The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-05-12
SINCLAIR'S EVIDENCE.
Idaho's Principal Witness in the
State Mining Troubles.
Testimony Reveals the Terrible
State of Affairs which Made
State Interference Nee
esgary.

Bartlett Sinclair, state auditor OF
Idaho, and a principal witness of the
Occur dAlene mining troubles, gave
very important testimony in support
Of the acton taken by the state to
preserve peace and order in that Sec
ton. He stated that he was travel
ing through Idaho week prior to the
riots of April 30, 1899, when he met
the state inspector Of mines, j. Cziozk,
who. informed him that he had been
to Wardner, and that n miners strike
there was threatened. He arrived at
Boise, and some days later received q
summons from Gov. Steunenberg.
During the interview that followed,
the situation at Wardner was dis
cussed, and telegram was received
from Frederick Burbidge, manager of
the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mine,
calling upon the state for protection.
Sheriff Young said that quiet pre-
vailed, that all the differences had
been adjusted, no appeals hid been
made to him for assistance, and no
trouble was to be apprehended. From
property owners, however, messages
were received, setting forth quite
different situation, and calling for
state interference. Soon afterward
another message was received to the
effect that the Bunker Hill and Sulli-
van mill had been destroyed. Bart
lett Sinclair was then requested by
Gov. Steunenberg to go Immediately
| to Wardner as a representative of the
state, and advise what action should
be taken to prevent further trouble
and protect the lives and property of
the citizens. The governor expressed
deep sympathy for all laboring men,
and admonished him to be particular
ly careful in his Investigations, and
not to ask for state troops unless 1t
should appear absolutely necessary
for them to preserve law and order,
and that the civil authorities were
powerless to act. Mr.. Sinclair visited
| Wardner under the governors instruc-
tions, talked with Sheriff Young and
| two other county officers, who admit
| ted that they were powerless to cope
with the situation, and later attended
a meeting of the business men, where
the situation, in all of its phases, was
carefully considered. The miners who
had been driven from Wardner into
the mountains by the rioters from
Canon creek, were returning with
| arms; schools were closed; women
were huddled together in one building
| for projections; men remained on
guard without sleep to protect their
homes, and terror reigned supreme.
Fearing momentary clash between
the armed factions the witness said he
telegraphed Gov. Steunenberg 10 de-
clare martial law, and send the troops,
which was accordingly done. On the
arrival of the troops, he called upon
Sheriff Young to identify some of the
miners who had been guilty of the
crimes recently committed, so that
they might be arrested. Sheriff Young
although he had ridden on the train
with the mob, said that he was unable
to identify any individual. In the
hope of arresting and furnishing the
guilty, Sinclair appointed and swore
in a large number of deputies, and sent
them to take the miners of Canon
Creek, as well as those of the Wardner
Miners union who had conspired to
bring about this trouble. \ detail of
soldiers was sent with the deputies,
not to make arrests, but to afford pro-
lection. He explained that he felt JUS
titled in making these wholesale ar
rests on the information from the
union miners themselves, that resolu-
tions had been adopted by the unions
to steal the train and go to Wardner on
this errand of murder and destruction.
Pursuant to these instructions, given
by the witness who had written au-
thority from Gov. Steunenberg, large
body Of miners were arrested, brought
to Wardner and imprisoned in the
warehouse. Their houses were searched
for firearms and dynamite.
Mr.. Sinclair testified that he never
saw brutal act or one that was dis
courteous on the part of officers or
soldiers toward the prisoners. On the
other hand, he said, the men frater-
nized to such an extent that il gave
rise to the fear that the soldiers and
miners might be in collision. As to the
| quality of the food he said it was ex-
cellent, and that he gladly paid the
| cook so cents meal for all that he had;
| and he preferred that from the prison
| to the meals served elsewhere in Ward
ner.