Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-22
LEADVILLE HAS WAR
DESPERATE FIGHT BETWEEN
STRIKERS AND NINE GUARDS.
THREE MEN MORTALITY WOUNDED
Two Others Seriously Hurt-Coro-
naJO Shaft-HouJe Burned-Other
Mines kttacked-The Attacking
Party Finally Driven on.


LEADvILLE. coll. September a.
Leadville was a battle-ground to-day
and the Coronado mine was the scene
OF a desperate engagement between
strikers and twenty men who were work.
ing i'm and living at the mine. The bloody
hand Of lawlessness and anarchy by the
use Of dynamite bombs burned the Coro-
nado shaft-house, and made an attack
i'm force on the mines. but the attacking
party were driven from their ground
with three OF their members mortally
wounded, and two seriously injured. The
most atrocious crime committed during
this lawIess attack was the shooting and
mortal wounding Of Jerry O'keefe' who
was doing his duty as fireman In try
ing to extinguish the blaze, that, despite
the efforts Of the fire department, con-
sumed four dwellings, as well as the
Coronado shaft-house and outbuidings.
But the bloody work of the strikers
was not confined alone TO the Coronado
mine A lawless mob gathered around
the Emmett q little after the attack
was made on the Coronado, but the men
at the Emmett were ready for the attack,
ana when the crowd appeared they fired
such a volley of bullets into them that
they found it unsafe to go further in
their nefarious work. Not one or their
number was killed, but Jerry Mahoney,
a miner. leasing near the Resurrection,
who happened 10 be coming along the
road at the time, walked between the
r.Ir h on hA IA .i1 "a
with the first volley was shot, probably
fatally.
At the FL Paso, also. the men were
attacked by strikers, but left the shaft
house and sought cover close by Here
they awaited the attack of the strikers,
but the latter did not come near the
property, contenting themselves with
firing about q hundred shots into the
shaft-house.
Armed men also prowled around the
Ram mine at the same time. and fired
several shots into the shaft-house, but did
not come close enough TO throw dynamite
bombs and fire the buildings.
a great quantity of giant powder was
burned outside the fence of the Emmett
mine. but no harm was done by it. This
powder was brought TO blow up the
Emmett shaft-house, but the resistance
made to the attack by the men on the
inside foiled the strikers plans, and. fear
ing being caught with the powder in their
possession. they burned it.
KILLED AND WOUNDED.
The men who were killed at the Coro-
nado are Berry Weir, James Benson,
and Jerry O'Keefe.
Morally wounded, VIII Higgins.
No one is able TO identify either Benson
hainc- known nv
letters in their possession. Higgins has
four bullet-wounds i'm his right arm, and
one. which is pronounced dangerous, just
below the abdomen. This is lodged In
his stomach, and DR.. Jeanette says, will
prevent his recovery. Higgins is not
more than 20 years OF age.
Jerry Mahoney is not dead, but the
doctors say he cannot live, and viii
probably die to-day. Mahoney is not
a striker. although he is union miner.
He was working a lease with two others,
and they were with him when he was
shot, but none Of the men knew they
had walked into a death-trap until Ma
honey was pierced by ball, and fell
from his horse.
O'Keefe and Mahoney are single men,
and IL Is believed that Benson and Weir
are also single
Under orders of the Governor several
companies OF militia are on their way
from Denver and Colorado Springs 10
strengthen the local military force OF
three companies
THE STRIKERS DEMANDS.
The miners were organized recently by
the Western Federation of Miners, and
almost every mine-worker was in the
union when their demands were made.
The miners ask 50 a day FOR all classes
OF workmen, including surface and under
ground men. The employers declared at
the beginning OF the trouble that they
were willing 10 continue paying the wages
which had prevailed in Leadville up To
that time Under that scale surface
workers were paid only S2.6O and pracu-
caIly the only change the union proposes
is the advance of the wages of this class
of men 10 50.
The mine-owners have refused to listen
to any proposition from the employees.
They insist that the Governor, the courts,
and the newspapers are with the miners,
and that 1t would be impossible for them
to manage their own property II they
made any concessions. The courts say
they are powerless unless the Sherin
brings offenders within their jurisdiction.
The mine-owners explain that the Sherlit
holds the key to the situation. and is In
league with the strikers.
CITY AGAIN QUIET.
Tonight the city Of Leadville Is quiet,
the saloons are all closed. and the people
who are on the streets are standing idly
about. talking discreetly low.
The State militia. which has for the
fourth time i'm two years been called out
to stop rioting i'm the mining-camps, Is
arriving tonight. and will do merely pa
troll duty, for there Is absolutely no evil
dence Of rioting in the entire camp.
The two militia companies OF Leadville,
a large company from Cripple Creek and
two companies from Pueblo, were on
hand here before darkness came on-one
company patrollng the powder-maga-
zines, three at the Emmett mines. and
the others on duty at the armory. who
will doubtless assist the deputy sheriffs
and police department In patrolling the
camp. The First Regiment, from Dem
yer. with the chaffee Light Artillery. and
a troop OF cavalry, will reach Leadville
before midnight.
While no one can predict with certain
~ the outcome OF the night the mine's
and mine-operators who talk say that
there will be no further trouble until the