The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-06
MINERS HURLED In The AIR

to kill or injure any of the crew in
charge of the train which the illfated
miners intended to take for their homes
in Victor and Cripple Creek. When
within rs feet of the depot at Inde-
pendence, the engine whistle sounded
as a signal for the men at the depot
to get ready to board and warn any
laggards to make haste if they wished
to catch the train. This whistle was
the death signal for no sooner had the
shrill blast sounded than a muffied roar
was heard and the mountain trembled
as if rocked by an earthquake The
train, which was running very slowly
at the time of the explosion, was
brought to a sudden stop by the engi-
neer and members of the train crew
ran hastily forward to investigate. They
were horror stricken at the sight which
greeted their eyes, the spectacle being
made all the more grewsome by the
sickly f1ickering lights from the
lanterns and burning torches the rail-
readers carried. It took but a few sec
onds for the trainmen to appreciate
the terrible result of the explosion, and
messengers were rushed off for assist
ance.
The scene about the depot is sicken-
ing. Portions of human bodies are
scattered over the right of way of the
railroad, and in the 20 foot hole made
by the explosion are several skulls,
arms, legs and hands. Every object
within a radius of so feet from the hole
is bespattered with blood
Victor Mayor Franklin ordered out
company L, Colorado National guard,
and the soldiers are now on guard at
the scene of the explosion.
OF the miners murdered, several are
from this city, while some reside i'll
Victor. Most of them have families,
and the crime is enhanced for that
reason into the most stupendous dis
aster in the history of the district, not
even excepting that of the Independ-
ance mine last January, where fifteen
men lost their lives.
Crime Was Carefully Planned.
That the diabolical crime was care
] fully hatched and deliberately perpe-
/ trated there is not the shadow of a
doubt. Two or three hundred pounds
| of powder was exploded, probably by
/ a revolver attached to the wire which
still remains leading out from the
/ scene of the explosion
| There are seventy-f1ve yards of wire
/ which were used to pull the trigger
| of the revolver which fired the i'm
mense charge of powder. The rear
end of the wire was uncovered at II
] 0 O'clock this morning by a construction
gang of the E. & G. G. railroad
which was sent to the scene of the
| wrecked depot by Trainmaster Mid
daugh of the Southwestern system.
A large quantity of unrecognizab BILE
/ remains of human beings was also un-
| covered at the same time. Sheriffs
/ Burton and Wilson and Underwood
! stood guard over the pile of debris
! from early morning in the hope that
| upon the arrival of the railroad work
ers some definite clue to the nature Of
! the machine might be discovered.
! Nothing was found, however, except
! the rear end of the wire which was
used to explode the gun.
The wire was discovered at daylight
running out alongside the switch
which goes to the Delmonico mine.
Attached to the end of the wire as
| handle was a chair leg. This was used
I - = e.
yards away. Bloodhounds have been
requiSitioned from Trinidad and
Palmer Lake and Canyon City. The
wire is being carefully guarded and no
one is being permitted to walk along
the spur of track along which it runs.
Tt would seem like a futile attempt
to apprehend the asSassins who pulled
the string. The trail would be lost
after the end of the spur is reached.
1t is so near the town of Independ-
ence that innumerable persons have
traversed the ground in that vicinity.
1t would seem that the only hope is
for the arrest of every suspicious per
son in the district and a forcing of
such persons to prove alfbis. The
crime is such a terrible one that near
ly all the authorities are at sea for
theory to account for the identity of
the murderer or murderers.
Talk of Lynching.
Many persons are wishing that some
such strenuous man as Sherman Bell
was at the helm making wholesale ar
rests, for such a house cleaning is much
needed. Excitement prevails to such a
heat that the most conservative citi-
zens would not interfere if they felt
sure that the right persons would be
apprehended. Every class of citizens is
unanimous in expressing the opinion
that burning would be the punishment
meted out to the OriginatOrs if caught.
The county will be at no expense for
hanging this time" said a prominent
citizen. Groups of determined men car
rying clubs are to be seen in all por-
tions of Independence.
The usual rowdy element is not in ev-
idence. Several desperate characters
who arrived in town lately have been
! disappearing for the past two days 1t
is believed that the crime perpetrated
this morning will sound the death knelI
of the Western Federation of Miners in
the district.
Story of Eye Witness
! Charles Rector, of the Shurtloff
mine. describes the explosion as fol-
"There were about SO or so of us
| waiting for our train, which was COM
/ ing up the track a few hundred feet
/ distant A number of miners who
had not yet reached the depot were
running toward it with their dinner
/ buckets in hand. The train approach
/ ed the depot at a moderate rate and
/ the crowd on the platform began to
! move around so as to secure points of
] 'tNAANe1o III SGlAiAlS dDOdIu dS SOON aS
/ the train stopped. At this moment a
/ great explosion occurred right under
our feet. The impact shook the
/ buildings in the town and everything
J became absolutely dark. A few mo-
/ ments later grOans of men were heard,
people came running from residences
and stores to the scene. I found my
self uninjured. The depot, the plat
I form and the surrounding objects
were rent into splinters. The work
of rescue was begun at once. Six bad
| ~ wounded miners were picked up at
4 different points near the scene and