The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-11-12
SWORN STATEMENT
Of AMAZING 0UTRAGES
Militia Officer: >AAaAes sworn
Statement That He Offered
to Secure Evidence to Clear
UP Vindicator Explosion,
But Was Refused by Bell.

4CS VI 0V1 CCV 1tAOVo " V1 =
Planned and Waged by Of
ficers of Militia to Prolong
Struggle in Mining Districts.
Denver, Colo, Nov. 1O.-The Den
yer News, that reliable purveyor of
news and truth, states that affidav-
its by members OF the National guard
and by the men who were deported
from Cripple Creek, contain some
astonishing matter. The principal
affidavit Is by Major Francis J. Eli
son, who was an officer OF the troops
at Cripple Creek under Sherman
Bell, General Deardon and Major
McClelland. He charges that he Of
fered to Sherman Bell, Peabody's
adjutant general, evidence that
would clear up the Vindicator explo-
sion. No steps, he charges, were
ever taken in the matter, though he
asserts that his information would
have led to the arrest and conviction
OF the men responsible for the plac-
ing OF the Internal machine.
He further charges that under the
special direction OF Major T. e. Nc
Clelland General F. M. Reardon,
postmaster at Victor, a United States
official, series Of street fights were
commenced between men OF Victor
and soldiers OF the National guard
on duty there. He swears that each
fight was planned either by General
Reardon or Major McClelland and
hoir oefp
t1on. The instructions were Ito
knock them down; knock their teeth
down their .throats; bend in their
faces; kick in their ribs and do
everything except kill them" He
swears, and his evidence is corrobor-
ated by men who were with him in
the work, that about the middle of
February General Reardon and
Major McClelland ordered him and
Sergeant J. A. Chase OF Troop c,
First cavalry, to hold up or shoot up
the men coming off shift at the Vim
dicator mine at O'Clock in the
morning. When that: was found i'm
practicable he was ordered to fire:
fifty or sixty: shots Into the V1nd1r.
atthnllsa lri1g.4th snightz
Instead #of taking 5ergeant Chase.
with him, Gordon Walter OF the same
troop accompanied the officer and
they fired sixty shots into the Vln-
dicator and Lille shafthouses, re-
porting later concerning the work to
General Reardon and Major McClel-
land. General Reardon, in giving
his directions Regarding the shooting
up of the Vindicator shafthouse,
stated that Governor Peabody, Cen
eral Bell, he, himself, and myself
(Ellison) were the only ones who
knew anything about the plan,'
which he insisted was intended to
force the mine owners to come up
with promised money. A similar
attack on the Findley mine was
because, as General
Reardon said, "the mine owners had
put up
Major Ellison Swears to Outrages.
In June Major Ellison returned to
Cripple Creek and on the 18th day OF
that month he was present when the
mob took possession Of the union
store and wrecked and looted it. The
major swears that he offered to give
the names OF the mob leaders and
those who took property belonging
to the union store to their homes to
Sheriff Bell. Sheriff Bell said he
would call for the information the
next day, but the next day never
came. Later he visited the sheriff
in his Office and repeated his offer
to furnish him with the names and
sufficient evidence to convict, but
Bell refused to receive his Informal
ton.
Major Ellison in his affidavit
swears that on the night the five
prisoners were taken away from De-
putty Sheriff Walters and his posse
he was directed to have all the sol
diers on duty ordered to their bar
racks at 10 o'clock. At IL o'clock
that night he was informed OF what
had occurred to Deputy Sheriff Wat
ters and his posse and accompanied
Captain Moore in pursuit OF the mob.
Captain Moore insisted upon taking
the wrong road, although Ellison de-
monstrated to him that the mob
could only have gone on the Canon
road. At no time did Captain Moore
approach the right road in spite OF
Bllison's suggestion, backed by the
statement Of Sergeant Troth, who
had just returned from Cripple Creek
with a mounted patrol. At later
time Ellison offered Captain Moore
and Sheriff Bell the names of four
men who had arrested a man on Sec
ond street in Victor and deported him
after a frightful beating. One of
these men was w. e. Dingman, the
present Republican candidate for
county clerk of Teller county He
offered to prove to Sheriff Bell that
Dingman had accompanied several
OF these informal deportation parties
and had carried the rope with which
to tntimidate the victims. ID.
He swears, finally, that at the Re:
publican primaries held in the city
OF VICTOR. acting under Instructions.
OF General Reardon, Major McClel-.
land and w. 2. Dingman, forty or
fifty national guard sold fers. 11n nt1a,.