The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-10
SEVEN
All of the Killed and Injured Except
Two Were Non-union Miners-Sey-
to Die-Sheriff Robertson Suddenly
Resigns His Position and Is Sue
ceeded by Edward Bell-City Mar
shall O'Connell Suspended by the
Mayor.

$1,000
ously wounded today by the explosion
Of an Internal machine at h railroad
station. Eleven were killed outright,
being blown to pieces. and one died
later from his rounds. All the killed
and injured, with the exception of two
men from the Deadwood mine, were
non-union miners.
The Internal machine with which the
murder was committed consisted Of a
quantity of dynamite, probably 800
pounds, a loaded revolver and a long
fine steel wire attached to the trigger.
HI revolver was fastened so that the
pulling of the trigger would not draw
it away. The wire ran from undo the
station platform to the cribbing of the
Delmonico property, about four hundred
feet away, where its ends was fasten-
ed to a rung Of a chair. The dyna>
mite was placed close to the muzzle
Of the revolver, which was discharged
by pulling the wire. The ball from
the revolver and the resultant concus>
sion exploded the dynamite.
A man was seen running down the
street from the Delmonico property
| after the explosion. The Victor troops,
who were ordered out by Mayor French,
were so stationed as to keep people
from passing over the path taken by
this man and blood hounds were sent
from Canyon City n Trinidad to trail
the assassin.
The Internal machine used today vas
| similar fn tho nna aYnInHaI in tho Vim
dicator mine on November q. 1908,
killing two men.
The men quit work at 2 o'clock this
morning n were waiting to board q
train to return to their homes
in Cripple Greek and Victor.
Just after the engineer Of the ap-
| preaching train blew the whistle as a
signal to the miners, the terrific eXplO-
| sion occurred. Underneath the station
platform on n near which &c men
were gathered. The platform was
blown into splinters, he station was
wrecked n a hole 20 feet in circum-
ference and 20 feet in depth was torn
| in the ground. Fragments Of bodies
were hurled several hundred feet
Several bodies dropped into the pit
made by the explosion, but heads,
hands. ears, legs, arms and trunks
were strewn about on all sides. Pieces
! of flesh were found on buildings five
hundred feet away.
The force Of the explosion was felt
throughout the camp and the crash
awakened everybody. The approaching
train was stopped and the trainmen
rushed ahead to the scene OF the dis
! aster. They We're joined in a few min
utes by hundreds of persons and relief
work was begun at once. A special
train was sent from Cripple Creek, car
rying physicians and nurses and many
others. The mangled bodies of the
dead were removed to the coroner
office.
The dead: Gus Augustine, aged Is;
Arthur MuhleiSe, relatives in
Henry Haag. Alexander McLane. Chas.
E. Barber, Herbert Mccoy. j. H. Hart
sell, William Shanklin, E. Kelso, w
w. Delaney, Edward Rooss, E. H.
Johnson.
The injured: J. A. Brooker. Edward
Holland, John Police, o Sinclair,
Tom Carney. Thomas Allen.
Amputations have been performed on
a few of the wounded and it is almost
certain that several OF them will die.
Most of the dead and wounded were
unmarried.
by order Of Major H. A. Nyler, of the
National Guard, the bodies Were re-
moved from the c%oroner's establishment
to an undertaker's rooms. This action
was taken on request Of ]. S. Murphy
superintendent of the Finley mine, be-
cause it was alleged that Coroner
James Doran had remarked before the
discovery of the Internal machine that
the death of the men was due to an
accident.
Later Coroner Doran explained THAI
although he had spoken Of h disaster
as an awful accident" he Vas con-
WINGED that a terrible crime had been
committed.
Without explanation n at a sud
denness that caused great surprise,
Sheriff Henry NJ. Robertson this after
noon resigned his position and Edward
Bell was named to succeed him. Bel
is a member Of the Citizens Alliance.
City Marshal O'Connell, of Victor
was suspended by Major French
and Major II. A. Naylor was appoint
ed provisional marshal. O'Connell
yielded. although he was strongly Urg-
ed by Union miners to resist.
\ Covman Ofice- Presented To the