The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-07

Victor, Colo, June 6.-Rioting broke out
in this city this afternoon while a mass
meeting was peing held to discuss the
murder of twelve non-union miners by
means of an Internal machine at Inde-
pendece Forty shots were fired into the
crowd in the street
One man was killed and six persons at
least injured.
The dead:
r. MCGEE of Victor, shot through heart.
The injured William Hoslxins of Gold
field, shot through the body. may die; AL
fred Miller of Goldfeld, shot in body,
may die; J. B. Davis, skull fractured by
blow from revolver, seriously injured; Pc
ter Fleming. shot; Fred Strudevess engi-
neer at Independence mine; an unknown
man.
Secretary Clarence Hamlin, of the Mine
Owners association, concluding a short
address said:
Il want to hear what tlis hevs in the
mines have got to say about this trouble. ;"
William Hosldns, union miner from
Goldfield. threw up his hands and
shouted:
LET me talk"
At this the crowd began to hiss Hos
kins and cry put him out"
A free for all fight followed and shoot
ing began.
Most of the shots were directed sky
ward.
Hoskins fell with bullet in his body
iy,
ton.
Bullets Whizzed About Head.
Secretary Hamlin, who had been stand
ing on a wagon, kept on talking, unmind-
full of the hailstorm of bullets that whiz-
zed about his head.
After the first excitement had some
what cleared away. the injured and dy-
ing were gathered up.
r. MCGEE of Victor, who was instantly
killed, had been standing on an embank-
ment thirty feet above the men who had
been fighting and was an innocent spec
tator.
Alfred Miller and ]. D. Davis were car
ried to the Victor hospital.
An eye witness said of the shooting;
Il saw them carry three men aTay,
one shot through the head, and another
through the arm | think that more than
five were shot"
A pitched battle is looked for at any
moment There are five thousand men on
the street, and union men are arming
themselves and are lined up on the cor
ners of Fourth and Victor avenues.
Previous to the rioting, Sheriff Henry
M. Robertson had been summoned to
meeting of the Mineworkers, association
in Armory hall by committee composed
of C. C. Hamlin, secretary of the asso-
citation; J. S. Murphy, manager of the
Findley mines, and l.. e. Hill of the
Theresa. At this meeting his resignation
was demanded. He yielded to the de-
mand Edward Bell was appointed by
the county commissioners to fill out Rob
ertson's unexpired term. Robertson was
union miner before he was elected sher-
iff. Bell is a member of the Citizens al
lance
Nearly All Mines Closed.
Nearly all mines in the district had
been closed by order of the Mneowners'
association and hundreds of miners flock
ed into town from the surrounding hills.
Fully 1900 supporters of the association
gathered about the armory where it was
meeting. Al the same time 1909 men,
armed with all sorts of weapons, were as
sembled on the vacant ground at the
corner of Victor avenue and Fourth street,
in response to call for mass meeting.
Most of these were union men who de-
clared their intention to resist TO the
death any attempt to run them out OF the
district. City Marshal O'Connell hur-
riedly swore in several hundred citizens,
most Of them union men as deputy police
men, after being refused admission to
the mine owners headquarters. After
a conference with Sheriff Bell, and a
number Of mine owners Mayor Frank d.
French removed City Marshal OConnell,
who then dismissed his deputies.
Then followed the rioting, In which Nc
Gee was killed and at least six persons
injured.
After the rioting began Sheriff Bell or
dered out all the soldiers in the district. He
soon appointed 100 deputies
Soldiers have already arrested a trio Of
editors and printers of the Daily Record.
and City Marshal O'Connell and put them
In the bull pen. All wealthy mine own
ers are carrying guns.