Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-03-22

| Otu0F IdOOr OFPdulZallOuS lurUuS uOu
| the United States contributed to thu
relief of these unfortunate people ant
$11, 900 was expended in supplying th'
| families of union miners between thu
months of May and September, 1899
thus practically preventing their star
| vatiou.
1t appears from the kilograms of the
! War Department that Gen. Merriam
was ordered merely to obey the civi
authorities IN enforcing law, but tha
he was not authorized to make any
rules for The government of the min
ers. This he did do in approving and
enforcing the permit system and il
permitting the military to be used as e
| tool of those who, for personal reas
ons, sought to unlawfully imprison
innocent citizens. Not only were
members of the miners union unlaw,
fully held without opportunity to give
bail and without any character ot
charge against them, but the board OF
county commissioners was also arrest,
ed and incarcerated without criminal
charge against them.
Thomas Heney, sturdy citizen ot
means and good reputation, was ar.
rested and kept ninety days in this
bull pen, and although he could have
given bonds-as he swears on oath-oi
800. 900, he was never permitted to
give any bonds and was finally dis
charged. After the state authorities
got through with him he was turned
over to Captain Edwards, who kept
him on bread and water for nine days,
and refused to permit him to leave
until he did penal service in digging a
ditch around the bull pen.
An old soldier by the name of Thorn
as James, crippled in the war, simply
because he hobbled along and could
scarcely keep up with the line of pris-
oners being marched between four
negro soldiers, was struck in the head
by the butt of musket in the hands
OF one of the soldiers and knocked
senseless. Another soldier, Miller,
was arrested without cause, and being
returned from the closet, was unable
to walk fast enough to suit his guard,
whereupon the negro soldier said
Walk faster" Miller replied: BE
little lenient on me, | am an old
man. l cannot walk faster. Thirty
five years ago l fought to free your
color. Be little lenient on me-" 81
don't give Cd d-n," retorted the
soldier, this gun wants to smoke
anyhow" and putting the bayonet in
the back of this old Federal soldier,
showed him along. Had he stopped
he would have undoubtedly been more
seriously injured.
One hundred and forty men were
put upon bread and water for nine
days because they refused to work
digging a ditch around this prison.
Hard board troughs had been provid-
ed for their beds. and these troughs
had been filled with hay, but during
these nine days the hay was entirely
removed and these men, American
citizens. uuaccused of crime, were
starved and compelled to sleep upon
the bare boards, laid crosswise in the
bed, warped and uneven. and many OF
them preferred sleeping on the wet
ground.
One of the men told Captain Ed
wards, of the United States army, who
was in charge at :he bull pen, when
these men were standing in line: ''We
haven't any permit to work." alluding
to the system then in force. whereupon
this type of American soldiery G? said;
You are a lot of damn cowardly
ours" and ordered the soldiers in
charge to shoot the first man who
moved off the line.
But why extend this line of testi-
mony. The testimony already taken
would fiji a volume showing conduct
wholly inexcusable on the part of the
military.
The constitution of the United States
and of the state, with its immunities
and protection for life and liberty has
been set aside, suspended and abrogat-
ed within the limits of sovereign
state for more than a year. Civil law
has been oyerthrown and q military
despotism continues to exist.
Look to the Representatives and