The evening times., 1899-03-18
TROOPS TO MEET STRIKERS.
Conflict Possible between Militia
and Italian Miners.

and Italian Miners.
Lake City, Col, March 1S-Three COM
panies of infantry and two troops of cav
airy from Pueblo and Denver arrived here
on trains yesterday on their way to Hen
son, where armed Italian strikers are ter
rorizng the inhabitants. A blizzard Is
blowing, SO the troops will have a terri
BILE journey, that may also include con-
fict at the end. A double guard of citi-
zens has been holding the road to the
mines for thirty hours to keep the knowi-
edge of the arrival of the troops from
the strikers.
There are 235 men in the military expe-
dition. Colonel MacArey. who commands
1t, says the only terms of settlement that
will be accepted will be the departure OF
all the Italians from the camp and the
surrender of those who were concerned in
stealing weapons from the State armory.
DR.. Cuneo, the Italian Consul, precedes
the troops, with an armed guard, and will
try to persuade the Italians to come to
Lake City and give themselves up. There
are about $50 foreigners there, fully armed,
most of them with State rifles.
AT conference yesterday afternoon be-
tween the civil and military authorities and
Messrs. Dewey and Nicholson, managers of
the mines a plan of action was outlined,
anu idlCl dI Was lSSueu ny
Judge Edgarton restraining the miners
from interfering. Justice Gates made
hurried trip to Henson on horseback. served
papers and returned. The mine owners
have promised that they will discharge all
Italian labor
There is some fear that the Italians will
destroy property with explosives. AT the
Hidden Treasure Mine the narrow canyon
is blocked by dam ninety feet high,
KNFhJ J.h krflr t1ny han,
a mile few sticks of giant powder
would destroy this dam and wipe out Lake
City. A strong guard has been placed at
this point.
Several inHammatory messages to Ital-
ians in Henson and Lake City have been
stopped in transmission. An italian sem
try who was stationed in Lake City tried
to run the guard on horseback yesterday,
to spread the news of the coming of the
troops, but was stopped and put under ar
rest.
Jealousy is the underlying cause OF the
troubles with Italian miners at Henson.
The teacher of the rural school attracted
the attentions of Roderigo Ludovic. leader
of the 400 Italians of the place. The young
woman repulsed his advances. He swore
TO be revenged, and has enlisted the whole
Italian colony in a war with the State in
consequence.
and her charges in the school building
with dynamite, but still she refused him.
A few days later he exploded several dyna-
mite sticks under the doorway OF the
school building, demoiishing the structure.
| The school teacher and children escaped
with nothing more serious than scratches.
| For this outrage the sheriff arrested
! eight Italians. who were charged with be-
ing accomplices in.the affair. Ludovic. the
| ringleader escaped. The whole Italian
colony set out to rescue the imprisoned
men, but the sheriff swore out warrants
J for more men, When he tried TO serve
! them the miners barricaded the approa hes
! to Henson. which is on the side of hill
! In narrow gorge, and is in consequence
! easily defended.
| In the absence of the sheriff trying to
| make his arrests some OF the Italians
| broke into the Lake City Armory and took
! all the guns and several thousand rounds
| of ammunition. These were distributed
| among the rioters The sheriff thereupon
| called upon the governor for assistance
Twenty years ago a similar outbreak
! at these same mines resulted in the firing
of Lake City and its practical destruction
| only one block of buildings being left
| standing.