Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-11-26
INTERNAL MACHINE
BLOWS UP MINE
Conspirators Cause Two Deaths and
Wreck Mine at Cripple Creek.
$4,000 REWARD OFFERED
The Company Asserts That the Ex-
plOsiOn Wns Caused by an In
fernal Mnchine-Bodies RecOv-
cred With Much Difficulty.

Cripple Creek, Col, Nov. 23.-Charles
Mccormack, superintendent, and Mel
vim H. Beck, a miner, were killed short
ly before noon Saturday by an explo-
sion in the Vindicator mine.
Officers of the indicator Mining Co.
assert that the explosion was caused by
al Internal machine, and 400 militia
men have been placed on guard around
the company's properties. 1t is be-
lieyed the explosion grew out of the
miners strike.
Supt. Mccormack and Miner Beck
were descending into the mine in the
cage. They were the only passengers.
When it reached the sixth level the ex-
plosion occurred, wrecking the cage
and shaft and instantly killing both
men.
Bodies Recovered.
The explosion, which was terrific,
was heard at the surface and at first
was believed to be an earthquake. The
engineer hastily reversed the hoist, but
could not pull up the cage, and the
bodies were recovered only after sew
eral hours work, being brought to the
surface through the second compart-
ment of the shaft.
Supt. Mccormack was one of the
best known mining men in the Cripple
Creek district and was well liked. He
leaves a widow and several children.
REWARD FOR TIL PERPETRATORS.
Pronounced One of Worst Crimes
in the Annals of Colorado.
Cripple Creek, Col, Nov. 23.-Sheriff
Robertson, after investigating condi-
lions in the sixth level of the Vindi-
Gator mine, where Supt. Charles Nc
Cormack and Shift Boss Beck we're
killed Saturday by an explosion, coin
cides with a statement of the officials
of the company that a deliberate at
tempt had been made to wreck the
shaft with dynamite. The active COM
mittee of the Mine Owners and OPP
orators association has offered a re-
ward of $4,000 for evidence leading to
the arrest and conviction of the per-
%petrators. In a published statement the
committee said:
Another Step in the Trail of Blood
The killing of Supt. Mccormack and
Melvin Beck was one of the most dia-
bolical crimes that ever darkened the
annals of Colorado and is another step
in the trail of blood which has been
made by the Western Federation of
Miners in this state.
The time has passed for selecting
fine terms in which to speak of these
matters, and we do not hesitate to say
that this crime was devised and exc
cuted by the inner circle of this or
genization.
This statement is made only after a
careful investigation of the facts,
which show conclusively that these
men met their death through a scheme
so cunningly devised and carefully eX-
ecuted as to tax the ingenuity of the
most experienced criminal.
Premedituted Murder.
"Of late the district has been filling
up with the class of men who openly
boast of what they propose to do. Not
a single circumstance surrounding this
crime is compatible with the theory
of accident, and with any other theory
than that Of premeditated murder"
The district executive committee OF
the Western Federation of Miners
characterizes the explosion as a ia
mentable accident regretted by ALL"
and adds:
but prejudiced individuals who
rarely know anything of what they
tain about have already passed judg-
ment and denounce it as a cold-blooded
murder. Experience teaches, however,
that these people are not above making
capital out of any public misfortune"
Gen. Bell in Command.
In consequence of these outrages Gov.
Peabody has reinstated Adjt.-Gen.
Sherman Bell in command of the
militia in camp, succeeding Col. Ed
ward fredericksburg, who has been in
command since Bells retirement at the
close of the court-martial trial of Gen.
Chase.