Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-05-06
FIGHT SEEMS Imminent.
The Arrival of u. 5. Troops at
Wardner Idaho Not Attend
ed by Any Casualties.
MINERS NOT IN SIGHT.
Retired to Strongholds in the Hills
and Are Ready For Battle at
Any Moment.


General Merriam Makes Threats to Ar
rest the Leaders at Any Hazard and
such Action VIII In All Probability Pre-
cipitats Miners VIII Resist
to the Last.
Wardner, Idaho, May 4.-Three COM
panies OF the Twenty-fourth Infantry
lcolored) have already arrived here,
and it is expected that the greater por-
ton of the regiment will be here.
The hills around about are filled with
armed union men, who are watching
every movement of the troops.
A clash is expected at any moment,
as the miners are determined and .
oughly enraged over the arrival of the
soldiers.
State Auditor Sinclair, the Govern
or's representative on the ground, IS
keeping as near he troops as possible.
Some of the more hot-headed miners
have threatened to lynch him, and he
fears they may carry out their threat.
Sinclair has had more trouble with
Sheriff Young, who Is a union sym
pathizer.
A force of Bunker Hill and Sullivan
employers were armed by the company
and placed on guard at the Last
Chance mill, which is believed to be
the next point of attack. Young sent
fifty of his deputies. all strikers, to the
mill and disarmed the c0mpany's men.
who believe they would have been
killed had the slightest resistance been
offered. They were told there was a
force of union men in the brush back
of the mill ready to fire on them at a
given signal.
Sinclair has made a formal demand
on Sheriff Young for the rifles. He al
so urges the Governor to promptly re-
move Young from office.
Boise, Idaho, May 4.-General Mer-
RAM. commanding the Department Of
Colorado left here for the scene of the
trouble in the Occur d'Alene mining
district, where he will charge
With him was United States Marshal
Ramsey, who takes with him a writ
of injunction issued by Judge Berry
of the United States Court, similar to
that issued at the time of the riot in
1892. 1t is to be served upon the Off
GERS and leaders of the Miners Union
if possible.
General Merriam was very reticent
as to his plans but very vigorous in his
denunciation of the outrages. He said
he. would cooperate to the fullest ex-
tent with the State administration to
Preserve order ami bring the guilty
pIties to justice, intimating that he
would not stop to inquire into any le-
gal questions that might arise as to
the Governors acton.
1--WE are not here to bubble over
TIN trif1es in such an emergency" he
added. Asked as Il how many troops
he was going to send in. he declined to
answer saying that information was
sjust what those murderers in the
North wanted to know" He added:
"After l have placed a hundred or so
of them under arrest | will tell you
what my plans are"
1t is the proposed attempt to arrest
the strikers that is expected to preci-
pitate trouble.
A letter has been received here from
the Occur d'Alene written by a sym
pathizer with the union men. i'm which
the following language is used; THE
people OF the State generally do not
understand the situation here, or they
would withhold their Judgment. 1t
is better that we, the workingmen and
those who depend upon their support
and their trade. should be starved TO
death and trampled under the heels of
the grinding Bunker Hill and Sullivan
and other companies. or that we
should take things into our own hands
in the absence of n protection of the
law? Shall we be destroyed or shall
the property of a wealthy corporation
be reduced to ashes as an Indication
of the wrath of a ~long-suffering peo-
pie?
"We car secure no help from others
against the infamous conduct Of the
wealthy corporations. so we must help
ourselves and keep bread and butter in
the mouths Of our children. who might
starve to death before the very eyes Of
the mining corporations without a
shadow Of sympathy. We have mapped
III our course. The Bunker Hill and
Sullivan or any other company like it
cannot longer operate here under past
arrangements. Troops can be semi i'm.
but we will wear them out, and il they
attempt to arrest any of us under the
Government by injunction arrange
ment of the mining companies our
creeks will run red with the blood of
~blue-coats. We would all regret to be
forced into such a position. but we can
moi permit ourselves to be ironed and
packed by the United States for the
worst, and propose to have the best of
it,"
Ouiet MT Wardner.