The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-07
AS TOLD BY SOVEREIGN
INCIDENTS OF THE RIOTS IN THE
COEUR D'ALENE DISTRICT.
The Blowing Up Of the Mil at Ward
Falsehoed to Get Pass.

WASHINGTON. March 6. - Before the
Occur dAlene mining riot investigation
was resumed to-day, the House military
committee held an executive session and
decided not to call on the President for
affidavits filed with him relative to the
conditions I'm the mining country under
martial law. Andrew Devlin, a MINER
was the first witness to-day. His opinion
was that the local authorities could have
dealt with the situation without a resort
to martial law.
James r. Sovereign, former master work.
man Of the Knights of. Labor, said he was
in the Occur d'Alene district during the
demonstration against the Bunker Hill
mines and was editor Of the official organ
of the miners organization at Wallace
Idaho. He attended a labor meeting at
Gem. Idaho, the night before the blowing
up of the mill and later that night at
tended a meeting at Wallace. but there
was no talk Of blowing up the mill He
never heard that any demonstration was
contemplated against the mining property.
The next morning, while standing in front
of his Office, a man on horseback rode by
and said: Sovereign, they are coming"
He asked who were coming, and was
answered the Canyon creekers." He saw a
train with a number of men about going
down to Wardner. There were conflicting
rumor of what would occur at Wardner.
He went down on the noon train and
reached Wardner in time to hear the three
explosions when the mill was blown up.
He saw many men, some with Winches-
ters, and there was considerable firing.
To avoid the confusion. he stepped on an
engine. While on the engine a man with
a revolver boarded the cab and demanded
that the train be brought to stop and this
was done. Meantime there was shooting
into the fiume of the mining company. The
train then proceeded to Wallace. There
was no excitement there. The same quiet
prevailed at Wardner. kellogg and other
points.
Mr.. Sovereign told of his appearance
before the coroner, when many soldiers
and several lawyers identified with the
mining interests were present. AS the
military was in control. Mr. Sovereign ap-
piled to military headquarters for a pass.
The witness said he told the major In COM
mand that he was president of Montana
mining company. Thereupon the officer
showed excessive affability and said the
military forces proposed to take care of
the mine operators" He heard he was to
be arrested, but this never occurred.
Mr.. Sovereign said he had advised that
the soldiery be used to assist the local
authorities but not to enforce martial law
Instead of that martial law was enforced
with extreme severity. The conditions
were less acute, ne said, than at Chicago
during the great strike and yet the mill
tary system adopted was far more rigid.
Mr.. Sovereign described scenes at the 'bull
pen.' He said he heard negro soldiers
use obscene language against the impris-
oned miners. When the men were arrested
they wore ligh. clothing such as are used
in deep mines and although the weather
was very cold they received no additional
clothing.
The witness stated that while one of the
miners was in the 'bull pen" a party at
tempted TO force an entrance to the room
of a miners wife. The man committing
the offense was arrested by a local con-
stable, but afterwards released by the
soldiers.
official in charge of affairs, Mr.. Sovereign
said there was no difference between Gov
ernor Steuenberg. General Merriam. Cap
tain Edwards and Auditor Sinclair. They
all had Krag-Jorgensens behind them,"
he declared. He added that one OF the
mine officials had given the order TO "nre''
| at the time the demented miner johnson
was shot Mr.. Sovereign will continue
tomorrow.