The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-09

to catch the night shift at half past 2
O'Clock. We got off at the depot and
the other boys was there to meet us.
The train went on around to a place
they call Windy Point and 1T headed
back down. We all walked up to the
Delmonico and were standing there
when the train came within $50 or 200
feet of the depot. at the whistIing
point, and just as she whiStled 1 saw
the men standing on the platform, the
night shift from the Finley mine, and
L saw some of my friends there and
realized that they would be killed. I
did my best to run down and get this
thing so it wouldn't go off, and when
they saw what I was trying to do one
man grabbed me and struck me with
his pistol on the eye and again behind
the ear where have scars now from
those blows, and was knocked I'M
conscious for a short time. When 1
came to again everybody in Independ-
great excitement The men took me
to a place called Love station, about
five miles from there, in a spring
wagon. Three men were with me. We
there al that night. The next day
was around Victor when all the trou-
BILE was going on 1 carried the news
of what was going on back to the boys
and stayed there that night and went
back the next day. That was the Sth,
and on the night of the 9Th we all
walked down to Colorado Springs and
got there about or o'clock the next
morning. Three of the men bought
tickets for Pueblo and 1 think they
went west. On the night of the 9Th,
that same night at $50, 1 took the
Santa Fe train to La Junta and got
there about 1910. We had plenty of
money furnished US by the union, who
ever that was. Blank gave me fifty
dollars for what I did in the first
affair and the same amount for the
last. After reaching La Junta went
up to my house and - and -
stopped at a rooming house over the
Mint saloon. 1 went down the next
day and met them and -- bought
a ticket to Albuquerque, and 1 don't
know where he went to then. On the
10th at 1880 o'clock and I
caught the freight down to Dodge City
and we stayed there an hour or two
and ate supper, and at $3.50 we caught
No. 30 coming east and rode all night
and got into Newton about or the
next morning. That is the last I saw
OF -, and haven't even heard
of him since I left him at the Santa
Fe depot after breakfast. He didn't
say where he was going. Lots of them
out there said that they were going to
Joplin, but whether they went don't
know. came on to Topeka from
there and got here Saturday the 18th
for the Santa Fe shops and got ar
rested for this business here.
"ROBT. B. ROMANO"
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this Sth day of September. 1904.
(Seal.) NJ. F. LAYCOCK.
Notary Public.
My commission expires April 4. 1906.
Ramoine in Colorado.
Cripple Creek. Colo, Sept. e.-Sheriff |
Edward Bell today said that Robert
the prisoner at Topeka Kan.
who is said to have confessed to COM
plicity in the Independence depot and |
mine explosions in this dis |
trict by which Is non-union miners |
were killed outright and others injured |
had long been under suspicion in con-
nection with these and other crimes.
I'VE know positively" said Sheriff |
Bell, that Roman worked in the dis |
trict while the strike was in progress |
and was a spy employed by the West |
srn Federation of Miners
Il received a letter from Sheriff Luz
cas- of Topeka Kan, several days ago."