The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-06-09
GUNS BROUGHT INTO PLAY
Railroad Station Wrecked by
Dynamite Placed Under
Platform by AssaSsins.
Riot in Victor.

A special from Cripple Greek, Col
orado, says: Twelve ,nen wc:e Killed
and seven were severely wounded
Monday by the explosion Of al IN
fernal machine at the railroad sta,
ton in Independence. Eleven were
killed outright: being blown to pieces,
and one died later from his wounds
All the killed and injured, with
the exception Of two men srom the
Deadwood mine, were non-union min.
ers employed on the night shift of
the Findley mine
The Internal machine with which
the murder was committed consisted
OF a quantity Of dynamite, probably
300, pounds, loaCed revolver, and a
long fine steel wire attached % IHe
trigger. The wire ran from Endcr
the station platform to the cri35i;is
of the Delmonico property, about 200
feet away, where It's end was las
tened to chair. The dynamite was
placed close to the nuzzle Of the re-
volver. which was discharged by pull
ing the wire. The ball from the re-
volver and the resultant conclusion
exploded the dynamite.
The Internal machine used was sim
liar to the one exploded in the Vindi-
Gator mine on November 21, 1908,
killing two men. r...ts-. =
The men quit work at 2 o'clock
Monday 1norning and were waiting
to Board a suburban train on the
Florence and CripplegGreek railroad
to return To-, their homes in Cripple
Cripplex Greek and Victor. sE
Just after the engineer of the ap;
proaehing train blerthe whistle as
q signal to the miners, according to
custom, terrific explosion occurred
under the platform, on and near which
tweHty-six men were gathered. The
platform was blown into splinters,
the station was wrecked and hole
20 teet in. circumference and 20 feet
in depth was torn in the ground. Frag-
nerfs of bodies were hurled several
hunared feet.
Several bodies dropped into the pit
made by the explosion, but heads
hands, ears, legs, arms and trunks
were strewn about on all sides. Pieces
of flesh were found on buildings 800
feet away, while splashes OF blood
were found on everything within ra-
dius OF so feet. ~
The force of the explosion was felt
throughout the camp, and the crash
awakenedaeverybody. The approaching
train was stopped and the trainmen
rushed ahead to the scene Of the dis
aster. They were joined in few
minutes by hundreds of persons, and
relief work was begun at once. A
special train was sent from Cripple
Creek, carrying physicians, nurses, OF
f,cers and many others, but when 1t
reached independence the, injured had
already been placed on board subur'
han train and removed to a hospltal
insVictor.
The mangled bodies of the dead
pieced together as we'll as possible
were removed to the coroner's Of
fee. -.r.~a =
Amputations have been performed
ON o few of the wounded. and 1t is
almost certain that several OF them
viii die. Most of the dead and In
jured were unmarried.
By order of Major H. A. Naylor' Oh
the national guard, the BODIES were
removed from the coroner's estao'
lishment to an undertaker's room:
This action was taken on request OF
J. S. Murphy, superintendent OF tne
Findley mine, because it was alleged
Coroner James Doran had remarked
before the discovery of the Internal
machine that the death OF the men
was due to an accident.
without explanation, and with the
snddenness that caused great surprise
sheriff Henry NJ. Robertson resigned
his position and Edward Bell was
named to succeed him. Bell is mem
her of the Citizens Alliance. Z
A squad of soldiers, under command
=, Major H. A. Naylor, has notified all
hardware and gun stores in Victor no'
to sell any firearms or ammunition
without a. permit from Na7lor' o. the