The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-04

gler-Union mine:
Dead as for as Known
| JOHN BARTHTELL. union miner.
! ]. l. LUJAN. a Mexican. employed as
| trimmer in the mines.
Wounded
CHARLES NJ BECKER. mine supern-
| tendent right hip broken and badly shat
| tered by bullet
| w. JORDAN shift boss and deputy
| sheriff shot through hips, no bones broken.
JOHN NICHOLSON, shot through head,
will probably die.
UNKNOWN MAN, shot through both
| legs.
TEN OTHERS, nature of wounds un-
| known.
| The excitement which has been prevail
ing all day over the riot is rapidly SUBJ
| siding this evening. The controversy has
| been satisfactorily adjusted for the present
and everything is quiet in Marshall and
Savage basins. Early this morning word
| was received in town that there con-
siderable shooting going on at Smuggler at
| 5 . clock, and many kinds of rumors were
afloat. The trouble is only part of the
strike trouble which has been brewing for
some time.
| DR.. Sheldon was called TO the Bullion
tunnel to dress the wounds Of the injured
men and sent a message about noon saying
that Becker had had bad arm and that
| Nicholson, who was shot in the head, had
bare chance TO live, but that is about all.
AT that time those were the only men on
either side whose wounds he had attended
| 10. Most of the forenoon shots were ex-
changed between the miners deputies and
guards, out at ] o'clock all was quiet with
the exception of few shots now and then.
Some time this forenoon one of the cabins
near the office building was blown up, but
it is impossible to learn what damage, if
any, was done.
FOUGHT IN A TUNNEL
AS nearly as can be learned the fight was
precipitated at the Sheridan tunnel, which
is about three-quarters Of a mile above the
Bullion tunnel, through which the mines
are worked. and where the principal board
ing and bunkhouses and other buildings
and upper terminal of the tramway are To-
| Gated. During last night a number of
| union miners went up to point near these
places, and at o'clock this morning it is
said, sent a man with a message to the
men working with William Jordan to the
effect hat IL they would stop work and
come down the hill there would be no
trouble. In response to this message II is
said, the union men were fired on, resulting
and mis- crew then sought refuge in an old
tunnel, and IL was while running for it's
mouth that Jordan was shot through the
hips AT about II o'clock an opportunity
was offered for bringing Jordan to town by
an old and unsued trail. all other avenues
TO the basin being strongly guarded by the
union men. The firing gradually worked
down TO the Bullion tunnel.
Telephone wires leading from town TO the
mines in Marshall and Savage basin were
cut early and communication shut off until
Lot a If ta HI
learn any particulars of the fighting as
both sides refuse to say anything. During
the day all kinds OF rumors were current.
some that fifteen men were killed. Late
this evening DR.. Sheldon, who went up
early this morning, telephoned that ten
men, including the four mentioned above.
were injured. and that they would be sent
down as rapidly he could dress their
wounds. DIR. Sheldon was shot through the
hand by stray bullet.
The Tom Boy and Liberty Bell miners
who went TO the Smuggler- Union early this
morning, compelling those properties to
close down, returned TO their respective
mines this afternoon, after II was an
n6unced that temporary agreement had
been reached by the union and Edgar Col
Inns. assistant manager. This agreement
Is said 10 be that the company will with
draw all men from the mines except few
watchmen and make no effort TO resume
work until the strike is amicably settled
and officially declared of AS result of
this agreement everything is quiet tonight.
and If II continues tomorrow morning tho
sheriff will doubtless revoke his request for
state troops.
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
The battle of to-day grew out of the
strike inaugurated on the Smuggler- Union
mines on May l. The management of the
company for some two years prior to that
date had been letting contracts for break
ing part OF the ore produced by the mines.
From the start the union complained about
the contract system OF breaking ore. claim
ing that a large numbers of contractors
could not make wages, and that some even
came out in debt TO the company at the
end OF the month. The manager OF the
company was called on by the local officers
of the union and asked that the contract
system be either abolished the contrac-
tors guaranteed district wages OF $3 per
day I'm case they failed 10 earn IL contract
ing The manager declined to grant the
request and a strike on this particular
property was ordered.
The mines and mills were shut down and
remained idle until the 18th of June. when
enough nonunion men and union men who
were dissatisfied with the strike returned
to work in the mines to break sufficient ore
10 keep one OF the mills running. the other
being dismantled for repairs. With this
limited force the mill had kept steadily
running until this morning During this
viewed the manager of the company sew
eral times endeavoring 10 bring
about an amcable adjustment Of
the difficulty. but their efforts were
Sullivan. OF the executive committee
OF the Western Federation of Miners. ar
rived in Telluride and consulted the man
ager He also was unable 10 accomplish
anything The prolonged strike was hav-
ing such depressing Influence on the bust
ness interests OF Telluride that last Friday