The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-09-30
MANY CRIMINAL CASES.
Colorado Court Win Have Long Cal
endar in November.

endar in November.
Cripple Creek, Colo, Sept. 2s,-No-
vember 20 has been set by the district
court of Teller county for beginning the
trial of criminal cases, on that day
will come for trial SIS members of the
Western Federation of Miners now out
on bonds and as many of the IL tor
whom warrants are now out as the
sheriff may be able to arrest in the
meantime.
There are lS2 cases of this charac-
ter prepared for the hearing of the
court. All of the cases grew out of
crimes committed during the recent
strike in Cripple Greek or the uprising
Of the people in indignation over their
preparation on June 6, They were all
committed to one end--the intimida-
ton of mine owners and their nom
union workmen for the purpose of
compelling the employment of meme but
union men in the operation of the
mines.
The 1872 cases are for murder and
conspiracy to commit murder Of at
tendants at the Victor mass meeting
In Victor on June and the attempt to
murder Secretary c. C. Hamlin of the
mine owners association at the same
time. other cases are being prepared
for the murder of Martin Gleason. su-
perintendent of the Wild Horse mine
in December. 1901, and yet others for
murders at the vindicator mine and the
Independence depot.
When the law element of the COM
munity gained control of Teller county
over the lawless Western Federation of
Miners which had dominated courts
and peace officers all through the year
of the strike, one of the first actions
taken after the lesser criminals Of the
organization had been forcibly deport-
ed under the unwritten law of exit, was
to set the legal machinery at work on
a systematic, legal basis, with view
to apprehending the greater criminals
and bringing them to justice for the
acts they had committed all through the
strike period without check or him
tlrance from the officers of the law.
The county commissioners appropriated
$4,000 for the employment of special
prosecutors and promised the new sher-
iff of the county all financial assistance
necessary to run down the criminals
who had taken alarm and fled the coun-
try as soon as it became apparent to
them that the laws were to be enforced |
Through the months that have
elapsed much work has been done to-
ward this end. Warrants made out
early were served on the heads of the
federation, Meyer and Haywood, and
they were placed under $4,000 bonds
each. Less prominent but equally act
i've agents had fed the country, going,
an,ne into other states, hiding under
aliases in out of the way sections,
some to the republic of Mexico, some
to British Columbia, out of the reach
of American officers. Many wanted by
the sheriff were the known active
agents of the federation in blowing up
the Independence depot on the morning
of June by which 10 men were mur-
dered and seven manned for life. 9th
ers had been in the plot to blow up
a cage load of miners on the Vindica-
tor mine and kill 16-a plot that par
tally miscarried and murdered but two
instead of the number it was fixed to
kill. Many are charged with murders
resulting from the firing Of union forces
from union hall in Victor upon mass
meeting of citizens being held on
vacant lot to protest against union out
RACES. There are dozens of other lesser
crimes for which men are wanted but
on these the fight Of the peace officers
for convictions will be made.