Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-06-14
DECLARES ANARCHY RULES
Former OttumWa Woman Graphically
Describes Conditions at Victor.

as ever disgraced our fair land. Appeal
after appeal has been made to the
President but SO far he has turned a
deaf ear. There Is certainly as much
cause for his intervention here as
there ever could have been in the east
during the coal strike there.
Most Recent outrases.
But all this has been nothing com.
pared to the last two days.
AS soon as the state troops were
sent home a company from the Citi.
Gems Alliance and the mine owners
was organized. Yesterday. after the
terrible affair of the morning, the un-
fair mines were closed and that ele-
ment began arming and forming at the
armory hall. ALI kinds of wild threats
were made. They resisted all arrests
and defied the city officials. The mar
shall began swearing in deputies when
the mayor, who Is owned by the mine
| owners, suspended him. A committee
| caught the sheriff, marched him to the
Citizens Alliance headquarters and
| told him to resign or stretch hemp. He
said: you'll have to show me the
rope, boys" and it was Immediately
held over his head. He resigned and
| a Citizens Alliance man was appointed
by them.
A mass meeting was then held in a
vacant lot in the main part Of town.
The secretary of the mine owners as
ISOLATION was the first speaker. He
began by denouncing the striking min
ers and advised his followers to drive
every union man out Of town. Some
of these had been arming too and his
remarks were Missed and hooted and
the shooting began. Nobody knows
which side shot first, but in the scrim-
mage an innocent man standing by
the speaker was killed by a bullet ey-
identity intended for the secretary. A
large number Of others were wounded.
A number of the miners then cross
! ed the street and entered their hall re-
fusing to surrender to the militia.
whereupon the militia assembled to the
roofs Of surrounding buildings and,
poured volley after volley into the
miners building. Strange as it may
seem, although large number were
wounded and some seriously, none
were killed. The miners finally sur
rendered. A large number were i'm.
prisoned in Armory hall and the mob
entered the building and blew up the
safe, took all the papers and then
went into the union supply store,
which they practically demolished and
closed. They have since forced the
designations of nearly all the city
council and officials 1t is claimed they
have nearly $50 men now in the bull
pen and they will probably all be driv-
en- out of the district as they have
been driving in men all day. They
chase them in like SO many stray dogs,
| there is no cause or reason for 1t ex-
cept their own passions glutted by the
success they have had in usurping all
control. Even as write should not
/ be surprised to have the mob enter
he has never been a miner his sympa-
thies are with them.
Mob In Control.
Our town is governed and controll-
ed tonight by as rank mob of anar-
chists as ever held sway anywhere and
in my opinion no ones life, who is not
in sympathy with them is safe
i Oh how vainly wish 1 We're back
4 on my farm in Iowa where such things
could not be.
i what Is TO happen God alone knows.
j Well may one pause to ask rs this the
I land Of the free?" | have written what
| know to be true. Ny article is l
fear already too long or could tell
of men dragged from their beds at
midnight, from their tables, hunted
like dogs-but people can not be.
lieve the true state Of things here,
Hoping that this may be published in
order that both sides may have a hear.
ing, am Yours respectfully
Mrs. M. Winter.
Victor, Colorado.