Gen. |
Moses accompanied them.