Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-06-08
Twelve Miners Killed at Railway
Station in Cripple Creek.
BOMB WAS SET FOR
NONUNION WORKMEN.
Dynamite Had Been Placed Under Center
of Depot So as to Kill Miners
Returning from Work.
MILITIA ORDERED TO. THE SCENE.

Cripple Greek, Colo, June 6.-Twelve
sH3Iners We're instantly killed and eight or
ten others badly injured by an explosion
shat occurred after midnight at the In
dependence station Of the Florence &,
Cripple Greek railroad. The explosion
WAS the result of plot against the
s1an-union miners on the night shift
sa1 the Shurtloff, Findlay and Last
A1ollar mines, who had just finished
work and were about to return 10 their
R0Bes- These men had no warning what
ever Of their impending fate.
The explosion occurred beneath the
platform on which they were standing,
Marling many Of them high into the air,
destroying the adjoining depot and rend-
2ag 4 great hole in the earth.
Detectives Trace Bomb.
Detectives found the machine which set
Off the dynamite. 1t consists of revolver
1EEad 300 feet of steel wire. The revolver
TEas placed underneath the platform, close
I'D the powder. The other end of the wire
U1s fastened to a chair leg which was
used as lever from the cribbings of the
NeimonicO property.
catastrophe and further trouble is feared.
g. number Of fist fights have already oc
91Irred.
Searching for Clues.
independence is about six miles from
nhfs city. A special train carrying ply
=scians was dispatched to the scene of
&3ae explosion and the injured were taken
Gss the Victor hospital. Sheriff Robertson
with deputies and police officers of both
Cripple Greek and Victor, went to In
dependence on the special train and inn
x7aedlately began careful search for
Clues to the perpetrators of the outrage.
Horrible Spectacle.
The train, which was running very
glow, was brought to q sudden stop by
151e engineer and members of the train
crew ran hastily forward to investigate.
fEhey were horror stricken at the sight
chat greeted their eyes, a spectacle that
was made all the more greWSOme by the
s7ckly Pickering lights from the lanterns
and burning torches carried by the rail
n0ad men. 1t took but a few seconds for
G2le trainmen to appreciate the terrible
situation, and messengers were hurried
away for assistance.
The scene about the depot was sicken-
Eng. Portions Of human bodies were scat
tered over the right-of-way, and in the
-20foot hole made by the explosion
Were found several skulls, arms, legs and
BANDS and every object within radius
feet from the hole is despatched with
blood.
Militia Called Out.
Victor Mayor Franklin ordered out Co.
IL, Colorado national guard, and the sol
odiers are now on guard at the scene.
That the crime was carefully Matched
and deliberately perpetrated there is now
not the least shadow Of doubt. Two or
three hundred pounds of powder was ex
Eioded by a revolver attached to a wire
(which still remains leading out from the
scene Of the explosion.
There is seventy-ive yards Of wire
which was used to pull the trigger of the
revolver which fired the immense charge
.of powder. The rear end of the wire
TEas uncovered at noon by railway con-
saEruction gang. The wire was run out
salongside the switch which goes to the
I}elmonico mine. Attached to the end of
the wire as a handle was a chair leg.
eEhis was used to pull the fatal trigger,
seventy-fye yards away.
Guarding the Wire.
a large quantity of recognizable re-
n1ains Of human beings were also uncov-
ered- Sheriffs Burton and Wilson and
Tmderwood stood guard over the pile of
debris. The wire is being carefully
guarded and no one is being permitted to
FEalk along the spur of the track along
(which it runs. Bloodhounds have been
sent for, but it would seem like a futile
attempt to apprehend the men who pulled
-Ehe string. The trail, would be lost af-
zer the end of the spur is reached. 1t is
SO near the town Of independence that
znnumerable persons have traversed the
ground in that vicinity.
At Sea for a Clue.
The authorities are at sea for a clue
There is much excitement and a good
deal of talk of burning the perpetrators
mt the stake if caught. Groups Of deter
uained men carrying clubs are to be seen
lin all portions Of Independence. The
usual rowdy element is not in evidence.
The Death Signal.
The conspirators evidently did not wish
60 kill injure any of the crew in
charge of the train, which the Inflated
miners intended to take for their homes
III Victor and Cripple Greek.
When within rs feet of the depot at
Independence the engine whistle sounded
IS signal for the men at the depot to
get ready to board and to warn any lag
CARDS to make haste if they wished to
catch the train. This whistle was the
death signal, for nc sooner had the shrill
blast sounded than a muf11ed roar was